The Secret to Capturing Candid Portraits on the Streets
Introduction
What’s the secret to capturing candid portraits on the streets? Let’s get into it. People are at the heart of street photography. Our deep-rooted connection to others naturally draws us to photographs containing people. In street photos, viewers often subconsciously seek familiar emotions, gestures, or situations that evoke empathy, curiosity, or nostalgia. When viewers relate to the subject and the environment that they inhabit, they can then form a personal connection to the subjects of the image, which helps to enhance engagement. This relatability allows you to tell impactful stories.
The Importance of Candid Portraits
Shooting candid portraits focusing on single subjects is good practice for honing your street photography perception skills. It will also help improve your visual reflex muscles in observing and seeking out those subjects. Plus, it will improve your composition skills and also help you recognize good lighting. Let’s jump straight in.
Gear and Techniques for Candid Street Portraits
Crop Modes and Focal Lengths
For capturing subjects without getting too close, I use the Crop Modes on my Ricoh GRIII and GRIII X. The Ricoh GRIII has a 28 mm lens with a 35 mm and 50 mm Crop Mode, and the GRIII X has a 40 mm lens with a 50 mm and 71 mm Digital Crop. On the GRIII X, the 71 mm Crop Mode allows me to photograph subjects from a distance, ensuring I don’t become a nuisance. Over time, I’ve developed an instinct for judging distances correctly, especially when using the GRIII X with the Crop Modes 50 mm and 71 mm, respectively. And I think you will be able to do this the more you practice shooting with different focal lengths.
Wide and Narrow Focal Lengths
The wider the lens, the more of the scene you can capture, which is why 35 mm, for instance, is a favorite for street photography. It’s wide enough to include the environment and your subject. It’s a similar situation for 40 mm. With 40 mm, you can also get most of the environment and the subject in.
Experiment with different focal lengths to see what works for you and how you like to work. Test out multiple focal lengths repeatedly, whether you’re using Crop Modes or shooting with different lenses. This practice will help you judge the correct distance to shoot a specific subject.
Techniques for Capturing Candid Portraits
Observation and Quick Reflexes
When focusing on candid portraits, observation, quick reflexes, and patience are key to getting the shots that you want. Start by finding a busy location where people are constantly moving. Blend into the background and observe the scene, looking for interesting characters and moments.
Running and Gunning
Set yourself up for some running and gunning, grabbing as many shots as possible where you’ll have the distinct possibility of grabbing a bunch of keepers. Running and gunning is particularly useful for candid portraits, especially if you’re in an area where people are working outdoors or indoors, and people are chilling outside cafes or gazing into shop windows. This technique isn’t about randomly capturing people but using your skills and knowledge as a photographer to frame intriguing subjects in interesting ways.
Composition Techniques
Use simple composition techniques such as the Rule of Thirds to place your subjects on the left or right intersections of the grid while incorporating the environment into the frame. This adds balance and visual readability to your images.
Experimenting with Unusual Compositions
Try framing your subjects so that they’re in different positions around the composition without intent on placing them on specific intersections of the Rule of Thirds. Shoot creatively, incorporating objects around your subject into the composition for unique imagery. For example, shooting into shops and capturing the subject inside a market store provides a complete understanding of what your subject is doing and who they are.
Lighting and its Impact
Good light on your candid portraits offers a whole new dimension of viewability, where light and shadow create contrast and detail, shaping your subjects and giving them and their surroundings form and texture. Understanding different lighting positions—backlight, sidelight, and frontal light—can dramatically influence the mood and narrative of your images.
Types of Lighting
• Backlight: Creates a halo effect or a silhouette, adding mystery or drama.
• Sidelight: Enhances textures and contours, bringing out depth and contrast.
• Frontal Light: Illuminates the subject directly, providing clarity and vividness.
Camera Settings
Aperture Priority
I always shoot in Aperture Priority, especially when I’m running and gunning, as I don’t want to be fiddling with settings in Manual Mode. Aperture Priority gives you control over your settings and helps you get shots quickly and easily. For candid portraits, it’s a good idea to shoot with a mid-aperture of f/5.6 to f/8 and up to f/14 for deeper depth of field. For a shallow depth of field, try shooting at f/4 or wider for a creamy bokeh effect.
ISO and Autofocus
Using Auto ISO during the daytime, with a range from 100 to 3200 ISO and a minimum Shutter Speed of 1/250th of a second, ensures you’re covered in various lighting conditions. I use Auto Area Autofocus in the center mode on my Ricoh cameras, which works well for me.
Conclusion
When shooting candid portraits, go out, enjoy, and use these techniques. Run and gun, take interesting shots from interesting perspectives, and experiment with different compositions and lighting. Share your techniques and experiences in capturing people on the streets. For more tips on street photography, check out my other videos. Until we meet again, go forth and create.