This Is How To Shoot Street Photography in 5 Minutes

This is how to shoot street photography in 5 minutes.
We explore various techniques you can use to spice up your street photography.
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Peace,
JP
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1-1 Mentorship session with JP. Photography skills // Business of Photography
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See my portfolio:
www.jamesparsons.photos

[@JamesParsons1]

If you like how I talk about photography, sign up for my digital learning book waitlist → www.backdrop.community/street-tools-vol-1 . I’m a professional photographer and believe street photography has allowed me to work with some of the biggest brands in the world. I’ve consolidated all the thoughts around what makes a great photo, breaking down why I think a photo works and how to create your style. After analysing, critiquing, and refining these thoughts, I’ve created what I consider the most important, concise,& light-hearted advice that will stay front of mind when you are out shooting. I promise - This isn’t a cash-grab photo book with a few images slapped together. This book will be transformative for any photographer that reads it (Okay, maybe not Joel Meyerowitz or Steve McCurry), and I believe it will stand the test of time as it's focused on the fundamentals and not current trends. If you want to improve your photography, consider buying Street Tools Vol 1. I can guarantee it’ll help you more than purchasing another camera bag. I don’t think you will regret your decision.

[@JamesParsons1]

Looooved shooting this one. Let me know if you want to see more of this style? 🙌🏻

[@TheVelocityRads]

This is in short, the most concised yet well put together video on street photography. Well done mate 👌🏼

[@JamesParsons1]

Thank you so much dude

[@Djzoomnyc]

0:48 🔥🔥🔥 Aside from everything said !!

[@JamesParsons1]

My man hahaha - thank you very much

[@markusb.6730]

Great hints. Have to write them down for remembering allways. Like this kind of "short tip" a lot.

[@JamesParsons1]

Thank you Markus! You've got to let me know which of the Tips are most helpful! I'll be more to make more videos like this one. Thanks so much for commenting 🙌

[@antwilk1981]

Definitely the most underrated photography channel on YT. Keep them coming mate

[@JamesParsons1]

Myyyy man - always coming through with the massive compliments 🙌 thank you so much. Aim isn't to get big, aim is to get better, which will in turn grow the channel. Thank you so much for the continued support dude 🙌

[@jholdip]

Yes please! Loved this format and presentation🙏🏾

[@JamesParsons1]

Glad you enjoyed the video 🙌🏻 Appreciate the love and support

[@hovsugiri]

The title isn’t lying. You gained a subscriber in me. Cheers!

[@JamesParsons1]

Big love! Appreciate it. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment

[@dizzaydrod]

Excellent framing of the woman in red, or person. Thanks for this video, short precise and the examples are excellent.

[@JamesParsons1]

Thank you dude! Glad you found the video interesting and helpful!

[@BoopyTheFox]

To me, street photography branches out to few categories: * Moments: timing is essential, composition - not so much, fast lenses and quick autofocus are preferred for good subject separation and to really focus the viewer on it. * Sneak-photography: like moments, but sneakier - shoot into reflections, do depth layering with foreground and background objects, use mirrors in your composition, etc etc. * Architecture: composition is essential, timing - not so much. Standard zooms and superzooms are preferred for being able to quickly change between making "overview" pics and "detail-hunting" pics, but it's important to pick a sharp one with little to none barrel distortion. Tripod or IBIS are huge help at low-light. * Context: something that is not happening right now, but have just happened - for example an empty cup on cafe table. Clever composition is essential, timing - not so much, but kinda still needed. Fast lenses are preferred but any will do really, as long as you can compose well.

[@JamesParsons1]

Really interesting take man! Yeah I think there is deffo a lot of truth in what you say :) There is a million ways to categorise what we shoot

[@gabrielwong1833]

This was honestly such an informative and helpful video - I've wanted to get into street photography but never really knew if there was a technique for it or where to start - thank you for this!

[@JamesParsons1]

Thank you so much for feedback - so glad you found it helpful. If you have any questions feel free to drop me a DM :)

[@VickyAllum]

Love your videos James, you always make them informative fun and interesting and to do this in 5 mins only is super cool

[@JamesParsons1]

Thank you Victoria! Trying to work on the conciseness of my videos to give them a lot of bang for buck! Thanks for the support

[@markm83]

Thanks James, really appreciate you sharing your helpful insights!

[@JamesParsons1]

Glad it was helpful! Thank you for leaving a comment and supporting the channel. It means a lot to me :)

[@neglectedloves]

great video and advices and now the soundtrack is subtle and perfectly chosen! 😀

[@JamesParsons1]

Thank you Nicolas! We are definitely getting there with the background music etc. Thanks for the support

[@craig_cunha]

Amazing photos as always and you are such a great teacher. Always appreciate your content and this quick video offers the viewer so many many valuable tips. 👍🏼

[@JamesParsons1]

Duuude - thank you so much 🙌 that means a lot! Glad you've found the content useful and thank you for commenting

[@belaacs5238]

0:48 image uniqueness sticks out from the rest. It could be an even more impact on B&W.

[@JamesParsons1]

Thank you so much! It won the instagram pole for being my best photo of 2022! You are the 2nd person to say I should try it in B&W... Maybe I should give it a go ahaha

[@rugososphotos3646]

The "be closer to your subject that they are from the background" is such a simple tip and yet I never thought of this 😬 but now thanks to you I know, and I'll be looking to apply this on the street!! :)

[@JamesParsons1]

So glad this was helpful dude! It will genuinely make a HUUGEEE difference to your images :)

[@devernepersonal3636]

how did you get so fearless to get right up behind people like that? that is impressive.

[@JamesParsons1]

Greaaaat question. A couple of things come to mind. Confidence, movement, and awareness. Confidence in knowing what we want to photograph allows you to move directly to where you want to shoot and not linger around. Movement is key too. As soon as you stop, people are aware you've stopped, but if you are constantly moving, people seem to not notice at all ahaha. So, if you are able to move, even slowly, people don't seem to notice. Awareness of the subject you are photographing. Some people are in their own world and you can get really close. Others eye ball you from a mile away and let you know they don't wanna be photographed. The more you can practice thinking about peoples vibes, the easier it becomes to pick up. Let me know if this makes sense/ if you have any questions :)

[@chrismcr]

Another great video, James. Enjoying your work and how you document it. Congratulations.

[@JamesParsons1]

Thank you so much Christian - really appreciate that you love the videos and images :) thanks for commenting dude

[@SilatShooter]

Excellent Video with a lot of great lessons shared. Big Thumbs Up!

[@JamesParsons1]

Thank you Zues! Big love. Thank you for taking the time to comment and support the channel :)

[@tungvn261]

Love your photos (y). One of the best in my subcribe list :D

[@emmanuelpower2439]

Clear and practical. thank you😊

[@stevenharper6888]

Great tutorial and do well explained to make things so much easier. Loving this channel. With these type of uploaded I can see your channel really taking off 👍

[@JamesParsons1]

Thank you so much Steven - I really appreciate that :) So glad you enjoy the videos. Thanks for commenting

[@everydaykhiem974]

Wow this was great and insightful video. Thanks for creating it man!

[@JamesParsons1]

Buzzing to hear you loved it so much. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment

[@iaincphotography6051]

Playing catch up with episodes, good fun to watch with good shots.

[@kalenderquantentunnel9411]

Valuable information and techniques without much fuzz, perfectly digestably presented in just five minutes. Great work! ✌

[@JamesParsons1]

Thank you so much Kalender! Glad you liked the simplified format of this video

[@astro8938]

i love how the techniques are used even when recording, like in the final shot the foreground elements are being used.

[@JamesParsons1]

Thank you Astro! Took a bit of patience and practice but we got there in the end :) glad you liked the content so much 🙌

[@_neogurita]

woahh all of ur photos are mesmerising to look at!! u just got a new subscriber :) as someone who's just starting to get really into photography, i really am looking forward to ur future contents :D

[@JamesParsons1]

Thank you so much! I'm glad you like my images :) I've got lots of really cool content coming out that I am very excited about! Keep your eyes peeled 😎

[@paulvallance4347]

Very clear and helpful explanations. Thanks for posting.

[@JamesParsons1]

You are welcome! Glad you enjoyed it Paul! Thank you for commenting and supporting the channel

[@ImagesbyAsh]

Hi James, I have just found your channel after seeing you mentioned one of Mike Chudley's videos , and have to say it's one of the best channels on Street Photography on KZbin. These are awesome suggestions to up my street photography game Went out this weekend and followed your suggestion, from a previous video, and went on a colour walk. What a great idea! Really helped as I was feeling a bit "Meh" about what to shoot on a dull day in London. Would definitely love to see more videos like this. 👍👍👍

[@JamesParsons1]

Wow - That is such an incredible comment. Genuinely made me super happy that you like the videos and that you tried a colour walk. They are so much fun aren't they! I'll do my best to create more videos like this. Thanks for commenting, big love dude

[@Annihilus2000]

I didnt know i can learn photography in 5 mins! Thank you! 🫶🏻

[@sstokoe2301]

You are awesome….thanks for another inspiring video!

[@JamesParsons1]

Thank you so much! Plenty more videos to come

[@willowmatt6850]

Awesome perspective on street photography concepts, gonna subscribe for more of this type of content 😁

[@JamesParsons1]

Thank you my dude - Glad you like the content man! Hope you enjoy the journey. Thanks for commenting

[@jordanthornton]

This was excellent. Best educational video you've made.

[@JamesParsons1]

Thank you man - blending these pre-scripted was on location vidzzzz

[@paulasimson4939]

Wow, have you ever upped your game with this one, James! Fantastic information with tremendous production value. Your channel is going to take off soon. And I loved your giggle when you needed to turn away and take the bridge photo. Never miss a shot!

[@JamesParsons1]

Thank you so much Paula - made me smile :) So glad you loved this one. The channel will grow when the channel decides to grow ahaha. No pressure for the time being!

[@TECHNIKMM]

Great video as usual, I personally think it's a great alternative to street povs, here you can actually focus on teaching something or giving tips to specific topics, also while giving good examples...really liked this one 😍

[@JamesParsons1]

Yoooo, thank you so much Michael- agreeeed. I'll try and curate a few more ideas that fit this sort of concept, have you got any suggestions for this sort of style?

[@TECHNIKMM]

@@JamesParsons1 i know on one of your videos you said you purposely don’t show any camera settings like shutter speed etc on your fotos. But I think it would be cool if you made a video where you showed exactly those things and your thought process behind a picture :)

[@joelb727]

Love your videos, James. Your personality and approach would make you an ideal university professor. Keep up the great work. Such impactful, high value content.

[@JamesParsons1]

Yoooo that is an incredible compliment. Thank you so much Joel! Plenty more videos to come :) Thank you for commenting and sharing your support

[@Frank-yb9hf]

nice teaching. thank you! 💙

[@JamesParsons1]

Thank you! Glad you found it useful. Thanks for leaving a comment supporting the channel 🙌

[@toneyf]

🎉🎉🎉 looks like a new style of your video editing 👏and photos are something special as always!!!

[@JamesParsons1]

Thank you man - I've been wanting to create a video like this for ages and decided to hit up my pal to help me shoot it! How'd you find it?

[@jeremymeltinpop6623]

This is a great video. I’ve learned a lot in a quick time

[@JamesParsons1]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to comment

[@shmuelaryehkoltov241]

Thanks, great video. Even though I'm not doing street photography (I'm doing architecture and "documentary architecture", i.e., documenting buildings and their architectural settings and design) it really did help me to make some ideas more clear to me. Keep up the good work, both in front and behind the camera :)

[@JamesParsons1]

Dude that's so awesome to hear this translates to other styles of photography 🙌 thank you so much for supporting the channel and leaving a comment. Means the world

[@S_fitz]

Excellent video. Glad I stumbled across it!

[@JamesParsons1]

Thank you! Me too. Thanks for leaving a comment and supporting the channel, I really appreciate it :)

[@PhilosophyTakes]

What a marvelous video, thanks for sharing

[@JamesParsons1]

Thank you so much my dude 🙌 big love for leaving a comment and supporting the channel

[@zubair.asyraf]

learned so much from this. thank you.

[@JamesParsons1]

So glad you learnt a lot from the video! Thank you for leaving a comment and supporting the channel

[@ActualCounterfactual]

Not only great advice but fabulous shots as well !!!

[@JamesParsons1]

Much appreciated! Big love and thank you for supporting the channel!

[@jamiefrench8934]

Found this to be a really informing video. Thank you. What camera do you use for your street photography ?

[@pedromesquita8507]

What a nice and informative video. Thank you!

[@JamesParsons1]

Thank you Pedro! Glad you enjoyed the video :)

[@Mr.Stickyrice]

WoW great Insights !!! Thank you

[@JamesParsons1]

Yes yes yessss - glad you have enjoyed the content man 🙌 big love for supporting the channel

[@AndyTran]

I really like the informations in this video! I've been doing street photography for almost a few months and never thought of these ideas. Thank you

[@AndyTran]

Subbed!

[@JamesParsons1]

So glad you found them useful Andy! Thank you so much for leaving a comment and subscribing :)

[@AndyTran]

@@JamesParsons1 you're welcome. Hopefully, we'll be able to collaborate one day.

[@hummersd]

Love the bridge shots! 👏

[@JamesParsons1]

Thank you

[@hummersd]

@@JamesParsons1 -- You have great patience and quick hands/eyes to get the shot -- a reminder for myself to wait for the great moments!

[@cmar6268]

Excellent instructional video!

[@JamesParsons1]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for leaving a comment my dude

[@utubephil100]

I am only a rank amateur and watch all your videos James and I believe you are by far the best on uTube for helping fellow street photographers in their journey - many thanks !

[@JamesParsons1]

My man - That means a lot to me, thank you so much! I'd love to know whether there is anything you particularly enjoy about my content? Thanks for supporting the channel

[@utubephil100]

@@JamesParsons1 I particularly love the great black and white photos you have produced Please keep them coming !

[@JamesParsons1]

plenty more black and white on the horizon!

[@gayleblackie]

I have no idea what you were trying to say at the end LOL, but I enjoyed your wee video. To the point and covered all the helpful points in street / documentary photography. Good job!

[@JamesParsons1]

Just mumbling away having a good time ahaha. Thank you Gayle, glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for the support

[@gregsimmons1709]

This was a great watch!

[@JamesParsons1]

Glad you enjoyed it Greg! Appreciate you taking the time to comment

[@johnw.3636]

This is such an awesome video!

[@JamesParsons1]

Glad you think so! Thanks for leaving a comment and supporting the channel dude

[@AkashKaria]

So much value in a short video 🎉

[@JamesParsons1]

Yoooo Big love man - Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed it :)

[@CaptCanuck4444]

Good ideas, thanks!

[@JamesParsons1]

Glad you like them! Thanks for supporting the channel

[@garymorrow9324]

Great summary vid.

[@JamesParsons1]

Glad you liked it! Thanks for commenting Gary :)

[@andrewlunn]

great video, very well presented

[@JamesParsons1]

Thank you Andrew! Really appreciate that. Big love 🙌

[@jeffreytaveirne]

Super video mate !

[@JamesParsons1]

Thank you so much Jeffrey - glad you liked it so much :)

[@FrankStanschus]

This is a really great video. Apart from learning a ton, it also makes me wonder what makes people have 100K+ subscribers vs 11k subscribers. I have only watched a few of your videos and it makes me think that you should have way more subscribers. :).

[@BenSussmanpro]

I like watching these videos before I travel to help reinforce my technique, & this 1 is great, but I wish they were made in less touristy places. I’m tired of seeing the same London Bridge & Eiffel Tower, etc. Howabout the East End or Earls Court - those places are so much better for street photography. But otherwise very helpful tips. Thanks

[@JamesParsons1]

Yooo Thank you Ben! Personally, I've always found shooting around the more touristy spots more fun hence why the majority of my images are from these areas. Would be really interested to see your street images from The East and The West for inspiration!

[@cbimage]

Very interesting. Thanks.

[@JamesParsons1]

Thank you for leaving a comment and supporting the channel 🙌 glad you liked the video

[@kenn6592]

Super impressive, photos and tips! I am going to try those idea’s tomorrow. (Doubt I will see a F1 Ferrari though😂). Thanks for the many thought provoking ideas.

[@JamesParsons1]

Yes Ken! Glad you found it helpful. You never know, there might be a rogue F1 car tearing it up near you ;) I'd love to see the images you take inspired by this video, send them to me over IG! Thanks for the support

[@farouk6564]

To the point! Well done.

[@JamesParsons1]

Thank you man! Glad you enjoyed it :)

[@NorthernGirlwithCamera71]

Brilliant 🤩

[@linanleon]

thanks for sharing

[@JamesParsons1]

Glad you found it useful!

[@thomasjayprince]

Amazing video!

[@JamesParsons1]

Thank you dude! Glad you liked the video. Thank you for supporting the channel 🙌🏻

[@lorenschwiderski]

Wow, so much in so little time! Thanks for helping people get into street photography -- you did it well! I like using different focal lengths, and at this time will say if choosing but one, it has to be a 50mm or 60mm full-frame equivalent. The 28mm or 35mm works, of course, but is a little less forgiving, one might say. Shot with a 90mm length yesterday, and it all worked out beautifully, though if in a tight area on a city street downtown, instead of where I was, I might have had not room to back-up. Take care, Loren

[@JamesParsons1]

Thank you so much Loren - I personally find it so much fun discussing street photography. Can't wait to make 500 more on the topic! Interesting, I've been eyeing gup using a 50mm for agggeesss for street, but maybe it's time to get an interchangeable lensed camera... Ooooo I bet 90mm was so much fun! Did you get bangers?

[@lorenschwiderski]

​@@JamesParsons1 It is amazing how an inexpensive Olympus EM-10 mkII with the 45mm Olympus f1..8 can render an image. I mostly shoot with the Lumix GX-9 + Lumix 30mm macro, which is sharp across frame, with no distortions at all apertures. My Canon RP with the inexpensive primes is equally amazing. The non-pro gear is lighter, with shorter lenses, which look less intimidating when used on the street. You become simply another tourist or hobbyist out taking snaps. What is amazing however is that people still look at your camera, I guess the only invisible is that of a smartphone. For music, stage events, in bright light, the Lumix 12-60mm kit zoom works like a champ. Someday Fujifilm will come under consideration again. The x100v is a one of a kind, the XE-4 is nice and simple, and the XT-30 II appears to be a steal of a deal. But I am happy for now with Canon, Panasonic, Olympus, and even the Nikon D3500 paired up with the 50mm cheap, yet sharp lens -- focusing challenged for street however. Search my full name for my website -- I cannot enter it here. Enjoy the day, Loren Schwiderski

[@ItsTomRich]

This video was 🔥

[@JamesParsons1]

This comment was ❤️🥵

[@rebeccaclark9755]

Another informative vid - thanks! When you were doing the bridge /fishing shot, my eye was just completely caught by the lamp post framed below it - that would've been in my shot! Thinking about using a slower shutter speed, Gareth Danks on his most recent vid demonstrates getting down low, keeping the camera still and using around 1/15 or 1/8 to capture bikes all blurry as they whizz past on Westminster Bridge. So, 2 new techniques for me to try now with a slower shutter speed!

[@JamesParsons1]

Thank you so much Rebecca! Glad you liked it. Oooo yeah Garrths video was cool, and that's exactly how I got into slower shutters. Which type of slow shutter do you want to explore?

[@rebeccaclark9755]

@@JamesParsons1 Think I'd like to give panning a go to get some interesting background blur.

[@JamesParsons1]

Do it! i'd love to see what you come up with

[@mikepopstar]

Good tips!

[@JamesParsons1]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for leaving a comment and supporting the channel

[@user-zf1tv2vn2d]

С удовольствием смотрю ваши ролики! Сам учусь Стрит фотографии. Интересный жанр!

[@JamesParsons1]

Glad to hear you are learning and enjoying street! It's my favourite genre as it's only purpose is the process

[@thepicnicflaneur]

Great content 👍

[@JamesParsons1]

Eyyy - Thanks for watching some of my other videos. Glad you like the content so much :)

[@mpw621]

You have a great Artistic eye !

[@JamesParsons1]

Thank you so much dude! Appreciate it ❤️ glad you like the compositional focus

[@incharliewetrust]

Lowkey looking like Ramsey Bolton...haha Algorithm doing his job...instant subscriber! keep up

[@JamesParsons1]

Glad you like the content dude!

[@theonlyoneKrishna]

Good Content 👍 Subscribed

[@JamesParsons1]

Thanks for subbing and commenting to support the channel! I really appreciate it!

[@kannappansivakumar3329]

Great Bro

[@JamesParsons1]

Thank you very much dude! Glad you liked the video

[@paulcomptonpdphotography]

I like to have a go at street photography, but i am not sure i get it... I have just got back from Milan Italy and had my camera with me, i struggled a lot.. So i am asking as i don't actually get most of the photos i see on youtube and have no idea what your seeing or taking how would you like to do a collaboration with me a landscape photographer and see if we can do a video on the why?

[@G-BW]

Really admire your pictures. How do u learn the composition? I mean the tips are great, but as a beginner I really want to learn it more systematically. Any suggestion?

[@JamesParsons1]

Great question, I am not entirely sure if I am honest, lots of experimenting. That having been said, I am creating this photobook/ learning tool that I think will be game changing. You can sign up to the wait list here: www.backdrop.community/street-tools-vol-1

[@stevesvids]

Nice one James 👍 Tell us your thoughts on Final Aspect Ratios. How do you decide yours? I'm always drawn to 16:9 as that's common tv screen size, and also 1.85:1 .... yeagh that's a weird one. Just slightly wider and from the movies I recall. I view my photos with a white border on my big TV so I like compositions that suit that wide aspect ratio and neatly fill the screen. 🙂😎📷👊👍👋

[@JamesParsons1]

Greaaaaaat question Steve. I really like 16:9 images because unlike to create horizontal compositions and the tighter the frame the more this is emphasized. I’ll sometimes use a free-form crop to get a frame where I have placed everything perfectly, but they can get weird lol I would really recommend going into LR, crop tool, and then hitting the ‘O’ key to cycle through the compositions. I personally loooove the diagonal ones and feel like it best suits my style

[@stevesvids]

@@JamesParsons1 I'm definitely horizontal composition fan too. In fact I'd go as far as to say that vertical compositions actually annoy me 😄😄 they really do. 😄 I did use the Lightroom composition tool before but it got me nowhere and I gave up Lightroom all together in the end. I try to minimise edit time as I enjoy the photography much more than final editing. I just use the free Capture One for Fuji users and another to add a white border. Cheers for the reply. See you in the next. Take care 👊😎📷👍👋

[@adventuresofjandk]

So good

[@JamesParsons1]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed the video :)

[@lacustagingasa]

🔝

[@JamesParsons1]

Thank you so much

[@lucapanzironi9626]

👌👌👌

[@JamesParsons1]

Thank you for supporting the channel and leaving a comment!

[@DamianBrown]

👌🏽👌🏽👌🏽

[@JamesParsons1]

Thank you very much my dude

[@DamianBrown]

@@JamesParsons1 nice, concise and true to the title. Looking forward to more!

[@stephen.boanerges]

Nice video bro

[@JamesParsons1]

Thank you for your support man! Means a lot to me :)

[@stephen.boanerges]

@@JamesParsons1 I can see the work behind your content, I can see the passion coming from your words, it takes nothing to me to subscribe to your channel, leave a like and a comment, for you, it represents your achievement, mate, keep up the work, put yourself all in, it's really beautiful to see human beings putting in the effort to become a better version of themselves. Anyway, love your work on this vid, helps me on my work too. Well done from Lyon, France.

[@JamesParsons1]

What an incredible message to wake up to 🙌 that means so much to me mate. Thank you ❤️ more to come for sure

[@user-zf1tv2vn2d]

Очень толковый комментарий!

[@JamesParsons1]

Thank you dude!

[@user-yd9bg2vx7g]

İ like photgraphy but entre three times my cameras had been stoln .till 2013 . İ am dstrctly adiction of my family and my children of cours .since their childhood their mom s chsing them.. İ clbrte D,S