Keith Mokris is a Chicago-based digital marketer and content creator. You can follow him on 500px, visit his website, or check him out on Instagram and Twitter.
“The Streets” is a gallery that features street photography across the globe, from Quebec City to Chicago. While most street photography focuses on people in their environments, this gallery also explores city life, architecture, and light. I am always looking to add images to the gallery that capture unique moments or feature skillful post-processing. Here are six images that speak to me the most.
Mist by Emmanuel Coveney
Taken in Quebec City, this image by Emmanuel Coveney interests me for several reasons. The photo perfectly frames the empty street from left to right, while also putting the pedestrian in the center of the open archway. Adding to the shot, the hazy mist creates a sense of tranquility that would not have been there on a sunny day.
Kid by Wak Kundang
One of the time-honored rules of street photography is to get in close to your subject and shoot with a wide angle — placing your subject among his or her surroundings. Wak Kundang’s photo of a busy train in Thailand draws the viewer in for just that reason. Taken at 18mm, you can picture yourself on train car as the young child leans out and glances directly at the camera. Little details, such as the person sitting at the table on the left, shoes placed in the middle of the aisle, and bags left throughout the picture, draw your eyes across the entire image.
Haneda Airport by Yoshiro Ishii
Yoshiro Ishii frames his subject incredibly well in this photo from an empty airport. The attendant is perfectly placed in a box of light walking through the center of the image. Importantly, he included a bit of the environment, the stanchions that guide passengers to their check in, at the top of the image so the viewer more clearly knows the location of the photo. The geometric pattern on the floor, which you can see even in the shadows, is an interesting touch to the image.
Winter arrived in Hamburg by Merlin Kafka
Shot in Hamburg, Germany, this image from Merlin Kafka shows how architecture, movement, and weather can make for a captivating street photo. With a shutter of 1/10th of a second, the photographer created blur both in the curving train as well as the falling snow throughout the image. My eye is also drawn to the reflection of the buildings on the left and the way they carefully fade to white toward back of the frame. When I look back at the entirety of the image, I can’t help but feel that winter has completely enclosed the city.
9092 by Michael Salisbury
Michael Salisbury is a Chicago-based photographer who captures exciting street images with moody edits. I am drawn to this image of his because of how he captured city life on two levels of the street. On the first level, you can see a bar, restaurant, trash, and two people on the left side of the frame. As your eye continues through the image toward the right, you notice an empty doorway with stairs leading up to the second level of the street. In the room above the restaurant, you see a bright chandelier and people well-lit or outlined in the white light. My eyes continually want to circle the frame and seem to pick up details each time through.
Street Photography 27 by Zhiyuan Liu
I am often drawn to street photos that create a sense of mystery or hide a subject’s features. This shot by Zhiyuan Liu places his subject on a rainy street with the man’s face obscured by his umbrella. Interesting details make me even more curious about the boulevard. Some stores are open while others are closed. Mopeds and other bikes litter the frame. Green, blue, and yellow street lights reflect off the square tiles on the sidewalk. After looking at the frame, I can’t help but ask myself, “Who is this man and where is he going?”.
See more stunning street photos in this gallery.
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