Note: I initially used a color version for this post but changed it to black and white for more impact.

There are multiple styles and techniques for street photography. In my book, I group them into two buckets. The first type is shooting semi-randomly, either from the hip or more deliberately, to hopefully catch a good expression. This technique requires some skill and a healthy dose of luck. That’s what I did for the first few carnival pictures.

The second type of street photography involves seeing a situation or expression and capturing it as quickly as possible. That’s what I did here. I wasn’t shooting semi-randomly. I saw these friends’ interactions and deliberately tried to shoot them. However, there is a certain spidey sense you get that allows one to anticipate situations.

Unintuitively, getting proficient in sports photography helps with this kind of street shooting. In fast-action sports, you need to shoot quickly to capture peak action. If you shoot enough, you can often anticipate opportunities in sports like you can on the street. I never photographed sports professionally, just my kids in various activities. However, even that level of training elevated my street photography.

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