Introduction to Street Photography
A course by Gustavo MinasPhotographer
A course by Gustavo Minas, Photographer
Learn how to create visual narratives out of everyday life and make an urban photoshoot
Visually exploring everyday details and capturing different points of view in an image are two hallmarks of Gustavo Minas' work. A referent in street photography in Brazil, Gustavo is the author of the book Maximum Shadow Minimal Light and has already been recognized with several awards, including Picture of the Year LATAM.
In this course, learn how to photograph the urban landscape, visually representing your relationship with the city. Gustavo teaches you how to work with shadows, reflections, and other fundamental techniques for your session and post-production. By the end, you will have created a photo shoot to publish on the internet and share with the world
What will you learn in this online course?
15 lessons & 24 downloads
What will we do in the course?
5 minutes, 25 seconds
The construction of an essay
6 minutes, 23 seconds
Introduction to photographic language
12 minutes, 42 seconds
Light and shadows: the mood of an image
8 minutes, 51 seconds
Reflections in street photography
7 minutes, 1 second
Lens types
3 minutes, 34 seconds
What's included in this course?
Start by meeting Gustavo Minas, who since 2009 has been photographing the cities he visits. He introduces you to the essential authors of street photography and everything you will learn throughout the course.
See how to make a photo shoot with a central theme, about a place in your daily life or any city you visit. Get an introduction to the photographic language and discover which elements such as lights, shadows, reflections, characters, gestures, and looks can be decisive in the creation of striking images that veer away from traditional representations.
Street photography is also learned by practicing. Join your teacher in real situations around the city. In this tour, Gustavo addresses issues such as equipment, choosing a place to photograph, and how to deal with the reactions of the subject.
In the post-production stage, Gustavo shows you how to select and classify your images. See examples of how to improve them by adjusting light and shadows, contrast, tone, specific color control, sharpening, and noise reduction.
Finally, learn about various outputs for your work. Gustavo explains notions of social media strategy, going through the definition of a session, up to its online publication.
What is this course's project?
Photograph a specific place in your city (or a place visited on a trip) for at least a week. At the end of that period, edit the images and finalize a photo shoot to be published online.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
Anyone interested in urban photography, as well as those who want to develop their personal vision of everyday life.
Requirements and materials
To take this course you will only need a simple camera or a smartphone, plus the will and curiosity to take the streets. It is also recommended to have an image editing program, such as Adobe Photoshop Lightroom.
Reviews
- uvuvwemwemwePLUS6 days ago
Clear presentations by Gustavo. I learned a lot.
- 2 months ago
Excelente curso
- 2 months ago
Un corso che mi è piaciuto davvero. Minas ha un modo di fotografare libero, istintivo, senza regole rigide, e questo approccio mi ha parlato subito. Spiega bene come usare la luce disponibile, i riflessi e la composizione naturale per raccontare la scena così com’è, senza forzarla.
È un corso semplice da seguire ma pieno di spunti utili, soprattutto se cerchi atmosfera e momenti veri. Per me è stato un bel passo avanti nel capire e confermare il mio stile.
- 2 months ago
Me ha gustado mucho. lo recomiendo ampliamente.
- 3 months ago
Excelente curso.
He currently works as a freelance journalist and photographer based in Brasília as well as teaching workshops across Brazil and abroad. In 2017, his photo series Rodoviária won the Picture of the Year LATAM award, in the category "The Future of Cities," and in 2019, he published his first book Maximum Shadow Minimal Light with Edition Lammerhuber, which was also exhibited in Hamburg that same year.
Content
- U1
First steps: trajectory and references
- Presentation
- Influences
- What will we do in the course?
- U2
On my way
- The construction of an essay
- Introduction to photographic language
- Light and shadows: the mood of an image
- Reflections in street photography
- U3
The practice on the streets
- Lens types
- What I carry in my bag
- How do I set up my camera
- Practice on the streets: light and movement
- U4
Post-production and publishing
- What worked
- Image treatment
- The ways of editing
- Promoting your work: from social media to the printed book
- FP
Final project
- Introduction to Street Photography
What to expect from a Domestika course
Learn at your own pace
Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.
Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
Certificates
PLUSIf you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.
Get front-row seats
Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.
Share knowledge and ideas
Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.
Connect with a global creative community
The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.
Watch professionally produced courses
Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.
FAQs
You’ll learn composition techniques, how to use natural light, visual storytelling, creative experimentation, plus editing and curation methods to craft your own photo essays in urban environments.
This course is designed for those who already have basic photography knowledge and want to deepen their skills and concepts focused on urban and street photography.
You can participate using a digital camera, mirrorless, or even a smartphone with a good camera. The course covers adaptable techniques for various equipment, including smartphones.
It’s recommended to have a basic understanding of photography, like exposure and framing, to get the most out of the lessons and exercises.
The course covers techniques that work for both smartphone and professional cameras, showing you how to adapt your approach for either.
You’ll learn to identify, use, and control different types of natural light—backlight, golden hour, shadows, and reflections—to create expressive street images.
Yes, the course includes editing techniques, curation, file organization, image selection for essays, and how to create both digital and printed portfolios.