Chicago Street Photography Tip: Layering Practice

Chicago is an awesome city for street photography workshops. One of the assignments that I often send people out on during my street photography workshop is an exercise designed to practice thinking in terms of foreground, midground, and background.

Photographing people who are photographing offers an opportunity not only to practice thinking in layers but also to practice one’s focusing and framing. Next time you see someone photographing, go behind them and frame the shot like the one below. Use the person’s head as foreground, their phone or iPad as the mid-ground, and the subject of their image as your background.

Be sure to cut the person’s head off, thus preventing any excess information that would cause competition for the eye’s attention. We only want the essential elements in our image.

Are you a photographer who is interested in learning about the exciting genre of street photography?

Do you want to acquire techniques that will help you overcome your fear of taking candid photos of strangers? Would you like to find and develop your own personal street photography style?

If you’re a beginner or a seasoned photographer who wants to discover the joys of photographing the human experience, then my street photography workshops are for you!