Sydney Street Photography

What do you need for Street Photography?

You won't have to go out and buy another camera, though a compact one with 28-50mm focal length seems to be the camera of choice. There are several cameras sold as street cameras due to their small size and fixed lens. I've tried both a prime lens of 35mm and my 24-200mm zoom, and I prefer the zoom. This is because, for me, it adds flexibility such as capturing a street portrait from a distance. But the default focal length I use is 35mm, looking for a complex shot.

It's entirely up to you...try both if you have them and see what you prefer. You might change over time, perhaps starting with a Zoom and then moving to a Prime. It also depends on which culture you are shooting in, a Western one or a developing country.

I’m not prescriptive about camera settings or about street photography. I’ve discussed elsewhere what my definition of this genre is, and I’ve provided a brief overview of the exposure triangle. I use manual settings myself, other than focus, which I set to auto. When I am stationary for a period of time, for example, setting up a more complex photograph using layers, I set focus manually. Then I set the aperture to about f8 / f11 to enable a focus zone with a deep depth of field.

The main thing, as with any genre of photography, is to shoot and keep shooting. Also, read about street photography and view others' work. I find now that, even with a fast shot (perhaps the norm in street photography), my framing comes from my subconscious, and while not perfect, it’s very good. It took a year or two before I achieved speed-framing.

Making Tracks

Sydney’s morning rush hour picks up at about 7.30am in the summer. That’s when ferries at Circular Quay begin to disgorge people at a higher rate, when office-dwellers alight from buses, and the Sydney Trains services also get busier on the City Loop.

I usually shoot Sydney street photography two or three times a week and start at either Wynard station or the Circular Quay. As I get off the train, I feel the anticipation of gripping my camera and trying some “test” shots to get my brain into gear. I soon feel as one with my Olympus.

The inner city suburbs, such as Surry Hills, Newtown and Barangaroo, draw me into their vibe occasionally.

A sunny morning, especially earlier, gives me the exciting contrast of light and dark and what I find particularly attractive is sunlight reflected from the windows of tall buildings. It has a muted, shimmering appearance.

Cloud cover for my Sydney street photography provides a diffused light, devoid of the contrasting light and dark. I’m at home in both settings, though sunny conditions are my favourite.

So, off I go. I’ll give you a secret: get off the train at Wynyard Station and take the exit towards Barangaroo. There is some very interesting form near this exit, together with many commuters exiting the station. Then you can explore Barangaroo, or head back to the CBD. When I’ve reached George Street I turn right and head uptown towards Martin Place. Surrounding and near Martin Place is the upmarket part of Sydney; then, walking further along the street, you will arrive at QVB and the Town Hall.

Martin Place runs from George Street through to Macquarie Street. The GPO, constructed in two stages beginning in 1866, boasts of an outstanding façade. The post office itself is now tucked into the section where Martin Place meets George Street.

The business area of Sydney lies on the Eastern side of the city, bounded by Macquarie Street which has multiple historic buildings. I will often do a loop from the Quay up to Martin Place and back to the Quay via the business precinct.

Time of Day

A discussion about time of day for street photography in Sydney takes into account light and office hours. In discussing light I'm assuming a clear sky, not cloudy.

The longest days of the year for Sydney street photography are in December, when sunrise is around 5:30 am. In June, during the shortest days, sunrise is around 7:00 am. Bear in mind that if you want to photograph people as they go to work, you'll need to be out and about from 7.30 - 8.00 am. Earlier, if you want to photograph the Opera House and Harbour Bridge beforehand.

Between about 10.00 am and midday it's pretty quiet, then it gets hectic again for lunchtime. Up in the shopping quarter proper (Pitt St Mall, QVB and Town Hall), shoppers are out from about 10.00 am. The Chinese quarter is centred around George Street between the Town hall and Central Station.

As lunch time gives way to the afternoon and then into evening rush hour, you can do some candid photography after dark. For example, take a look at the Archibald Memorial Fountain in Hyde Park at night time.

Sydney Street Photography: Capturing the Heart of a City

Street photography is one of the barest of art forms one can find. No sets, no staging, no second takes — just a photographer, a camera, and everyday life. From the tourist magnet of Circular Quay you can walk up George Street serenaded by the trams, take in the business area and its suits, tackle the hubbub of the central shopping area, or glide through Chinatown.

Sydney's relationship with street photography stretches back nearly a century. In the 1930s, 40s, and 50s, commercial street photographers were a fixture of the city's busiest streets: George Street, Pitt Street, Martin Place, and Hunter Street. Armed with handheld cameras, these photographers would snap candid shots of passersby going about their daily lives. A card was handed to each subject so they could collect their developed print the next day, should they want to. It was spontaneous and slightly intrusive.

Sydney's light is well known among photographers. Glaring in Summer, harsh in winter, soft and diffused on overcast days, it sculpts faces and buildings in unusual ways. The city's cultural diversity — one of the most multicultural in the world — means that its streets reflect an extraordinary range of nationalities. There is no single "Sydney face”. There are hundreds.

Street photography in Sydney also benefits from the city's unique geography. The interplay between harbour, skyline, and street-level life creates opportunities that are rare. And its myriad of coffee shops, many take-away, provide not just coffee, but backdrops for your street photography.

Getting Started

If you're new to street photography, Sydney is a generous city to learn in. Its pedestrian culture, long daylight hours, and visually stimulating environments make it ideal for building confidence with a camera. Join a local group, pick a neighbourhood, and simply walk.

As Sydney photographer Sam Ferris puts it, the city's light "reflects the beauty, struggle and strangeness of everyday life." All you have to do is raise your camera and look.

An Idea Bank for Sydney Street Photography

Here are a few ideas relating to street photography

People & Human Interaction

Candid portraits and expressions

By this I mean a portrait of someone who is not posing, with an interesting facial expression. They may look sad, happy, perplexed, or one of many other expressions. I find a zoom lens – such as my 200mm lens – is the best way to capture a portrait.

People in conversation

Are they lovers, friends, work colleagues? What is their body language telling us? If particularly attentive and close in proximity, it shows they share emotional or feigned closeness.

Crowds and solitude within crowds

There's a particular kind of photograph that stops us, because of stillness. One figure, unmoving, while the world flows past. That's the image of solitude in a crowd, and it's one of the most emotionally evocative things street photography can do.

The decisive moment

Cafés, coffee shops — the texture of daily routine

Sydney is full of coffee shops – sit down and take away. There are people wanting a coffee before work, those getting a mid-morning pick-me-up, and then the lunchtime coffee and lunch with friends. They draw my attention as people wait, chat and sip.

Urban Environment

Architecture, shadows, and geometry

Geometrical shapes are defined forms with specific properties based on their boundaries, angles, and dimensions. Sydney has all three of the above: architecture from between 1830 and 1900s; deep shadows from the morning and evening sun; and geometric shapes, particularly thrown by the business sector’s tall buildings.

Reflections (windows, puddles, mirrors)

I’m always on the lookout for window reflections as they produce very interesting photos. Reflections are overlaid with the scenes seen through the windows, producing mysterious results.

Framing (shooting through doorways, arches, fences)

A photographer always sees at least one frame: that imposed by the camera’s format (ie seen through the viewfinder). But when we look around, we can see other frames eg an open door, a window. These provide a physical/environmental context (the intimate "peeping" experience) which makes an image more interesting.

Light & Atmosphere