7 Tips for Overcoming Your Fear of Street Photography

It's a rite of passage for beginner street photographers to be afraid to take photos of strangers in public. It's a natural feeling to be worried about a stranger getting angry or upset that you took their photo without permission.

We're out taking photos and that should be something that is fun to do. In many jurisdictions around the world it is perfectly legal to take pictures of people in public. There is no expectation of privacy.

Plan your response if you are ever confronted

I've been doing street photography for over eight years and have only been confronted twice in all that time. It's a natural fear that people will get upset and confront you when you take photos of them in public. But confrontation rarely happens.

The best approach when this happens is to just tell them the truth about why you took the shot. It could something such as "I like your style" or I enjoyed watching the activity you were engaged in. 

Both times I was approached after by people I had taken photos of I briefly explained what I was doing and then continued on with my day as did they.

Visit locations with lots of tourists

Visiting touristy locations is perfect for street photographers of all skill levels. There is lots to shoot and everyone expects people to be taking photos. When I am traveling I am of course visiting tourist locations. But I don't only take photos of the destination I take photos of other tourists such as this shot I got inside The Lourve in Paris.

Everyone gets the same shots of iconic locations. By intentionally including tourists in your shot you can get a unique more memorable photo instead of the cliche shot.

Take photos of buskers, street performers, and public events

Buskers, street performers and public events provide lots of opportunities for the keen eye of the street photographer. Not only are there many interesting scenes to shoot, but these people often expect to be photographed so there is effectively zero chance that anyone will be upset  when you point your camera at them.

Additionally you can take your time and focus more on composition or waiting for the best moment to get the shot. Work the scene and look for different angles and compositions which is something that you don't often have the opportunity to do during street photography.

Most people won't even notice

When you are walking through the streets most people will not notice you taking their photo. This is especially true if you don't move  your camera up to your eye every time you take a shot. 

The key here is to have your camera pointing strait ahead and hold it close to your body. If you have a manual lens you can use zone focusing to know exactly when your subject will be in focus and take the shot at that time.

Another thing to do is to look past your subject. Even if your subject sees you taking the shot, they will think you are taking a photo of something behind them.

Use a small camera and lens

Using a small camera and lens means that you will draw less attention to yourself. A mirrorless camera with a prime lens will not draw attention. Two of the most popular cameras for street photography are the Fujifilm X100 series and Ricoh GR serires of cameras that come with fixed lenses and are an easily pocketable camera.

Compare this to using a large camera such as a DSLR or a Mirrorless with a large lens such as a telephoto or even a large prime and you can easily see how a smaller camera that you can fit in your pocket will not draw attention to you when shooting people in public.

Take photos of people and their pets

One of my favourite things to shoot are dogs. I love dogs, but due to allergies cannot have one of my own so I live vicariously through other peoples pets. 

I like interacting with dogs and it's important to always ask the owner if the dog is friendly and ask for permission.

Almost every time the answer is yes. People love their pets and usually like it when people ask about them. But sometimes dogs are skittish or aggressive or the owner isn't comfortable with you approaching their dog. In that case, I thank them for their time and move on.

Practice Street Portraiture

It may be counter intuitive to stop and ask people if you can take their photo, but it's a good way to get comfortable taking photos of strangers as you know that they've given you permission.

A good approach is to give a  compliment about something; that could be an article of clothing or something they are doing that you find interesting.

Once your subject has agreed, do not rush. This is something I struggle with when doing street portraiture, but by taking your time and working the scene you'll get a better photo. You're subject has already agreed to having their photograph taken: they'll also be open to some posing, whether that is asking them to move their face and hands or repositioning them to get a cleaner background or to tell a better story.

Bonus Tip

Turn off the sounds on your camera and use electronic shutter. Modern mirrorless cameras all have electronic shutters which don't make a sound. Be sure to disable the artificial sounds that are will be somewhere in your cameras menus. 

I have disabled all sounds on my camera so that I can shoot like a ninja.

Now that you've got some strategies to overcome your fear. Go out into the streets, take some photos and practice the craft of street photography.