Street Photography Gallery

Street Photography Gallery

As I explored my street photography archives, I decided it was time to produce new images for the street photography gallery. With thousands of photos to sift through, it’s a daunting task. To make this manageable, I’ll be producing and sharing new images in batches. The black and white street photos shared are selected from the first forty new images for the gallery update.

My Street Photography Style

I’m often asked how I develop my street photography style. For me, creating a photo starts with the mood. I need to be in the right mindset – relaxed, curious and determined to find the perfect frame before stepping out with my camera.

Location planning

Location is key. Without a well-chosen location, I tend to wander aimlessly and achieve little. In those cases, a café often becomes the more appealing option! Once I’ve sorted a location, I focus on finding the right light. I enjoy working with low light and high contrast conditions, as quality light is a vital element in my photography.

Playing with Framing

Framing the subject is one of the challenges that excites me. I experiment with reflections, and I’m also looking for interesting scenes through windows. This approach leads to a higher percentage of failures, but it keeps me inspired and sharp. It’s part of the process.

Curating the Photos

Back in the studio, I import the RAW files into Adobe Lightroom and begin by deleting the unwanted shots. A simple black-and-white conversion follows, and I let the images sit for a while before refining the final selects. More deleting usually happens at this stage as well.

Processing the Photos

The editing process is just as rewarding as capturing the image. The RAW files provide a wealth of information to work with. I start by converting the images to black and white and then gently adjust the shadows to bring out details. I aim for dynamic intensity with high contrast, while lower contrast images convey a softer, more muted energy. I sometimes add grain or slight vignetting where necessary, also refining the tone curve and contrast to suit the story I want to tell. Sharpening is the final step, giving the image that polished look.

In addition, I recently wrote a blog post titled People Photography where I explain my process of capturing street portraits with permission. If you enjoy street black-and-white photography I recommend checking it out.