Street Manual

A field guide for street photographers.

by Luke Carey

TechniquesPremium card30–45 minutes

Waiting for the Light to Change

Pedestrian crossings hold people still for 30 to 60 seconds. They cluster, they wait, they look at their phones, they talk. Then they all move at once.

Position yourself at the edge of a crossing. Shoot the waiting. Shoot the release. The moment the light changes and thirty people step off the kerb simultaneously is one of the recurring gifts of street photography.

Watch for: the person who doesn't move with the crowd - the one who hesitates, turns back, goes against the flow. That's usually the picture.

Camera Settings

Zone focus to the crossing distance. Be ready before the light changes.

This is a premium card

Get the full deck — 150+ prompt cards with complete technique breakdowns, assignments, and camera settings. One purchase for lifetime access, a founding price for our first 50 members before it moves to a subscription.

Get the full deck