Street photography is a pastime that can be done with just about any camera, including your smartphone camera. If you're a fan of documenting your neighborhood or visiting exciting places, street photography is a valid genre of photography to consider.

In this article, we'll explain how to convert your smartphone into the perfect street photography camera. The only additional piece of equipment that you'll need is a selfie stick—more specifically, the remote shutter release button that's commonly removable from selfie sticks.

The following tips and tricks are designed to help you get the most out of your street photography using your smartphone camera.

1. Use a Phone Cover for Better Ergonomics

phone cover

There are several reasons why you should consider using a smartphone cover, preferably a folding cover, to make taking street photos easier.

Anyone who has used any of the more traditional cameras, like DSLRs or even point-and-shoots, will likely agree that the ergonomics of most smartphones are inferior for handling, especially in situations when speedy use is required. In short, covers typically make phones easier to grip.

But there are other reasons why phone covers are great accessories when it comes to converting your smartphone into a street photography camera. Here are just a few.

Damage Protection

Protecting your smartphone from drops and other forms of accidental damage is always a good idea. When it comes to taking street photography shots, it's like taking out an insurance policy because of the extra hazards usually involved.

Additionally, a smartphone cover will help protect your phone from rain and sudden water leaks from roofs, pipes, and other potential water hazards from above.

Tripod

While the term "tripod" isn't perfect if you're using a folding cover, it still serves the same purpose. If you ever need to take a shot of yourself from a distance or want an interesting perspective without assistance, you can simply unfold the cover like a book. Then, you can set the phone up on any relatively flat surface, and using the remote shutter, you can snap a picture.

This method is also very useful when taking candid street photography shots. For instance, if you're sitting on a park bench, you could set the phone beside you and take pictures of the scene in front of you or even to your side without anybody noticing.

Low Profile

Everybody knows the typical stance of someone who's either taking a selfie or using their phone for general picture-taking. But using a smartphone cover, and once again, a folding cover can greatly reduce one's general profile when taking street photography shots.

Why? Because a cover allows you to hold the phone differently, and you can use the remote shutter button in your other hand to take pictures. There's no need to touch the phone to access the shutter. In effect, you're not "on your phone."

2. Remove the Bluetooth Shutter Button From a Selfie Stick

selfie stick

Apart from adopting a folding smartphone cover for street photography use, the addition of a remote shutter button from a selfie stick is one of the most useful and generally unknown tricks to help take street photography photos.

The only thing you have to do is purchase a selfie stick, which is relatively cheap, and remove the remote shutter that operates via Bluetooth. These buttons run on common batteries that are also cheap and widely available.

As already mentioned, with the shutter button in hand, you can easily walk around with your smartphone in one hand and the button in your other. This method widely negates a lot of the negative ergonomic features of the smartphone, especially when using a cover for improved grip.

3. Smartphone Settings and Tips

smartphone camera screen

Apart from learning all the settings of your smartphone camera, including any manual or pro modes, there are a few settings and general tips to keep in mind.

  • Increase your screen lock time (the default is usually one minute) to five or 10 minutes.
  • Make sure your Bluetooth is On and your smartphone is connected to the remote shutter button (check on this occasionally as you shoot).
  • It's best to keep your smartphone camera in one of the auto modes for general street photography.
  • Make sure the lens you choose (if an option) is wide enough for the most commonly anticipated camera-to-subject distance.
  • Turn off any shutter or camera noises.
  • In case your Bluetooth fails, set one of your volume buttons to operate as the shutter.
  • In case your screen lock activates, set your smartphone to awake by shaking.

There may be other settings specific to your phone that may need your attention, too. That's why it's best to test out your camera thoroughly before heading out into the streets to keep any troubleshooting to a minimum.

Other settings to consider would be to turn any watermark feature off and set the picture quality to high. Another helpful tip is to save the location information when taking pictures. This way, you'll always know where a particular photo was taken in case you want to revisit that spot at a later date.

Additional Tips When Doing Street Photography Your Smartphone

People on their phones

The tips mentioned here are meant to convert your smartphone into a street photography camera. This means that your camera will be primed to operate closer to that of a DSLR or point-and-shoot camera. Naturally, there will still be major differences to take into consideration.

But the playing field, so to speak, has been narrowed dramatically. You'll be able to take great photos of your subjects at close range more easily than a street photographer packing around a larger, traditional-looking camera.

Even still, you'll want to keep the following in mind:

  • If you're moving while photographing, nine times out of 10 your image will be blurry. A best practice is to move slowly and deliberately before taking your shots. But there are apps available, like Remini, that can remove blur from an image.
  • You will have to get closer to your subjects generally. This is because smartphone cameras typically come with wide-angle lenses. If you choose to use any telephoto lenses, you'll have to be almost perfectly still to get your subject in focus or sharp. For these types of shots, holding your phone in the usual manner to zoom in on a subject would be the best bet.
  • Don't be afraid to get in close range to capture those perfect scenes. Consider how you would like to frame your subject(s) before you make your move and take your shot.
  • Carry a phone charger. Walking around with your camera always on drains the battery faster. You may need to use your smartphone for its original purpose too: to make and receive calls!

Sometimes it's nice to use computer software to post-process any special images you’ve taken on your smartphone. You can use photo editing software like Luminar AI to enhance your smartphone images.

Your Smartphone Is Another Useful Tool for Street Photography

woman taking picture

Despite several disadvantages to using smartphones in place of DSLRs or mirrorless systems, the one huge advantage of the smartphone is that it's the one camera that you will always have with you.

Even if you own a great camera for most of your photography needs, knowing how to convert your smartphone into a street photography camera comes in handy for those times when you've left your camera at home.

And the only extra piece of gear that you'll need, a remote shutter button from a selfie stick, literally fits in the palm of your hand.