Street Photography: 5 Assignments for Beginners by Neil Milton

35mm film photography of a street photography image by Neil Milton on Shoot It With Film
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Written by Neil Milton

Many photographers want to try their hand at street photography but find they are too shy or introverted to make a start. Leaping into street photography can be unnerving, but it is not impossible, even for those like myself with a shy disposition.

The secret, however, is just to be out there, camera in hand, at the ready.

Here are five assignments for street photography beginners to get you started.

The assignments are ordered from first tentative steps through to the more adventurous, so begin at the beginning. If you feel more adventurous, feel free to do them in any order you please. If you really want to test yourself, start at the end.

Have fun, and good luck!

35mm film photography of a street photography image by Neil Milton on Shoot It With Film

1. The Creative Self Portrait

Long before the advent of the smartphone, self-portraits were a popular way to play with photography.

The first known selfie was made by silversmith and photographer, Robert Cornelius, in 1839. Through the years, many playful street photographers have flirted with the creative self portrait.

A particular favorite of mine is Cartier-Bresson’s shoeless image in 1932. It is Elliott Erwitt, though, who is arguably the master, his career marked with increasingly absurd self-portraits.

Though we are not yet brave enough to direct our lens onto other people, we can nevertheless focus on ourselves.

How we choose to do this is limited only by imagination. Perhaps the camera will be held at arm’s length, or set on a tripod. Instead, maybe we will find a reflective surface to play around with.

It might be time to dress up, or for the more daring, dress down. Perhaps we have a story to tell.

If you need a touch of inspiration, a quick search through Pinterest should set you right.

35mm film photography of a street photography image by Neil Milton on Shoot It With Film
35mm film photography of a street photography image by Neil Milton on Shoot It With Film
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2. Remnants of Life

Street photography is often described as pictures of life as it happens, however, it can also include photographs of the aftermath of a moment, or the remnants left behind.

Man Ray once photographed Marcel Duchamp‘s Large Glass after it had lay unattended for a year, collecting dust. Dust Breeding is a stunning, haunting photograph.

Out on the pavements of New York, children playing left behind chalk drawings, and Helen Levitt recorded these with her camera.

Think of street photography as urban anthropology. Look for signs that life has played out beyond the reach of our eyes, and what we see is what was left behind – the echoes of life.

In these photographs, your subjects will most likely be inanimate objects – a discarded, broken umbrella, a bike missing a front wheel, or a lost hat or glove. This small assignment is a firm stepping stone before we move on to people.

35mm film photography of a street photography image by Neil Milton on Shoot It With Film
35mm film photography of a street photography image by Neil Milton on Shoot It With Film

3. Shadows

Marvin E. Newman is an American artist and photographer who was briefly a member of the Photo League. At 95 years old, he continued to work in New York City, until his sad passing in September last year. Until recently, I was entirely ignorant of his work.

In 1991, his one-man show, Shadows, 1951, was shown at the Keith de Lellis Gallery, New York. These images, produced in Chicago during the titular year, shaped his work for many years to come and are now celebrated.

The instruction for this assignment is to look only for shadows of people. You may choose to photograph in the Newman style or you can find your way of playing with shadow.

It is better to photograph in the morning or late afternoon when shadows will be longer, and there will be more to play with – of course, ensure you don’t catch your own shadow in the photograph also – unless you want to.

35mm film photography of a street photography image by Neil Milton on Shoot It With Film
35mm film photography of a street photography image by Neil Milton on Shoot It With Film

4. Gestures and Expressions

A whole spectrum of emotion can be revealed through a gesture or an expression; a connection between one person and another. Body language is key, and having a good sense of empathy to predict when someone may show emotion is helpful, so our next assignment is arguably what street photography is all about.

It is certainly not easy, but any street photographer worth their proverbial salt can do it. For my money, though, Richard Kalvar is one of the great photographers to anticipate expression and to position himself to catch it in the photograph.

This time we have to be more daring – we will photograph people themselves, whether they are aware of it, or not.

For example, look for people deep in conversation. This offers more scope for expression and gesture but little chance you will disturb them. Alternatively, find people looking, reading, waiting, whether alone or in groups.

Before you hit the street, spend some time studying the work of Kalvar, Garry Winogrand, Robert Frank, and other greats. Consider what gestures and expressions make a photograph engaging. Then, put the books down, and get out there.

35mm film photography of a street photography image by Neil Milton on Shoot It With Film
35mm film photography of a street photography image by Neil Milton on Shoot It With Film
35mm film photography of a street photography image by Neil Milton on Shoot It With Film

5. Eye Contact

It’s time to get personal.

French poet Guillaume de Salluste Du Bartas once paraphrased the popular saying as “these lovely lamps, these windows of the soul.” Our eyes betray so much of our state of mind, of our emotions. There’s a reason it’s difficult to look into the eyes of your crush. Or, conversely, to someone to whom you are lying.

Eye contact is intimate, and rarely more so than the timeless eye contact made with a camera. Bruce Gilden is a street photographer with a reputation for getting close to his subjects, and, in doing so, by the very nature, inviting eye contact.

For our final assignment, we will take our next step and intend to catch our subject’s eye.

You can do this by asking to make a street portrait of someone interesting you find, or simply appearing unannounced and snapping spontaneous, natural, eye contact. Whichever you choose, be prepared for possible rejection in the former, and rebuke of the latter. Nevertheless, always be polite, friendly, and sincere in responding to any potential confrontation.

35mm film photography of a street photography image by Neil Milton on Shoot It With Film
35mm film photography of a street photography image by Neil Milton on Shoot It With Film

Thank you so much, Neil! Neil is a regular contributor here at Shoot It With Film, and you can check out his other articles here, such as The Leica M3: A Comprehensive Guide and What is Zone Focusing and How to Use It for Street Photography.

You can find more of Neil’s work on his website, and sign up for his street photography newsletter here.

Leave your questions about these street photography assignments below in the comments!

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Neil Milton

Neil Milton is a street photographer and a regular contributor for Shoot It With Film. Find his other articles here, such as 5 Tips to Improve Your Street Photography and Kodak Tri-X: Why I Love It & Why You Should Too.

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