NEW YORK — If you’re planning to Instagram Saturday’s blizzard, but don't want yet another series of boring photos of white slush on a city street, there are plenty of things you can do to improve your shots.
Producing professional quality street photography requires being quick on the draw and patience for the right elements to emerge in your frame, which can be especially grueling during inclement weather.
Here are a few things you should focus on:
► Get the Lighting Right
If you're outdoors, don't shoot facing the sun. It blows out your frame and makes whatever you're trying to shoot go dark. Make sure the sun is behind you so your subject isn’t backlit, unless you are looking for dark figures with long shadows.
If you are photographing someone, make sure they are in the sunlight and not the shade. If you shoot someone or something in the shadows the lighted area will be overexposed and you won’t have the best light on whatever you are trying to capture.
► Try Burst Mode
You can also try shooting in burst mode — which takes multiple photos in quick succession — which will help ensure you get at least one frame in focus, especially if your subject is on the move.
Especially if you're using a cellphone, lag time can be a killer for motion shots. Burst mode helps increase your chances of actualy getting a usable pic.
► Consider your Composition
It’s good to keep moving around to keep warm and find new shots, but it’s also important to stick around for a little bit once you find a background you like.
I tend to frame photos and then wait for the right element to enter my viewfinder. That can be a person in a bright jacket who pops against the background or maybe a worker pushing a snowblower.
► Tell a story
instead of singling out one thing against a flat white background, for example, why not try to layer your photos so you get different elements that tell the story in the foreground, middle ground and background.
And always be on the lookout for a decisive moment. Maybe that’s a facial expression that captures what we are all feeling during a cold winter’s day or a person at peak action shoveling a large pile of snow off their stoop.
► Be prepared for the elements
Take a cue from the Boy Scouts: be prepared for the cold and the precipitation. Bring a towel to wipe off your screen and lens when it gets wet. And try to find some gloves that allow you to work your phone’s touchscreen without taking them off.
Dress warmly — warmer than you think you need to be — with extra socks and some sturdy boots. You’d be surprised how cold your feet can get when you stand in one place for more than five minutes.
And, of course, have fun. The more you enjoy what you’re doing the better your pics will look.
