Ten minutes the night before saves a ruined day.

Charge everything. Camera battery to full, plus your phone and, if you use one, your flash.

Format your cards in the camera. Not just deleted, formatted, so you start empty and error-free. Carry a spare.

Clean the front element. A quick wipe with a proper cloth, and check the sensor for dust if you have been swapping lenses.

Pick one lens and leave the rest. A single 28mm to 40mm equivalent is all you need. Choosing kit is procrastination; one lens is freedom (more in the cameras guide).

Check the weather and dress for it. Comfortable, weatherproof, layers.

Have a loose plan. A route or an area beats aimless wandering. The free London photo walk is a ready-made day if you are stuck.

Pick a prompt. One idea or constraint gives your eye a job. Pull a card, or let the free 7-day course hand you one.

Set exposure and focus at home so you are ready before the first moment arrives, not fumbling through it.

Exposure, pre-set. Meterless with the Sunny 16 rule, or Auto ISO with a minimum shutter around 1/250 (Auto ISO setup). Either keeps your eye on the street.

Focus, pre-set. Zone focus at about two metres and f/8 so anyone passing is sharp, with no autofocus lag.

Drive and shutter. Single or a low burst, and switch to the silent electronic shutter for discretion.

Files. Raw plus JPEG if you want a film look straight out of camera, raw alone if you edit. Decide now, not later.

Strap on, cap off. Wrist or neck strap secure, lens cap in your pocket, screen brightness sensible so you chimp less and look more.

Travel light. The best street kit fits in a jacket.

One body, one lens. As above.

One spare battery, one spare card. In a pocket, not at home.

A lens cloth and water. The two things you always wish you had brought.

Comfortable shoes. You will walk further than you think.

A small bag, or no bag. The less you carry, the more you shoot. Leave the second body, the zoom and the tripod at home.

Kit sorted, the rest is how you see.

Slow down. The city makes you rush; resist it. Walk at half speed and actually look.

Work one good spot. Find strong light or a strong background and wait for a subject to complete it, rather than chasing frames.

Commit to each stop. Give a promising scene five minutes longer than feels comfortable. The good stuff arrives once you stop hunting.

Set one constraint. One colour, one focal length, backlight only, reflections only. It changes what you notice (try a project card).

Shoot openly. Confidence reads as photography; furtiveness reads as threat. If you feel awkward, the getting out the door guide helps.

A quick reminder, and general information rather than legal advice.

It is legal. In England and Wales you may photograph people in public places without asking permission.

Be considerate. A nod or a smile disarms almost every encounter. Openness beats sneaking.

Mind private land. Shopping centres, stations, some South Bank terraces and housing estates set their own rules; respect them.

Know when to delete. You rarely have to, but sometimes you should. See what to do when someone asks you to delete a photo, plus the fuller UK street photography law and approaching strangers guides.

Watch your kit in crowds. Tourist hotspots are pickpocket country, so keep bags zipped and closed.

Dress for the day. Layers, waterproofs, sun cream, whatever the sky demands.

Cold kills batteries. In winter keep a spare warm in an inside pocket.

Eat, drink, rest. A tired, hungry photographer stops seeing. Build in a coffee.

Tell someone your rough plan if you are shooting somewhere quiet or after dark.

The walk is not over until the edit.

Back up before you delete anything. Copy the card to your computer and one other place first.

Sit on the take. Do not judge on the day. Come back in a few days with cold eyes.

Cull hard. A handful of keepers from a day is a good day. Pull the frames that say something and let the rest go.

Learn from it. Note what worked and what you would change, then take that into the next walk.