Lighting and exposure of street photography

Lighting and exposure are crucial elements in street photography, as they can greatly impact the mood, atmosphere, and overall look of an image.

Lighting refers to the direction, intensity, and quality of the light in a scene. Unlike commercial photographers who set the lighting as they wish, Street photographers have to work with the available light in a scene, and often have to make quick decisions about how to expose their images.

While Exposure refers to the amount of light that is allowed to reach the camera’s sensor or film when taking a photograph.

I’m often control the exposure of my images by adjusting the aperture, shutter speed, and ISO settings on my camera.

Here are some tips for dealing with lighting and exposure in street photography:

• Shoot in raw: Raw files are unprocessed image files that contain all the data captured by the camera’s sensor. Shooting in raw allows you to have more control over the exposure and color of your images in post-processing.
• Use exposure compensation: Most cameras have an exposure compensation feature that allows you to adjust the exposure of your images up or down. This can be useful in situations where the camera’s meter is fooled by high contrast or backlit scenes.
• Shoot in manual mode: Shooting in manual mode gives you as a street photographer complete control over the exposure settings of your camera. This can be useful in tricky lighting situations where the camera’s automatic settings may not produce the desired results.
• Always pay attention to the light: You should be aware of the direction, intensity, and quality of the light in a scene, as these factors can greatly impact the look of an image. For example, Backlight can create an image silhouette, soft, diffused light can create a more flattering and intimate effect, while harsh, directional light can create strong shadows and contrast. Find your personal voice and adjust the light to your aesthetic taste.

By understanding and mastering lighting and exposure techniques you as a street photographer can create images with the desired mood and atmosphere, and convey the essence of a place and its people.