Since coming to Canada I have been obsessed with photographing street art!
I was blown away by the stunning street art, in all it’s forms, and I am currently working on a project on the subject that I am really excited about, which I will be reveling soon .
This fascination includes the huge murals on buildings in cities like Montreal, Quebec City, Toronto, Hamilton and others.
It is the graffiti style art on walls, trains, on or under bridges. The artist’s own name, or “tag”, becomes a work of art in itself, emblazoned on the wall in a multi colored explosion, shouting “this is me – I did this!”
It is the intricate stencil art where the cutting of the paper is an artform in its own right. Then fixing it on it’s chosen surface and spraying the image on the wall, removing the stencil. This reveals the image that the artist created first in their mind, then on the paper, then on the wall. A multi layered process of creativity.
It is also the sticker art that is on signage, lamp posts or street furniture. Each separate sticker is a work of art on it’s own, but massed together becomes a fantastic collaborative collage of expressiveness.
In this blog I want to help guide you in capturing these images. These are 10 simple tips for photographing street art that work for me. This is not some in depth guide. It is just 10 easy to remember ideas that will help you develop your own creativity while photographing the creativeness of others:
1. Chase the Light
Get the time of day right for each location when photographing street art. Shoot during golden hour or overcast days for soft, even lighting that highlights colors. Play with the shadows of surrounding buildings. Avoid midday glare—it flattens the art. Depending on the direction the art faces depends on the best times of the day to take that shot, so research this.
2. Find The Angle for Photographing Street Art
Mix it up: go straight-on for symmetry, low for drama, or wide to include the gritty surroundings. The right angle tells the art’s story. Find your own vibe, what works for you.
3. Embrace the Environment
Don’t just shoot the art—capture its context. Cracked walls, passing strangers, or nearby signs add layers to the image. This helps create atmosphere and mood to your shots. It also helps reflect the artist’s styles and context to the location.
4. Zoom In on Details
Get close to reveal texture—dripping paint, weathered edges, or hidden signatures. Macros can turn a mural into a new adventure. While the whole image can be amazing, many murals and street art have little subtle details worth exploring.
5. Keep Gear Simple
A 35mm or 50mm lens keeps it real; wide-angle (24mm) grabs the whole scene. Ditch the tripod—street shooting thrives on speed. Travel light. If you are wandering round city streets all day to capture as much as you can, you don’t want a heavy bag!
6.Time It Right
Hit the streets early to dodge crowds or late for moody vibes. Street art shines when the chaos quiets down. Find that balance between the busy urban environment and the quiet moody backstreets.
7. Play with Depth
Use a wide aperture (f/1.8 or f/2.8) to blur distracting backgrounds, making the art pop against urban clutter. This works well with smaller pieces like poster or sticker art.
8. Respect the Colors
Adjust white balance to match the scene—cool tones for neon tags, warm for sunlit murals. Let the artist’s palette lead. The goal is to capture the artist’s art, not recreate it!
9. Edit Lightly
In conjunction with number 8 on this list, don’t over edit . Boost contrast and sharpness, but don’t overdo filters. The goal, remember? Enhance the art, not rewrite it.
10. Hunt the Story
Look for clues—who made it, why, when? Capture that soul. Look at websites and find who the artist is, what they do, how they came to create. Get to know the people behind the art. Much more on this to come from me soon so WATCH THIS SPACE!!!
So these are just a few ideas that might help you, especially if you are starting to capture street art images. Appreciate the art, explore the artists and most of all enjoy the photography of these amazing places and works.
For some ideas on great locations for street art in Montreal or Toronto see my previous blogs.
Go to the Destination Toronto website here for some street art self guided tour ideas: https://www.destinationtoronto.com/leisure-blog/post/queen-street-west-art-crawl/
For any enquiries on using or purchasing my images, wanting to know more about my work, having shots of your street art projects taken, or if interested in any other collaborative projects, please contact me using the form at :
All images in this blog are taken by, owned and the copyright of Andy Gibb Photo
