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Skillshare
This course, taught by Troy Baird, is your launchpad into the world of street photography. Whether you’re brand new to the genre or looking to reinvigorate your creative process, we’ll break down what makes street photography so powerful—and how to find your own unique artistic voice within it. Through stories, philosophies, and real-world examples, we’ll explore not just how to shoot, but why we shoot.
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This course, taught by Troy Baird, is your launchpad into the world of street photography. Whether you’re brand new to the genre or looking to reinvigorate your creative process, we’ll break down what makes street photography so powerful—and how to find your own unique artistic voice within it. Through stories, philosophies, and real-world examples, we’ll explore not just how to shoot, but why we shoot.
Read more
This course, taught by Troy Baird, is your launchpad into the world of street photography. Whether you’re brand new to the genre or looking to reinvigorate your creative process, we’ll break down what makes street photography so powerful—and how to find your own unique artistic voice within it. Through stories, philosophies, and real-world examples, we’ll explore not just how to shoot, but why we shoot.
You’ll learn how to define street photography for yourself, tap into your emotional instincts, and build the kind of mindset that allows for consistent, authentic image-making. We’ll also dive into storytelling, intention, and seeing the world with more awareness.
By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:
* Define your own creative purpose and visual style
* Evaluate great street photos and understand why they work
* Build daily practices that nurture inspiration and creativity
Who’s this for? Anyone curious about street photography, self-expression, or personal creativity. No experience necessary—just a camera (or smartphone) and an open mind.
Instructor bio:
Troy Baird is an Australian film director and documentary filmmaker with over a decade of global experience. Alongside his documentary work, Troy has pursued his passion for street photography, traveling extensively to dynamic locations including Cuba, India, Nepal, Japan, Morocco, New York, and across Europe and Southeast Asia.
His creative journey has taught him to adapt, pivot, and continually refine his approach, culminating in a 9-hour Skillshare Staff Pick class that distills insights from over 200 books, countless films, podcasts, online resources, and ten years of hands-on street photography experience. Troy’s mission is to help creatives discover their own artistic voice and express themselves through street photography.
Register for this course and see more details by visiting:
OpenCourser.com/course/hbz3tz/street
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What's inside
Syllabus
Welcome to the World of Street Photography
This introductory module sets the tone for your journey into street photography. You'll explore why this genre captivates so many photographers, what you'll be working toward in this course, and how your own creative motivations can shape your practice. Get to know your instructor and gain clarity on the structure and outcomes of the class project.
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Syllabus
Welcome to the World of Street Photography
This introductory module sets the tone for your journey into street photography. You'll explore why this genre captivates so many photographers, what you'll be working toward in this course, and how your own creative motivations can shape your practice. Get to know your instructor and gain clarity on the structure and outcomes of the class project.
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Street Photography: Foundations & Creative Mindsets .
These are activities you can do either before, during, or after a course.
Career center
Learners who complete Street Photography: Foundations & Creative Mindsets will develop knowledge and skills
that may be useful to these careers:
Street Photographer
Street Photographer
A Street Photographer captures candid moments of life in public spaces, focusing on human emotion, interaction, and the unique character of urban environments. This course is an ideal launchpad into becoming a successful Street Photographer, immersing learners in the genre's philosophies, emotional instincts, and practical mindsets. You'll learn to develop your unique artistic voice and visual style, essential for creating authentic and impactful images. The emphasis on intentional composition, observation, and adaptability in real-world scenarios directly prepares you for the dynamic challenges of street photography, helping you build consistent, meaningful work.
Documentary Photographer
Documentary Photographer
A Documentary Photographer tells stories through images, often focusing on social issues, cultural narratives, or historical events, requiring deep observation and a compelling visual style. This course helps build a foundation crucial for a Documentary Photographer, especially through its exploration of storytelling, intention, and seeing the world with heightened awareness. The emphasis on defining your creative purpose, understanding emotional instincts, and cultivating a unique perspective resonates strongly with the narrative demands of documentary work. Lessons on adapting to dynamic situations and developing an authentic visual voice are directly transferable, enabling you to capture powerful, meaningful visual stories.
Photojournalist
Photojournalist
A Photojournalist captures images that inform and engage the public about current events, requiring keen observational skills, quick responsiveness, and the ability to convey complex narratives visually. The course lays a strong groundwork for aspiring Photojournalists by honing skills in observing surroundings, reacting quickly to unfolding scenes, and building daily practices that nurture creativity and perception. Its focus on understanding light, composition, and working with camera limitations in real-world environments is directly applicable to fast-paced news gathering. Developing a unique artistic voice and evaluating why great photos work will empower you to craft impactful visual stories for journalistic purposes.
Urban Explorer Photographer
Urban Explorer Photographer
An Urban Explorer Photographer specializes in capturing images of forgotten, abandoned, or hidden parts of urban environments, often with a focus on atmosphere and history. This course is an excellent starting point for an Urban Explorer Photographer, as it hones observational skills and encourages seeing the world with greater awareness, crucial for discovering unique photographic subjects. The practical skills for being present and responsive on the street, including navigating public interactions and adapting to real-world environments, directly prepare you for the challenges of exploring and documenting these spaces. Developing your creative purpose and visual style will help you tell compelling stories of these overlooked urban landscapes.
Fine Art Photographer
Fine Art Photographer
A Fine Art Photographer creates images primarily for aesthetic or conceptual purposes, expressing personal vision or exploring specific themes. This course is highly relevant for a Fine Art Photographer seeking to deepen their creative process and define a unique artistic voice. Its modules on philosophy, emotion, and meaning in photography encourage introspection and the cultivation of a distinctive perspective, key elements for creating art. The course's emphasis on visual composition, style, and self-discovery helps learners intentionally craft their images and understand their body of work as a whole, fostering the artistic integrity essential in this field.
Travel Photographer
Travel Photographer
A Travel Photographer captures images that convey the essence of a place, its people, culture, and landscapes, often in dynamic and unpredictable environments. This course builds a foundation valuable for a Travel Photographer, particularly through its lessons on observing the world with more awareness and adapting to diverse situations. The emphasis on practical mindsets for working on the street, including timing, bravery, and navigating public interactions, is directly transferable to documenting new locations and cultures. Developing a unique visual style and understanding storytelling through images helps you create compelling narratives that truly transport viewers to your photographic destinations.
Cultural Photographer
Cultural Photographer
A Cultural Photographer specializes in documenting and interpreting the customs, traditions, and everyday life of specific communities or societies. This course helps build a foundation for a Cultural Photographer by sharply refining their awareness of surroundings and fostering an ability to see what others might miss within cultural contexts. The emphasis on understanding philosophy, emotion, and meaning in image-making is vital for respectfully and authentically representing diverse cultures. Cultivating a unique perspective and developing practical skills for interacting in public settings, as taught in this course, directly supports creating nuanced and insightful cultural photographic narratives.
Journalism Visuals Specialist
Journalism Visuals Specialist
A Journalism Visuals Specialist creates and curates visual content, including photographs and sometimes video, to enhance news stories and journalistic reports across various media platforms. This course may be helpful for a Journalism Visuals Specialist, providing a solid foundation in observing and reacting effectively to real-world scenarios. The emphasis on visual composition, storytelling, and understanding why great photos work is highly relevant for selecting and creating impactful visuals that complement journalistic narratives. Developing a unique artistic voice and practicing authentic image-making can contribute to distinctive and compelling visual journalism.
Editorial Photographer
Editorial Photographer
An Editorial Photographer creates images to accompany articles, stories, or features in publications, often requiring a strong sense of visual narrative and an ability to convey specific moods or themes. This course provides a helpful foundation for an Editorial Photographer by fostering an understanding of storytelling, intention, and visual communication. The modules on developing a unique artistic voice and cultivating a mindset for authentic image-making are crucial for producing distinctive and engaging editorial content. Lessons around evaluating great photos and building consistent creative practices will help you develop a portfolio that speaks to the aesthetic and narrative demands of publications.
Content Creator Visual Focus
Content Creator Visual Focus
A Content Creator with a visual focus produces engaging images and videos for various platforms, aiming to capture audience attention and convey messages effectively. This course may be useful for a Content Creator primarily focused on visual media. It helps build a strong foundation in visual storytelling, intention, and seeing the world with greater awareness, which are fundamental to creating compelling visual content. The emphasis on developing a unique creative purpose and visual style can differentiate content in a crowded digital landscape. Practical skills in composition, understanding light, and authentic image-making are directly applicable to producing high-quality visuals for diverse audiences.
Visual Ethnographer
Visual Ethnographer
A Visual Ethnographer uses photographic and filmic methods to conduct research, document human behavior, and explore cultural phenomena, often for academic or research purposes. This course may be useful for an aspiring Visual Ethnographer as it strongly emphasizes observation, awareness, and capturing authentic moments, which are core to ethnographic study. The focus on storytelling, intention, and developing a unique perspective for image-making helps in crafting insightful visual narratives for research. Understanding emotional instincts and building a mindset for consistent image-making can aid in systematic visual data collection. Note that this role typically requires an advanced academic degree.
Visual Artist
Visual Artist
A Visual Artist expresses ideas, emotions, or concepts through various visual mediums, often pushing creative boundaries and developing a distinctive aesthetic. This course may be helpful for a Visual Artist, especially in its deep exploration of personal creativity, self-expression, and defining a unique artistic voice. The focus on philosophy, emotion, and meaning within image-making provides a rich framework for developing conceptual depth in one’s work. By encouraging intentional composition, challenging comfort zones, and understanding one's body of work as a whole, the course helps artists refine their vision and articulate their creative purpose with greater clarity and authenticity.
Curator Photo Editor
Curator Photo Editor
A Curator Photo Editor selects, organizes, and presents photography for exhibitions, publications, or digital platforms, requiring a discerning eye and a deep understanding of visual impact and narrative. This course may be useful for an aspiring Curator Photo Editor as it directly addresses how to evaluate great street photos and understand why they work. The modules on the artistic and emotional philosophies fueling iconic work, coupled with discussions on composition, style, and self-discovery, help develop a sophisticated critical perspective. Understanding the creative process and unique artistic voices of photographers can significantly enhance one's ability to identify and curate impactful visual collections.
Documentary Filmmaker
Documentary Filmmaker
A Documentary Filmmaker creates non-fiction films that tell compelling stories about real subjects, events, or issues, often requiring extensive research, visual storytelling, and a strong directorial vision. This course may be helpful for an aspiring Documentary Filmmaker, especially given the instructor's background. It helps build a foundation in visual storytelling, intention, and seeing the world with more awareness, which are paramount in filmmaking. The focus on defining a creative purpose, tapping into emotional instincts, and understanding the philosophy behind powerful imagery translates well into developing a strong directorial style. Note that a master's degree is typically required for this role.
Creative Director Visuals
Creative Director Visuals
A Creative Director focusing on visuals leads the creative vision for projects, campaigns, or brands, ensuring aesthetic cohesion and impactful visual communication. This course may offer foundational insights for a Creative Director in visual communication. Its emphasis on defining a unique creative purpose, understanding visual style, and evaluating what makes great images work is highly relevant to guiding visual teams. The exploration of philosophy, emotion, and meaning in imagery can inform compelling brand narratives and campaigns. Developing a mindset for consistent, authentic image-making can help cultivate a strong aesthetic vision, though this is a leadership role often requiring significant experience.
For more career information including salaries, visit:
OpenCourser.com/course/hbz3tz/street
Reading list
We've selected 22 books
that we think will supplement your
learning. Use these to
develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a
deeper understanding of the topics covered in
Street Photography: Foundations & Creative Mindsets .
Focusing heavily on the 'Creative Mindsets' portion of the course, this book offers insights into the psychological and emotional aspects of shooting in public. It is more valuable as additional reading for students who want to understand the 'why' behind the shot, rather than just the 'how.' Stuart's reputation as a world-class street photographer provides significant authority to the course’s discussion on courage and curiosity.
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Published recently, this book provides a global perspective on contemporary street photography, expanding the breadth of the course beyond traditional masters. It is an essential reference for evaluating great street photos and understanding the diverse visual styles prevalent today. The book acts as a current reference for students looking to define their own creative purpose in a modern context.
Perfect supplement for the course module on 'The Soul of Street Photography,' as it explores the intersection of photography and mindfulness. It provides the background knowledge necessary to understand how emotional instincts and awareness can be harnessed for better image-making. It useful reference tool for developing the daily practices and habits mentioned in the syllabus.
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Considered the definitive textbook on the history of the genre, this book provides immense depth and academic rigor. It is helpful for providing the historical background that informs the 'Soul of Street Photography' module. Due to its size and detail, it is most valuable as a reference tool for serious students of the craft.
This manual is commonly used as a textbook for introductory photography courses because of its clear breakdown of techniques and project-based learning. It provides prerequisite knowledge on composition and light that allows learners to move more quickly through the course's technical modules. The updated edition ensures the content remains relevant to the current digital and smartphone era mentioned in the course.
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This compilation of work from Magnum photographers provides a high-reputation resource for evaluating great street photos. It serves as an essential reference for students to see how masters of the genre have applied the philosophies discussed in the course. The book adds breadth by showing various cultural perspectives on street life from around the world.
This practical guide is ideal for the course’s objective of building daily practices that nurture inspiration. Each assignment helps students challenge their comfort zones and experiment with new methods in real-world environments. It useful reference tool for students who want to continue their learning journey after the course concludes.
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Jardin renowned authority in the field, and this book focuses on developing the 'eye' and finding stories in the everyday. It provides breadth to the course by showcasing various styles and approaches to storytelling. It is particularly useful for students looking to move from taking single shots to building a cohesive body of work.
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Provides the historical background necessary to appreciate the evolution of the genre, which is crucial for the course's goal of evaluating great street photos. It serves as an inspirational gallery that helps students understand the 'visual language' of the street. It is more valuable as additional reading for those looking to contextualize their own work within the history of the medium.
Aligns with the course’s focus on the emotional and storytelling aspects of photography rather than just technical perfection. It encourages photographers to look for meaning and vision, supporting the course's 'Self-Discovery' module. It is highly recommended as additional reading to foster the mindset required for authentic image-making.
By profiling several key figures, this book helps students evaluate different methods and mindsets that work in street photography. It provides the authority and reputation needed to supplement the course's discussion on iconic work. It is an excellent reference for students looking for specific role models in the field.
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Focuses on the technical tools and methods for achieving creative freedom on the street. It addresses the practicalities of navigating public interactions and timing, which are key components of the course syllabus. It useful reference for beginners who need clear guidance on camera settings and equipment choice.
Focuses on the courage and ethics of street photography, providing a modern manifesto for the genre. It useful reference for students who are nervous about shooting in public, offering practical tips on confidence. It supplements the course by providing a contemporary take on the 'Mindsets & Methods' module.
Save
Expands the course's scope by highlighting diverse voices and unique artistic styles within the genre. It recent publication that provides contemporary inspiration for students defining their own creative purpose. It is especially valuable as additional reading to see how different identities shape visual storytelling on the street.
Moves beyond technical settings to discuss the creative and intellectual side of the medium. It is commonly used by advanced students to refine their visual style and intentionality. It provides significant depth to the course's lessons on visual composition and self-discovery.
While not a photography book, this work is highly relevant to the course's emphasis on finding a unique artistic voice and creative purpose. It provides a philosophical framework for the 'Creative Mindsets' component of the syllabus. It is an excellent additional reading for learners who want to deepen their understanding of creativity as a lifestyle and practice.
This biography and collection of work provides a deep dive into one of the most mysterious and celebrated street photographers. It offers background knowledge on how personal curiosity and a daily practice can lead to a massive body of work. It serves as an inspirational reference for the course's focus on authentic, self-driven creativity.
Connects street photography to the documentary filmmaking background of the instructor. It teaches students how to build a 'body of work' and tell stories, which is the focus of the final course module. It is excellent additional reading for those interested in the crossover between street and documentary genres.
A great companion for the 'Foundations' part of the course, this book provides quick, creative prompts to get students shooting. It useful reference tool for overcoming creative blocks and experimenting with different visual styles. The book is designed for easy consumption, making it very accessible for beginners.
Since the course states that a smartphone is sufficient, this book provides the specific technical knowledge needed for that platform. It useful reference for students who want to apply the course's philosophies using mobile devices. It reinforces the idea that the mindset is more important than the gear.
This comprehensive volume provides a broad context for where street photography fits within the larger history of art and technology. It valuable reference tool for understanding the evolution of light and exposure. While more general than the course, it adds a layer of authority to the student's overall photographic education.
For more information about how these books relate to this course, visit:
OpenCourser.com/course/hbz3tz/street
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