Street photography skills
Guide: How to take photos on the street? Next, I bring you collected articles, welcome to read!
choose the commanding heights to shoot the big scene
choose the commanding heights to shoot the big scene, which is beneficial to show the space and level of the building and the relationship between the building and the environment, and the scene is very grand. Because the building is immobile, choosing the shooting position has a great influence on the performance of the picture effect. The best way to show a grand scene is to choose a commanding height to shoot from above. You can climb the commanding heights of the whole city, such as the TV tower, or shoot through the windows of high-rise buildings. This perspective is conducive to the expression of the space and level of architecture and the relationship between architecture and environment. When shooting, we should pay attention to the use of small aperture to clearly show the architectural details far and near.
Wide-angle lens incorporates more environments
Shooting with wide-angle lens or even fisheye lens can incorporate more environments and easily express the sense of space and extension of the building. Wide-angle lens refers to the lens whose focal length is between 24 mm and 35 mm. Shooting with wide-angle lens can completely present the buildings in the field of vision on the screen, and easily show the sense of space and extension of the building, which is very suitable for showing the grand momentum of the building. In addition, you can also use a fisheye lens with a focal length of 16mm or even shorter to produce dramatic effects through exaggerated deformation.
explore the formal beauty in lines
arranging the bridges with beautiful lines in the foreground with symmetrical composition not only enhances the beauty of lines and layering of the picture, but also plays a good role in focusing the audience's attention. Pay attention to observing and exploring the rhythm and beauty of lines when shooting buildings. In composition, we should make full use of the formal beauty of lines as much as possible to enhance the depth of the picture and highlight the subject, thus improving the artistic appeal of the picture.
use foreground to increase visual interest
using seasonal flowers and trees as foreground can enrich the visual effect of the picture, render the seasonal atmosphere and effectively set off the theme. When shooting architecture, the best way to avoid being too straightforward is to set off the theme with the foreground. You can walk around the building and bring trees, flowers and sculptures into the foreground. It can not only enrich the visual effect of the picture, but also balance the picture and highlight the main body. For example, with seasonal flowers and trees as the foreground, the seasonal atmosphere can be rendered, which is a powerful foil to the theme.
focus on building a picture frame
build a picture frame with a fence on the side of the road. The arched lines make the picture rich in changes. Observing the building through this "frame" plays a role in focusing the audience's attention. At the same time, the blurred frame also enhances the depth of the picture.
The portico is used to build a picture frame, and the strong contrast between light and shade deepens the audience's visual impression of the main building. When shooting a building, the surrounding messy environment will interfere with and distract the audience's sight. If you shoot the building alone, it will be straightforward and monotonous. In addition to the introduction prospect mentioned above, finding a natural picture frame that can eliminate the interference of messy environment can also concentrate the audience's attention. Trees, passages, doors and windows are all commonly used picture frames. Excellent picture frames generally assist the composition of the subject through shape, color, contrast and natural context.
use the overhead shot to express the height of the building
use the wide-angle lens to take the overhead shot at a low angle, and the building seems to go straight into the sky, and the lines converging upward show a strong sense of space. If you want to show the height and grandeur of the building, the back shot is the best choice. Because the shooting point is lower than the shooting object when shooting up, the camera lens is lifted up, which often makes the horizon out of the picture. The sky in the background occupies a large area of the picture, exaggerating the subject and making it majestic. If you shoot with a wide-angle lens, because of the perspective, the building will become wider at the bottom and narrower at the top, which will give people a visual effect of standing upright and piercing the sky. When shooting in this way, we should pay attention to the clear lines and layers of the building with a small aperture.
enhancing the outline of the building with silhouette
The light, shadow and color of sunrise and sunset can well render the atmosphere of the picture, and the sharp silhouette makes the picture appear concise and powerful. You can also highlight the outline and lines of the building by silhouette. Select the sunrise and sunset periods, measure the light in areas with uniform brightness in the sky, and then lock in exposure value to re-compose and shoot. The light, shadow and color of sunrise and sunset can well render the picture atmosphere. The sharp silhouette makes the picture simple and powerful.
use reflection to add appeal
reflection can extend and repeat buildings, bring changes and hazy beauty to the picture, and increase the appeal of the picture. Whether shooting architecture or scenery, when there are water features around, we should pay special attention to the use of reflection. Reflection can make the building extend and repeat, and expand the expression range of the picture. At the same time, it brings changes and hazy beauty to the picture, adds appeal to the picture and brings visual pleasure.
Depicting details with telephoto lens
The details of architecture can bring more intuitive and real feelings to the audience. You can try to use different angles and different viewing ranges to present it to the audience in the form of a group of pictures. Every building has its unique beauty of detail, whether it is color, lines or exquisite sculpture, it is a picture worthy of being included in the lens. Therefore, in addition to shooting the overall shape of the building, we should also pay attention to depicting details with telephoto lenses. These details can bring more intuitive and real feelings to the audience. You can try to use different angles and different viewing ranges to present it to the audience in the form of a group of pictures.
Taking pictures in special weather
The buildings in the fog are looming, with rich layering and hazy beauty, which can arouse people's curiosity. In the case of "bad" weather such as fog, rain and snow, many people will give up shooting and avoid going out. In fact, special photos can often be taken in such weather. Whether it is foggy, stormy or snowy, it will produce a special environmental atmosphere on the screen, giving people a refreshing feeling.
Shooting signs representing regional characteristics
When shooting street signs, attention should be paid to the surrounding environment. This work uses diagonal communication to enhance the vitality of the picture and expand the audience's line of sight with extended curves. When walking through the streets of the city, as long as you look carefully, you will find that many things are fresh. In particular, signs representing regional characteristics, such as house numbers and street signs. Integrating it with the surrounding environment can play a role of introduction and explanation, and it is also convenient for you to recall and find photos when sorting out photos and travel notes.
Discover the scenery with distinctive features
A small landscape shows the cultural atmosphere of the ancient style and rhyme of Qintai Road to the fullest. When shooting street scenes, you should be good at discovering unique and distinctive scenery. For example, Qintai Road in Chengdu has dense ancient buildings and strong cultural atmosphere. When you find this sculpture dressed in Sichuan Opera, you must not miss it. With a wide-angle lens upside down and a distinctive background, the ancient rhyme of the pear garden is immediately presented on the screen.
Looking for formal beauty in the street view
Chengdu is a leisurely city. When the comfortable and tidy tables and chairs on the street are brought into the picture with symmetrical composition and extended lines, it quietly presents the living conditions of the old Chengdu people to the audience. Shooting street scenes should also be good at finding formal beauty from lines and colors. Horizontal lines can make the line of sight move up and down, resulting in the effect of opening, stretching and stretching; Oblique lines will make people feel expanding or contracting from one end to the other, resulting in a feeling of uncertainty and dynamic; Curves and lines are smooth and stretched, which makes the picture light and active. In photography, color is also an important design element, and strong color can often become a visual center of excellent composition. When shooting a small street scene, we should pay attention to artistic skills and means of expression, and combine and match various elements in the scene to present a work with better visual effect for the audience.
Pay attention to the human landscape in the street
Old Chengdu is characterized by a leisurely and slow life, and the courtyard represents a traditional leisure culture. Walking in a long alley, there is a courtyard in the house and trees in the courtyard. Cane chairs, old people and leisurely manner vividly present the life of the old city to the audience. Street view embodies the most popular folk culture of a city, and some old streets represent the epitome of the city's past, a symbol deep in memory. When shooting street scenes, we should also pay attention to including people in the picture, and present the scenes of civic life in the old city to the audience one by one, showing a fresh breath of life.
The slow shutter is still in motion
Set the shutter speed to 1/6th of a second to 1/3th of a second, aim at the subject and press the shutter half-way, and follow him to move the lens. When the subject moves to the preset composition background, press the shutter and continue to follow the subject to move the camera. As long as there is a moving subject on the screen, the effect of combining static and dynamic can be taken. Set the shooting mode to shutter priority, and set the shutter speed of 1/3 second or even lower. Keep the camera stable and press the shutter button. Under the slow shutter, the moving crowds and vehicles will naturally be dynamic, showing a crowded and busy atmosphere in the city. The shutter speed is different, and the degree of motion and static is also different. You can adjust the shutter speed according to your performance needs.
Presenting a charming blue sky
Photographed at 19: 13. When night falls, shooting with "tungsten lamp" white balance can make the sky appear charming blues. Pay attention to the timing when taking night photos. On a clear day, it is the most ideal shooting time when it is getting dark. This period of time is about 15 minutes, and the sky often shows intoxicating blue, which complements the lights at night and is like a dream. When shooting, use tripod, small aperture and low ISO, so as to maintain stability and get the best picture quality. More importantly, setting the white balance to tungsten lamp mode can strengthen the blue of the sky and show more fascinating picture colors.
The trajectory showing the dynamic traffic
The shutter speed is 1/1th of a second or even slower. Because the shutter speed is slow and the traffic is fast, the traffic in the photo naturally becomes a fantastic light track. The track of traffic flow is a must-shoot theme of urban night scenes. Under the slow shutter, the light tracks drawn by traffic flow together like flowing water. It is very important to choose the location to photograph the traffic. The higher the position and the wider the field of vision, the better the effect. Therefore, you can choose to shoot on overpasses or high buildings. It is best to shoot at the intersection with traffic lights. A red light will detain a large number of motor vehicles, and once it is switched to a green light, there will be gorgeous traffic. Set the camera to shutter priority, shoot at shutter speed of 1/1th of a second or even slower, use tripod, small aperture and low ISO to keep stable shooting. Because the shutter speed is slow and the traffic is fast, the traffic in the photo naturally becomes a dreamy light track. The slower the shutter speed, the longer the track.