Vineet Vohra's A - Z Guide to Street Photography

Our Leica India Ambassador, Vineet Vohra, shares his tips and tricks on street photography.

Street photography makes familiar into something poetic and at times mythical. It consists of various factors such as proximity, similarity, intuition, direction, and closure.

Always ask yourself “Why do I want to make this picture". It is important to ask "WHY" rather than "HOW".

“Why” is the reason behind what you are doing and it starts reflecting. Photography is all about expressing yourself and to discover who you are. Be intuitive, make images which are spontaneous, transitory and instinctual, something that you make in a fraction of a second. Something you blink and you miss, something which is "you".

Keep your eyes peeled on this page as we take you through Vineet's A - Z guide to street photography, updated weekly! 

VINEET VOHRA'S A - Z GUIDE TO STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

A - AESTHETIC APPEAL

It's a branch of philosophy dealing with beauty and taste, so it relates to the initial feelings when you look at something. 

VINEET VOHRA'S A - Z GUIDE TO STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

B - Background

The part of an image or a scene that forms a setting for the main figures, the circumstances or situation prevailing at a particular time or underlying a particular event.

VINEET VOHRA'S A - Z GUIDE TO STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

C - CONTENT

An expression through a medium, can be speech, writing, or photography. 

VINEET VOHRA'S A - Z GUIDE TO STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

D - DYNAMICS

Effective action, vigorously active, forceful or simply energetic.

VINEET VOHRA'S A - Z GUIDE TO STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

E - Emotion

An affective state of consciousness in which joy, sorrow, fear, hate, or the like, is experienced from our cognitive state of mind. 

VINEET VOHRA'S A - Z GUIDE TO STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

F - Form

Simply means framing, external appearance of a clearly defined area.

VINEET VOHRA'S A - Z GUIDE TO STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

G - Graphics

The art of drawing, pertaining to use of diagrams, make an image look diagramatic

VINEET VOHRA'S A - Z GUIDE TO STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

H - Humour 

VINEET VOHRA'S A - Z GUIDE TO STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

i - illusion

Something that deceives by producing a false or misleading impression of reality.

VINEET VOHRA'S A - Z GUIDE TO STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

J - Juxtaposition

An act or instance of placing close together or side by side, especially for comparision or contrast.

VINEET VOHRA'S A - Z GUIDE TO STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

K - Keen Eye

Finely tuned as an edge, characterized by distinctness of perception, extremely sensitive or responsive. 

VINEET VOHRA'S A - Z GUIDE TO STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

L - Leica

Liberates me, simply an extension to my eye.

VINEET VOHRA'S A - Z GUIDE TO STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

M - Minimilistic

Using simple elements with little embellishment in an artistic way.

VINEET VOHRA'S A - Z GUIDE TO STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

N - Necessary Elements

Essential, indespensable or requisite.

VINEET VOHRA'S A - Z GUIDE TO STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

O - Observation Skills

Act of noticing or perceiving instantly.

VINEET VOHRA'S A - Z GUIDE TO STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

P - Proximity

Nearness in place, time, order or relation.

VINEET VOHRA'S A - Z GUIDE TO STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

Q - Quirky

A peculiar action, behaviour or mannerism. (something strange)

VINEET VOHRA'S A - Z GUIDE TO STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

R - Range Focus

Knowing your distance from your subject or subjects.

VINEET VOHRA'S A - Z GUIDE TO STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

S - Similarity

The state of being similar, resemblance or echo.

VINEET VOHRA'S A - Z GUIDE TO STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

T - Three Dimensional

Having or appearing to have length, breadth and depth.

VINEET VOHRA'S A - Z GUIDE TO STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

U - Unique Moment

Limited in occurance to a presented situation.

VINEET VOHRA'S A - Z GUIDE TO STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

V - Vantage Point

A position, or a place affording some advantage or having the view in your command.

VINEET VOHRA'S A - Z GUIDE TO STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

W - Whimsical 

Erratic or unpredictable odd ideas.

VINEET VOHRA'S A - Z GUIDE TO STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

X - X FACTOR

VINEET VOHRA'S A - Z GUIDE TO STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

Y - Yourself

VINEET VOHRA'S A - Z GUIDE TO STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

Z - Zeal

Eager desire and enthusiasm.

VINEET'S RECOMMENDATIONS

"The Leica M10-R or should I say the “M”arvelous 10-R is an phenomenal camera for passionate street photographers. It is getting back to basics shooting with similar style to Leica film cameras with integration of modern technology, it buddy engulfs the photographer into the romance of shooting and concentrating on the moment rather than worrying about what they missed, making me realise that street photography is about “do it now” and not go back home and do it later.

The build quality is fantastic and made like a work of art like all other Leica M cameras but it feels more compact and lighter, the ergonomics of the Leica M10-R is exceptional, it feels intuitive the minute one holds in the hands and makes me never leave it. While doing street photography, I require a compact camera that’s inconspicuous, best in range focus so that one concentrates on the moment and creates enough depth of field, coz I need to create that three dimensional feel, keeping in mind to have foreground, mid ground and background all in focus, long battery life, fabulous image quality, and built to admire and inspire all day.

The marriage I need is Summaron-M 28mm f/5.6 with my M10-R, Leica lenses are best in what they do, photographers strive to capture as much light as possible, all around sharpness, no distortion, something that is progressively different with my Leica Summaron-M 28mm f/5.6, the tiny pancake lens is a all day walk along pair with my M10-R, I keep it on f11 and pre focus and all I have to do is press the shutter so to make images which are spontaneous, transitory and instinctual, something that you make in a fraction of a second, something you blink and you miss, something which is “YOU” I need M10-R and Summaron-M 28mm f/5.6."

About Vineet Vohra (@vineet_vohra)

Born on 2nd November, 1973, in New Delhi/India with a first class degree fine arts from the prestigious College of Arts, Vineet Vohra is a self-taught photographer and street photography is a passion that he live like a discipline. Although he started shooting as a wild life photographer for two years, Vineet switched to street in 2001 and it instantly became his passion and first nature. As Leica's first ever Indian Ambassador, he had conducted workshops as a Leica Mentor in Leica Akademie, with various publications on Leica blogs. Vineet's works and stories have been published on various prestigious magazines, newspapers & blogs all over the world including National Geographic, NYT, The Guardian U.K. and have been a part of various collective exhibitions in London, New York, Miami, Vietnam, Tel Aviv & India. 

RELATED PRODUCTS

Liquid error (sections/pf-517f5678 line 109): product form must be given a product
Liquid error (sections/pf-517f5678 line 118): product form must be given a product
Leica Elmarit-M 28mm F/2.8 ASPH. Black
Leica Elmarit-M 28mm F/2.8 ASPH. Black
Leica Elmarit-M 28mm F/2.8 ASPH. Black
Leica Elmarit-M 28mm F/2.8 ASPH. Black

Leica Elmarit-M 28mm F/2.8 ASPH. Black

$3,540.00
Leica Summaron-M 28mm F/5.6 Silver Chrome Finish
Leica Summaron-M 28mm F/5.6 Silver Chrome Finish
Leica Summaron-M 28mm F/5.6 Silver Chrome Finish
Leica Summaron-M 28mm F/5.6 Silver Chrome Finish
Leica Summaron-M 28mm F/5.6 Silver Chrome Finish
Leica Summaron-M 28mm F/5.6 Silver Chrome Finish
Leica Summaron-M 28mm F/5.6 Silver Chrome Finish
Leica Summaron-M 28mm F/5.6 Silver Chrome Finish
Leica Summaron-M 28mm F/5.6 Silver Chrome Finish
Leica Summaron-M 28mm F/5.6 Silver Chrome Finish
Leica Summaron-M 28mm F/5.6 Silver Chrome Finish
Leica Summaron-M 28mm F/5.6 Silver Chrome Finish

Leica Summaron-M 28mm F/5.6 Silver Chrome Finish

$4,290.00