Hi, I'm Emily...

I got into street photography when I first got my camera (the Canon EOS R6), as it was a great way for me to learn my settings, nail my focus, and explore different genres. I still enjoy the art of street photography and spend much of my spare time walking the streets of London, capturing images of whatever catches my eye. I live in South-West London so I'm very lucky to be able to just hop on a tube and explore. Street photography really helped me to develop my style, practice my editing, and build confidence in taking photos.

My favourite street photography locations in London...

My favourite spots for London street photography are where it's busy and there are lots of people.

I prefer those scenes for two reasons:

1) I find it is easier for me to blend into the background when its busy, which allows me to get the candid shots, and

2) I prefer images with human interest in them, which is easier to achieve when there are lots of "subjects" to choose from. In quieter places I might find myself waiting for some time for a good subject, whereas in the busier locations there are plenty of people to choose from.

I gravitate towards Oxford Street, Soho, Covent Garden and other tourist-heavy areas, and the City of London to try to get the hustle and bustle of city life.

The beauty of street photography is that every time I go out with my camera, I find something different, and I usually end up meeting some really interesting characters.

My favourite lens for street photography...

I prioritise small, compact lenses as this helps when trying to fly under the radar and get those candid shots, and it also means I don't need to lug a huge, heavy lens around with me.

I usually opt for my 28mm pancake lens for candid street shots, and stick with an aperture of around f6-f8, shutter speed around 500 when I'm walking, and auto ISO to help with capturing those fleeting moments without having to check I'm exposing correctly each time the light changes.

If I'm feeling brave and planning some street portraits, I'll pop my nifty fifty 50mm f1.8mm lens on and shoot portraits with that - more often around f2.8-f4 depending on how interesting the background is. I'll bring the shutter speed right down to around 125-150 and leave auto ISO on for ease.

I do have a 35mm f1.8 but I don't tend to use it as much - personal preference!

It's a very different set-up to my family and baby sessions, where I'll generally stick to my bulkier 24-70mm f2.8 lens, or my 50mm f1.2 lens.