Street photography is one of the most fun genres, and getting good at it can help you showcase the story of where you live in a way that others can’t. Engaging in street photography can also help you catch the life of places you visit.

However, many people shy away from street photography because they don’t want to disturb others. At its worst, photographers can take things too far and not respect personal space—but it doesn’t have to be like this.

Here are some tips you can implement to be less intrusive with your street photography.

1. Buy a Prime Lens With a Longer Focal Length

One of the easiest ways to enjoy non-intrusive street photography is to purchase a prime lens with a longer focal length. You might have heard of the benefits of a 50mm lens, and this can definitely be a worthy purchase—especially if you don’t have a huge budget.

If you’ve got a bit more money to spend, you might want to consider purchasing an 85mm lens. You need to be careful if you go above that, though, because the size of your lens can get to a point where it becomes intrusive.

In addition to the equipment you purchase, you can try several other ways to overcome your fear of shooting street photography.

2. Get a Zoom Lens

Although a telescopic prime lens can help you capture better street photos, it’s not your only option. In some cases, you might find that a zoom lens is better—and this is especially true if you like taking a broad range of photos.

If you think that you should buy a zoom lens instead of a prime lens, consider getting something with a larger range of focal lengths. For example, 24-105mm or something similar can allow you to confidently take pictures of others without invading their personal space.

If you are still a beginner photographer, you might not even need to purchase a new lens. Instead, you can get plenty of use out of your kit lens. Here are some amazing things you can photograph with a kit lens.

3. Ask Strangers if You Can Take Pictures of Them

One of the best ways to overcome any fears you have of photographing strangers is to ask them if you can take pictures of them. And asking first before snapping them is also less intrusive. This can technically cross over with portraits, but you might want to do it for certain scenes that look cool—such as a person sitting on a bench with their dog.

Naturally, you’ll get some “no” answers. But in many cases, people are more receptive and helpful than you might think. You can even let the other person use your images on Instagram for free, and in some cases, you might even make a new friend.

If you’re a shy person, you can find various resources to help improve your conversation skills and learn small talk.

4. Take Photos When It Isn’t as Busy

Another easy way to be less intrusive with your street photography is to capture shots at times of the day when there are naturally fewer people about. Getting up early in the morning can help you with this, and some city streets are quieter on weekends—especially if you go to the business district.

Taking pictures at times of the day when the streets aren’t so busy has numerous other advantages. In many instances, these periods are also when the natural lighting is at its most picturesque. So, you can make your shots stand out with minimal extra effort.

If you choose to capture images around the beginning or end of each day, consider using these golden hour captions for social media.

5. Capture Street Shots in Quieter Locations

Regardless of the town or city you visit, some areas will naturally be less busy than others. These areas are still often brimming with life, but you won’t need to worry too much about invading other people’s privacy.

If you’re new to street photography and you’re worried about being intrusive, these spots are excellent areas to begin. Another benefit is that you’ll likely broaden your horizons by going to areas that aren’t as frequented by tourists.

6. Use People You Know as Subjects in Your Street Photos

Street photography doesn’t always need to include strangers. And in some cases, you might find that having people you know as the main subjects is a much better approach.

One of the easiest ways to use people you know as subjects in your street photos is to let them walk a few steps in front of you. After doing that, you’ll see them form a bigger part of the overall scene—and you can photograph what you’re trying to capture.

Besides being a non-intrusive way of taking street photos, you can also use this technique to capture better memories of yourself and your friends or family.

7. Don’t Include People’s Faces in Your Photos

Street photography doesn’t always need to include other people’s faces, and an easy way to ensure that you don’t invade other people’s privacy is to take pictures from the side or behind. You can use the people in your images to add something extra to the surrounding scene, and using this technique can help you take more unique pictures in touristy locations.

Looking for people with interesting props, such as a fashion style you like or on a bicycle, can help your pictures look more interesting if you aren’t going to include their faces.

You can also consider choosing other unique angles where people aren’t recognizable. For example, you can capture street images from buildings. Tokyo’s Shibuya Crossing—the picture above—is perhaps the best example you’ll find of this.

Another thing you can try is widening your aperture and making the people in your shot out of focus. That way, their faces will be less recognizable. You can learn all about aperture here.

Street Photography Doesn’t Have to Be Intrusive

If you want to try street photography, you don’t always need to disturb people or invade their privacy. There are several ways to stop this from happening, you just need to get creative. In some cases, purchasing new equipment might also help you achieve your desired results.

Using the natural rhythm of cities, such as photographing during less busy times, can also help you be less invasive with your street shots. Having read this guide, you should now have better guidance on how to be a respectful street photographer.