Shooting Street Photography Without People

Summary

Street photography can still be engaging and tell a story without featuring people, by capturing the signs and imprints of human activity in urban environments.

Abstract

The provided content discusses the idea of shooting street photography without people, emphasizing that human subjects are not always necessary to tell a compelling story. The author argues that capturing the signs of humanity in a photo can be just as effective in conveying a message or emotion. This approach can help improve observation skills for both beginners and professionals. The author shares examples from their portfolio, demonstrating how urban scenes can be captured using modern smartphones. The article encourages photographers to look for scenes that speak to them without people, such as garbage-filled alleys, abandoned objects, or messages written on walls. The author concludes that showing the effect of humans at ground level is a part of street photography, and capturing these scenes can still result in striking images even without the perfect subject.

Bullet points

Street photography can be done without people, focusing on capturing signs of human activity.
This approach can help improve observation skills for both beginners and professionals.
Urban scenes can be captured using modern smartphones.
Photographers should look for scenes that speak to them without people, such as garbage-filled alleys, abandoned objects, or messages written on walls.
Showing the effect of humans at ground level is a part of street photography.
Capturing these scenes can still result in striking images even without the perfect subject.

Human subjects are not always essential to telling a story.

There are no people in this photo, but there are obvious signs that people were here. Do you associate this image with happiness or sadness? (iPhone photo by author)

When you think of street photography, you probably imagine images of actual humans in urban settings. However, while people and their interactions are cornerstones of this photo genre, you can still achieve interesting results without any life at all in the frame.

Some may argue that a street photo without a person is not street photography. They may be right, but why limit the definition? I have gone out many times and come home without a decent photo of a person–but I did capture what they did, or how they live.

Photo by author

To me, tracing signs of humanity in a photo says a lot. It emphasizes the imprint that people have on their environment, without the image being too literal. These scenes in the wild without people scream humans were here, or that they will soon return.

I combed through my portfolio to find some samples of the type of scenes I’m talking about.

I shot this one winter when it was absolutely freezing outside. I was hoping to capture a wind-swept figure walking by, but I think it makes a point on its own. Photo by author

This way of shooting street photography is a great approach to improving your observation skills. Whether you’re a beginner trying to get comfortable with shooting street (with people), or you’re a pro looking for a different angle, shooting striking scenes without people is a good warm-up.

You can easily capture striking urban scenes with the latest line of smartphones. This is handy, as I snap a lot of these types of photos with my phone while out walking the dog. (Modern smartphones let you adjust the shutter speed, so you can capture moving subjects too.)

I like this one because it makes me wonder what made the person drop the payphone receiver. Did they receive bad news, or were they just too drunk to get it back on the hook? Photo by author

As a bonus, sometimes I’ll encounter publicly-visible spaces that would look great with a person in them. I try to remember those places, sometimes going back to see if I can work a passerby into the frame. In this case, the setting is still the “star” of the photo, while the person provides a visual anchor.

Let the scene do the talking

The next time you go out shooting street, look for some scenes that speak to you without people in them. Whether it’s a garbage-filled alley, a doll left on the sidewalk, or a message scrawled into an exterior wall, there are many ways to suggest humanity in an image without needing a person at all.

I wish someone was sitting in an antique chair waiting for the bus. But I like it anyway. Photo by author.

To me, showing the effect of humans at ground level is part of street photography. So don’t hesitate to snap what you see out there, even when the perfect subject isn’t around!

Don’t let a little trash ruin your rainbow. Image by author (iPhone)

What do you think? Does street photography always need people? Or does it work without them?