What should a street photography checklist include?

Start with: Camera pre-set to a fast, ready-to-shoot baseline; Light kit: one body, one or two lenses, nothing extra; Local norms or permissions for photographing people in public; A rough sense of the area or event before heading out. The printable list on this page adds the gear and prep items from the Street checklist.

Can I print this street photography checklist?

Yes. The Print checklist button prints the list on its own, black on white, with a tick box beside each line. To tick it on screen instead, open the interactive Street checklist, which keeps your ticks in your browser with no account.

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Street Photography Checklist (Printable): What to Prepare Before You Head Out

Street photography rewards being ready to shoot instantly, since the moments that make the genre worthwhile don't wait for you to adjust settings.

Printable checklist

Prints on its own, black on white, with a tick box for every line.

Plan for

Camera pre-set to a fast, ready-to-shoot baseline
Light kit: one body, one or two lenses, nothing extra
Local norms or permissions for photographing people in public
A rough sense of the area or event before heading out

Gear & prep (from the Street checklist)

Camera set to a fast, forgiving default (aperture priority, auto ISO capped)
Battery and card checked — no time to swap mid-moment
Comfortable, unobtrusive strap/setup for hours of walking
Local laws/etiquette around street photography and publishing faces checked
A prime lens (35mm/50mm-equivalent) as the default walk-around choice
Silent or quiet shutter mode enabled if available
Weather-appropriate gear for extended time outdoors
Spare battery carried on your person, not just in a bag
A rough route or neighbourhood planned, with room to wander
Comfortable footwear — this genre is mostly about time on your feet

Prefer to tick it on screen? Get the full Street checklist

Every item, tickable — saved privately in your browser, no account needed.

The biggest difference between a productive street session and a frustrating one usually isn't skill — it's whether the camera was already set up for fast, low-friction shooting before stepping outside. Fumbling with settings while a moment happens in front of you means the moment is simply gone.

A light kit matters more here than in almost any other genre: one body, one or two lenses, and nothing else to carry or think about. Street photography is also one of the few genres where knowing local norms and legal boundaries around photographing strangers in public is genuinely part of preparation, not an afterthought.

None of this needs to be elaborate — a fast shutter-priority or manual baseline, one main lens, and a settled sense of the neighborhood or event you're heading into is usually enough to spend the whole session reacting to what's in front of you instead of your own gear.

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FAQ

What should a street photography checklist include?: Start with: Camera pre-set to a fast, ready-to-shoot baseline; Light kit: one body, one or two lenses, nothing extra; Local norms or permissions for photographing people in public; A rough sense of the area or event before heading out. The printable list on this page adds the gear and prep items from the Street checklist.
Can I print this street photography checklist?: Yes. The Print checklist button prints the list on its own, black on white, with a tick box beside each line. To tick it on screen instead, open the interactive Street checklist, which keeps your ticks in your browser with no account.

Want the full lesson?

This topic is covered in depth in Lesson 6: Shooting for a Genre.

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