technique - How do I "shoot from the hip" in street photography?

I often hear reference to "shooting from the hip" in street photography. What technique can I use to get candid, yet sharp and focused photographs?

While I am interested in any general advice, the sort of questions I have at the moment are: How do you not make your photography stick out like a sore thumb? What focal lengths, apertures and shutter speeds are appropriate? Do you use autofocus or manual focus?

I am not interested in whether or when shooting from the hip is appropriate. That ought to be the topic for a separate question.

Answer

The idea of "Shooting from the hip" is to be inconspicuous, so as not to change the atmosphere. This allows you to capture the shot as you see it, without interfering with the mood.

• Manual focus, using a lens that has a distance scale.



• f/8 allows you to get a much greater depth of field, so even if your focus is slightly off, you should still have a good shot.


• normal to wide angle, 35mm is a great option.


• rangefinder cameras are often used with this style, because they tend to be much smaller and favor manual focusing.