Banner image by Brandin Colon.
Street photography can be one of the most difficult types of photography yet at the same time, hold some of the lowest barriers of entry. On the one hand, you have to work for every shot. The scene is constantly changing and you are often dealing with unpredictable human subjects. On the other hand, all you need to get started is a camera, a public space and a bit of courage.
Breaking into the world of street photography is an exciting endeavour and if you’re itching to learn how to dive in, here are our top tips!Â
There’s a preconceived notion that all street photography is candid and spontaneous. Sure, there is always an element of unpredictability when it comes to urban photography but at the same time, the same classic rules of photography still apply. Don’t go blindly pointing your camera and hoping for the best.
When starting out with street photography, you should first think about the scene and the type of compositions you might be able to shoot. Look for leading lines, remember your rule of thirds, think about the subject of the photo and where the viewer’s eye is going to be naturally drawn towards. Once you have nailed down your rough composition, imagine the scene with people in it. Where would be the best place for them to stand or walk? Visualize how it might look with moving subjects and the patiently wait. Stay for as long as you need to get your shot.
Photo by Marcin Skalij
Good light always seems to be the crux of a good photo and of course, golden hour is often lauded as the gold standard for photography light but there are plenty of ways you can get creative with the different light available in an urban environment.
Harsh mid daylight is often considered a no go in photography but if you play your cards right, you might be able to make it work. Harsh light can create dramatic contrasts in the photo which is great for street shots. If the lighting is blowing out the colours, consider switching the photo to Black and White in Lightroom when editing.
If you’re shooting later in the afternoon or early evening, you’ll also be able to play around with the many sources of artificial light in the city. Lamp posts, car headlights, lit up street signs all offer plenty of opportunity for creativity.
Photo by Carl van den Boom.Â
Choosing the right lens for street photography requires walking a fine line between a lens that can get the photo you want and a lens that is discreet enough to not draw too much attention to you as the photographer because let’s be honest, most people feel slightly uncomfortable when they realize they are being photographed so the more inconspicuous, the better.
A telezoom lens is great for capturing portraits at distance but the long bulky lens tends to draw lots of attention to you as the photographer. A wide-angle lens will give you a big sweeping image but may distort your image.
Most street photographers agree that if you’re going to only take one lens on your shoot, the 35mm prime lens is the clear winner. This classic focal length provides a wide enough viewing angle that captures everything you want while still giving a natural perspective of the environment.
photo by Carl van den Boom
Your settings will depend on what you’re trying to capture in the scene but unless you have a telezoom lens or you’ve asked permission to shoot a portrait, you shouldn’t focus too much on the depth fo field. We recommend keeping the aperture somewhere in the middle (f/5.6 - f/9) which will help keep the majority of your image in focus.
If you’re aiming to freeze the motion of the city, you should have at least a shutter speed of 1/200 of a second. If you want some motion blur to show movement, you can go down to about 1/60 before you need to involve a tripod.
We recommend keeping the ISO as low as possible to reduce noise so once you’ve dialled down your aperture and shutter speed, choose the lowest level of ISO that will still give you enough light to capture your image.
Photo by Herr Bohn.
Part of being a street photographer is blending in and quietly capturing a natural scene unfolding in front of you. Street photographers aim to tell a story about the urban world and how humans interact with public space so if you want to get a genuinely candid moment, you don’t want to draw attention to yourself because once you’ve been found out, people stop being candid and start being awkward.
As a photographer, you don’t want to be someone who is dragging around a tripod and multiple lenses. If you can, stick to one lens and ditch the tripod. Not only will this help you move around and be more flexible, but it will also force you to get creative. You won’t be able to rely on different focal lengths and instead will need to move around to get the shot you want.
For winter street photography, remember to wear warm clothes and dress in good layers. Once you have found your ideal composition, you may be waiting a while for your subjects to appear and complete your scene. A good beanie to keep your head heat in and a solid pair of photography gloves will keep you out there longer but don’t stress too much. If you get too cold, a warm cafe and a hot cup of coffee are never too far away in the city.
Photo by Clem Onojeghuo
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Norway is an iconic photography location sitting at the top of many photographer’s travel wishlist. As a Norwegian company, we may be biassed but we think our backyard is one of the best spots for landscape photographers. We may be known for our Viking history and brown cheese but for the keen landscape photographer, this country has so much to offer. Â
Snow portraits can be difficult to shoot because of unpredictable weather and difficult light but if you play your cards right, you can nail a perfect winter portrait with ease! As winter photographers ourselves, we've learned a few things over the years when it comes to capturing great winter photos. Here are our top tips for getting creative winter portraits.Â
FIND YOUR SIZE:
Unisex Size Guide | XS | S | M | L | XL | XXL | |
Hand Girth | cm | Â 18 - 20 | Â 20 - 21 | 21 - 22 | 22 - 23 | 23 - 25 | 25-28 |
inch | Â 7.1 - 7.9Â | Â 7.9 - 8.3Â | 8.3 - 8.7 | 8.7 - 9.1 | 9.1 - 9.8 | 9.8-11.0 | |
Hand Length | cm | Â 16.0 - 17.5 | Â 17.5 - 18.5 | 18.0 - 19.0 | 19.0 - 20.0 | 20.5 - 22.0 | 22-24.0 |
inch | Â 6.3 - 6.9 | 6.9 - 7.2 | 7.1 - 7.5 | 7.5 - 7.9 | 8.1 - 8.7 | 8.7-9.4 | |
 EU Size Equivalent |  EU 7.5 |  EU 8 | EU 8.5 | EU 9 | EU 10 | EU 11 | |
 Unisex Glove Models: Markhof Pro 2.0 | Skadi Zipper Mitt | Ipsoot | Alta Over-Mitt | Merino Liner Touch | Primaloft/Merino Liner | Urbex | Powerstretch Pro Liners |
Female Size Guide* | XS | S | M | L | XL | |
Hand Girth | cm | 16.0 - 17.5 | 17.5 - 18.8 | 18.5 - 20.0 | 20.0 - 21.5 | - |
inch | Â 6.3 - 6.9 | 6.9 - 7.4 | 7.2 - 7.9 | 7.9 - 8.5 | - | |
Hand Length | cm | 15.5 - 16.5 | 16.3 - 17.2Â | 17.0 - 18.5 | 19.0 - 20.0 | - |
inch | Â 6.1 - 6.5 | 6.4 - 6.8 | 6.7 - 7.3 | 7.5 - 7.9 | - | |
 EU Size Equivalent |  EU 6 |  EU 7 | EU 8 | EU 9 | - | |
*This size guide is specific only to W's Nordic Photography Glove |
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Please note, our gloves are designed to fit snuggly to give you the best camera feel without compromising on warmth. If you prefer a looser fit, please consider to go a size up.
As we learn more and more about gloves we also learn that all hands are different. Some people have long skinny fingers and slim wrists, others have wide hands with short fingers.
Our gloves wont fit all even with the right measurements from the sizing chart – but we try!
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For many, the best option will be to go up a size if your measurements are in between sizes.
If you are between sizes or if your hands do not fit into the measurements on our sizing chart, we recommend prioritizing the fit for the girth measurement. The girth is the most important measurement and if the girth size on the glove is too small, you won't be able to fit the glove.
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If you’re considering pairing a liner glove with your photography gloves, we recommend choosing the same size liner as photography glove. We designed our liners to be thin and fit inside of our photography gloves so we recommend your normal size in liners. There are two exceptions to this:
Exception #1: If you are at the very end of the ratio size in the sizing chart, e.g. 1 mm from being a size Large, then we advise going up a glove size if you plan to often wear the liner with the gloves.Â
Exception #2: If your personal preference is to wear fairly loose gloves, then you should also go up a size when adding a liner. We don't recommend this as you will compromise dexterity with loose gloves and our priority is best possible camera feel. But you know best what you like!
House tip:Â Make sure to choose a liner size that is snug/tight on your hand for the best Fliptech performance when wearing liners and gloves together.