Street Manual

A field guide for street photographers.

by Luke Carey

Events & Gatherings1 hour

Hands

Hands tell the story of an event without a single face. A hand resting on a steering wheel, polishing a bumper, pointing into an engine, holding a rosette, cradling a mug of tea between jobs, counting change at a stall.

Where it works: anywhere people are doing, holding, tending or showing — car shows, markets, craft fairs, farm shows, festivals.

Best time: during the working moments, not the standing-around ones.

Look for: tight frames, no faces needed. Hands plus one object equals a whole story. Watch for the worn, the careful, the practised.

Camera Settings

Get close — f/5.6 and fill the frame. Fast shutter to freeze the movement.

The Assignment

Shoot ten frames of hands doing something at the event. No faces allowed in any of them.

Free Course