Street Photography vs. Cityscapes/Urban Landscapes
When I think of the term “street photography”, I mostly think of photos taken in public places with people in them. In my mind, “cityscapes” and “urban landscapes” can be used pretty interchangeably, although “cityscape” kind of brings to mind city skylines.
I think a lot of photographers would agree with me on defining these this way. Some would refer to all of this as street photography. Regardless, at the end of the day, it’s all just photography and these are merely labels to use as shorthand.
For the purposes of this article, when I say “street photography”, I mean candid photos taken in public places that include people in them. When I say “cityscape” or “urban landscape”, I’m referring to photos of urban environments where people are not the main subject. Capiche?
Street Photography and Cityscapes Have a Lot in Common
Street photography and cityscapes are made in the same places: in cities, urban environments, and public spaces. As a result, you can photograph either or when you’re out in these spaces.
There’s more opportunity to photograph cityscapes than street photography, because street photography requires the presence of people. And sometimes there are no people to photograph. This is especially true for American cities that can be quite desolate because most people get around by car due to everything being spread out.
I Like the Uniqueness of Including People
I’m drawn more to street photography, in large part because of how you can create completely unique photos that could never be re-created.
With cityscapes, another photographer could theoretically create a very similar photo to yours of a built environment, given they were at the same place on the same day or went to the place at a similar time of day with similar weather conditions.
With street photography, you have many unique factors like the people in the frame, the clothes they were wearing that day, and the combination of people.
The Two Go Hand in Hand
I don’t think street photography and cityscapes have to be separated. Many photographers who are thought of primarily as street photographers include cityscapes in their books. Their books are often mostly street photography, but they pepper in cityscape photos here and there, and I think that works really well.
Cityscapes can work like scene setters in movies. Or as detail shots of something that reveal something about a place.
They Both Show the Human Side of a Place
Street photography and cityscapes both feature a human presence. In street photography, it’s more direct, as people are included in the frame. With cityscapes, people may not be directly in the frame, but their presence is felt because without them, the environment wouldn’t be as it is.
Cityscapes Are a Good Way of Starting Out
If you’re getting started in street photography, it can be daunting. Taking candid photos of people can trigger feelings of nervousness in street photography, and I think that’s natural and common.
That’s why I think starting out with cityscapes is a good option for easing into it. This gets you out on the street with your camera around people, which will lead you to feel more comfortable in these scenarios. Then, when you’re ready, you can start taking photos on the street with people in them.
Cityscape Photography is Growing on Me
I’ve always appreciated cityscape photography and urban landscapes. I think a lot of people are typically drawn to pretty pictures of things like landscape photography where the photographer has omitted the human element of it by framing things in a certain way or perhaps removing things like power lines or what have you.
But some of the best photographers who do cityscapes, in my opinion, include these human elements that are often seen as ugly or unphotogenic. I’m drawn to this because it goes against the grain of what I’m used to seeing. I also just find them visually appealing.
I’m also considering moving back to my hometown of Kansas City, which doesn’t have the best opportunities for doing street photography that includes people. So with that in consideration, I’ll need to make adjustments to my expectations and the type of photography I do. There are places in Kansas City where I can likely find people to photograph, but not everywhere as with a larger city. And I don’t want to sit around waiting for people. I want to actively take photos, and cityscape photography gives me opportunities to do that.
