Candid Street Photography In Prague and Vienna
Candid street photography is one of my favorite photography genres. However, living in Houston, I don’t get to do it all that often. That’s because Houston life is very car-centric. People drive everywhere, nobody walks or least it seems that way. For sure, you can get some good street shots in Houston. You just have to work a little extra to do it. You have to be very patient and scout out good locations and times.
I was excited about going to Prague and Vienna as I knew there would be a lot of people out walking around. In reality, sometimes it was too much of a good thing; the crowds were overwhelming at some locations. However, a minor detour down a side street usually took care of that problem.
Prague and Vienna made it easy to find locations with great backgrounds. Both cities are beautiful and make for a great candid street photography environment.
Since there are always a lot of tourists around, nobody thinks twice about seeing a camera pointed in their direction. Everyone is snapping pics mainly on their phones so seeing a camera is no big deal. I dare say that I’m in hundreds of other people’s photos although few, if any, are “of” me.
Another advantage of traveling to a new international location is that everything is new and different to you. Everything is a new discovery; a new surprise. Familiarity hasn’t yet had the opportunity to cloud your photographic eye. This opens new possibilities to you for photo subjects and compositions.
The Photos
During this trip there were 9 street shots that I really like. All were literally not on the street but fortunately “street” is a rather loose term in this context. A few of them presented some technical challenges as they were low-light, high-ISO shots. But challenges can be fun and it all worked out in the end.
– Prague
Prague’s Charles Bridge is perhaps its most famous landmark. Its a a medieval (started in 1357) stone arch bridge. The bridge is lined with 30 beautiful statues and has wonderful bridge towers at each end. As a result, the bridge is swarming with people. However, if you go beneath the bridge it is a beautiful, quiet respite which makes a great place for some candid street photography
Unlike the Charles Bridge, Emmaus Monastery is a quiet place thankfully without many visitors. It allows you to enjoy the beauty in solitude. Below is a candid shot of a man walking through the cloisters.
This woman entered the tram and sat across the aisle from me. She sat quietly, seemingly lost in thought. I felt compelled to take a shot. I was holding my camera in my lap and didn’t want to raise it to my eye as that would have been noticeable, ruining the moment. Because I was not able to see the LCD screen on the back of my camera, I was aiming blind. I did use back button focus but my aim for that was a bit off so the focus is soft. Fortunately, I think the soft focus works with the mood of the image.
I really like how this walkway gives you got a peek of the restaurant with it’s Coca-Cola awnings through the archway. I just had to wait a few minutes for people to come by to create a point of interest.
This was my last photo in Prague. While waiting for the train to Vienna I noticed these two gentlemen. How could I resist? The scene just screamed for a photo.
– Vienna
The open air sidewalk cafés are a great place to relax, have a drink and watch the world go by. They are also great places to sit and take street shots. This is one of my favorite candid shots as I really love the woman’s expression and the light.
Museums are another great place for candid street photography. This scene caught my eye as it portrayed life imitating art. Two women observing art while the painting’s subject seems to be observing the museum patrons.
Vienna loves its music. One evening I noticed a man buying a ticket at St. Stephan’s Cathedral for an upcoming organ concert. I just loved the light in this scene
If you’re out and about in the US and are hungry you get a burger; in Vienna you get a sausage. ZUM GOLDENEN WÜRSTEL (For Golden Sausage) was a popular place.
Leave A Comment And Share
What’s your experience with candid street photography in unfamiliar locations? Please leave a comment in the comment box below.
