Street photography is easily one of the most accessible and popular forms of photography. It’s easy to get into: you really only need a camera and a street to walk on. But once you step outside, you quickly realize that the genre is vast.
Even within the broader category of “street,” there are several distinct types of street photography, each with its own unique approach, intent, and visual aesthetic.
Whether you are looking to document raw reality or to pursue aesthetic street photography with a focus on light and shadow, understanding the different types and styles of street photography can help you find your own voice. Let’s dive in.
What is street photography?
According to Britannica, street photography is “a genre of photography that records everyday life in a public place.”
But let’s expand on that. Street photography is ultimately about capturing the human condition and unposed, everyday life. It relies heavily on observation rather than direction. While studio photography is about controlling the environment, street photography is about reacting to an environment you cannot control.
The defining characteristic is its candid nature. It’s about preserving a fleeting moment, a unique juxtaposition, or an emotion in a public space before it disappears forever. The angle from which you approach the street and the specific subjects you choose to document will determine which sub-genre or style of street photography you fall into.
The different types and styles of street photography
Based on how photographers approach their subjects and environments, we can identify several distinct styles within the street photography umbrella.
Documentary street photography
In documentary street photography, the primary aim is to capture what happens in the public space. This involves capturing exciting events, signs of the times, cultural shifts, and how people interact with their surroundings.
Sometimes, the goal is to create a historical record for future generations to see what our world looked like. Other times, it highlights lesser-known communities or raw, unfiltered aspects of modern cities.
This style often requires a “long game” approach, where photographers might revisit the same locations or themes over months or years to tell a cohesive story.
Listen to my conversation with documentary and event style street photographer, Francesca Chiacchio.
Candid street photography
While documentary photography might focus on specific socio-political topics and occasionally allow the photographer to interact with the subject, candid street photography is strictly about observation.
This is often considered the “purest” form of the genre. The photographer acts as a fly on the wall, capturing people in their natural state without their knowledge. There is zero interaction or posing. It’s all about timing, anticipation, and waiting for the “decisive moment” when all the elements in the frame align perfectly.
Listen to my conversation with candid street photography: Michael Eugster
Urban landscape photography
Most types of street photography are fast-paced and reactive, and require some level of stealth. Urban landscape photography (or cityscapes), however, allows you to slow down.
In this style, you capture the broader environment of your city or town. The focus shifts from the people to the geometry, architecture, and mood of the city itself. Often, you’ll use a tripod for longer exposures, smaller apertures for a deeper depth of field, and take your time composing the shot.
Listen to my conversation with urban landscape photographer Bram Penninckx
Environmental street portraiture
In street portraiture, you go out specifically looking to capture portraits of strangers. Unlike candid photography, this style bridges the gap between observation and interaction.
The art lies in finding an interesting face, approaching the subject, and politely asking for their photo. Often, they are posed right on the street, using the environment you found them in as the backdrop. You capture people exactly as they present themselves to the world, making for a challenging but highly rewarding interaction.
Listen to my conversation with street portrait photographer Amy Horowitz
Abstract & aesthetic street photography
In abstract street photography, the human subject usually takes a backseat. Instead, the hunt is on to chase shapes, harsh shadows, reflections, and bold colors.
The idea here is to create highly pleasing, aesthetic street photography by looking at everyday environments from unconventional angles. You might shoot through textured glass, use a slow shutter speed to blur a crowd into a sea of motion, or focus heavily on high-contrast lighting to turn a simple alleyway into a dramatic, geometric composition.
Listen to my conversation with abstract street photographer Betty Goh
Street fashion & street style Photography
The streets are arguably the greatest runway in the world. In street style photography, the focus shifts toward clothing, self-expression, and trends.
The street simply serves as the gritty or vibrant backdrop for your subject’s outfit. The photos you make can range from candidly snapping stylish strangers as they walk by, to actually stopping them and directing a quick, impromptu fashion shoot on the sidewalk. It’s a hugely popular niche that thrives on finding unique characters and capturing the cultural zeitgeist of fashion.
Street art photography
Street art photography involves documenting graffiti, murals, stickers, and temporary installations in the urban environment.
It’s not just about taking a flat photo of a mural, though. The best street art photography incorporates the environment, perhaps a pedestrian walking past a giant painted face, creating a clever juxtaposition, or capturing the way morning light hits a heavily tagged alleyway.
Urban photography vs. street photography: what’s the difference?
A common point of confusion is the difference between urban photography and street photography. While they frequently overlap, they are not exactly the same thing.
- Street Photography is primarily concerned with the human element. It is about candid moments, human behavior, and life unfolding in public spaces. A street photo doesn’t even necessarily have to be taken in a city. It could be on a rural dirt road or a suburban beach, as long as it captures unposed life.
- Urban Photography, on the other hand, is defined by the environment. It focuses specifically on cityscapes, architecture, infrastructure, and the man-made world. While urban photography can certainly include people, the city itself is the main character.
What about you?
Street photography is a massive playground, and we all eventually find our own corner of it. I’m curious which of these styles resonates most with your shooting style?
Drop a comment below and let me know which style you’re currently obsessed with!
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