Outdoor Photography How To

Whether you live in a big city or in a small town, shooting on the street is an accessible way to capture some striking scenes—both during the day and at night. In this helpful tutorial, a successful pro reveals his favorite camera settings to give street photos the WOW factor.

Evan Ranft is an Atlanta-based landscape/cityscape photographer and a popular instructor. In this 14-minute lesson he walks you through the simple process of configuring a camera so that your street shots are better than ever. And in the description below the video, Ranft provides a list of the gear he prefers.

Street scenes can be chaotic, with moving subjects, shifting light levels, and a variety of tones. Ranft demonstrates how to create order out of chaos by making these variables work together in harmony. He begins by revealing his recommended aperture, ISO, and shutter speed settings for a variety of situations.

Ranft uses striking imagery to illustrate his approach, which is to select one of the three variables in the exposure triangle as a starting point. Whether you choose aperture, shutter speed, or ISO as your key setting depends upon the type of the scene you are shooting. Depth of field, subject movement, and low light levels can all be a deciding factor. If you’re shooting handheld, or using a tripod, Ranft factors that into the equation.

Sometimes both you and your subjects are moving, as Ranft demonstrates with an image in which he and two pedestrians are walking toward one another. In this instance, an appropriate shutter speed is the critical variable to consider if you want acceptably sharp results. Then the trick is to manipulate ISO and aperture settings to arrive at a proper exposure.

Ranft provides several other “challenges” that can be easily solved by using the appropriate camera settings. So watch the video grab a camera, and give these tips a try. You can find more helpful videos on Ranft’s YouTube channel.

And be sure to check out the street photography tutorials below, with more great tips, tricks, and gear advice:

www.shutterbug.com/content/7-best-new-street-photography-cameras

www.shutterbug.com/content/5-must-know-street-photography-tips-video

www.shutterbug.com/content/5-easy-street-photography-tips-pro-beginners-video