Fine Art Street Photography

In his best-selling book Fine Art Street Photography, Rupert Vandervell hows you how to turn the urban environment into striking street imagery.

From how to use the light to what to look for in a scene, Rupert reveals the key elements behind stunning street photography.

Price £10.99 available here, or there is a print-on-demand version from Amazon

Sample content

Introduction

People often ask what is it that inspires me to pick up my camera and produce a body of work. In pure photographic terms, it’s how the light affects the city and its environment. With different times of day come different moods. I like how cool and clear the light can be in the morning, creating sharp lines of shadow and jewel-like highlights. It penetrates the space between the towering buildings and generates a dazzling display of intricate patterns on every surface.

In the late afternoon the light becomes warm and subtle and the shadows grow longer with feathered edges. When the sun begins to sink, its rays catch the human traffic moving through the shade. Sometimes it creates a geometric heaven of shapes and forms, all neatly arranged; other times an assortment of objects – street furniture, signs, road markings – combine to produce something more abstract.

The juxtaposition of the built environment and the human form is a recurring theme in my work. Against the harshness of the towering blocks of brick, concrete and glass roam fragile passers-by on neverending journeys. These figures, often faceless, viewed from behind or simply reduced to silhouettes are an important element for me.

It’s not who they are or what they might be doing that concerns me but purely how they fit into a scene. With much of my portfolio there is no attempt at documentary or social statement, the figures appear mainly for aesthetic reasons.

In this book I explain how I go about creating pictures and give some insight into what to look for in a scene. It is intended as a guide for anyone wanting to develop their street photographer’s eye through learning how to deploy some of my methods.

Photography is about discovery and with street photography particularly, you have to keep on the move, walking and searching, constantly scanning the streets. It can become an obsession, driven by the desire to capture a special moment that could be waiting round the next corner. Street photography is all about being at one with the city and becoming a part of its restless soul.

Rupert Vandervell

In the Neighbourhood

One of the great things about being a street photographer is how easy it is to get started. Living in a town or city, you just open the door and you’re there! Every day you step out into a constantly changing world of people, places, objects, vehicles and weather. Someone who captures the streets doesn’t have to travel miles to exotic locations or hike hills and dales searching for wonderful vistas, they can work wherever their feet take them – in their very own neighbourhood.

Whether you’re on your way to work, out running an errand, or off to meet a friend, chances are you will come across a moment that begs
to be preserved. Pictures that illustrate the movement of people through the urban environment. The streets that lie beyond our front doors
are full of these opportunities, like the cast of a show on an
everchanging stage.

This is what makes street photography so compelling and why, for many people, looking for inspiration, it’s a great choice. The easily accessible urban environment provides a great hunting ground, whatever your style of photography or the kind of pictures you want to take.

From portraits to abstracts to light-filled concrete landscapes, the richly populated spaces of the modern city never stop giving.