Street Photography: Two for the price of one

What does a photograph of two people out for a stroll tell us about social connections?

Taking pictures of people in their local environment is the bread and butter of street photography. It’s how photographers document life as we live it today. But, who cares about a random photo of an individual staring at their cell-phone? Humans are social creatures. So, I was on the lookout for the simplest possible social unit. My game plan? Photographing two people out for a stroll.

In an earlier article, I mentioned the benefit of having a theme in mind when pursuing street photography. It provides both a focus, and in due course, a coherent set of images. I illustrated this with shots of people and their dogs.

In a similar vein, I recently tackled another thematic project. This time there were no dogs involved.

Photographing two people out and about

In fact, it turned out to be about people of the same sex strolling along in pairs.

Why pairs of people, you might ask? And, why people of the same sex?

Firstly, the inherent symmetry of two women or two men, side by side, provides a strong compositional element. My thinking here was also influenced by the first photograph I took in the series, which is coming up soon. As you will see, this symmetry can be further enhanced by other factors, such as clothing. 

Further, I was intrigued by what connected the two people. Were they friends, family, colleagues? Or, were they linked in some other way? Was their apparent connection real, or just coincidental, imagined by me, the observer. The connection between a male/female pair seemed pretty obvious, and therefore not as interesting.

Finally, I realized there are far fewer same-sex pairs out there than there are female/male pairs. Take a look around and see if you agree. The greater rarity of the former added both to the challenge and the fun of finding them. 

The project has run for several months, and I intend to continue this quest of photographing two people out for a walk. But, here is a sample of images I have captured to date.

You’ll never walk alone…

So goes the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic, beloved of Liverpool Football Club supporters. Indeed, strolling along with a companion, happily chewing the fat, is a delightful way to spend time. Here is a photo of two women doing just that. This was the first time I tried photographing two people, and it was the image that sent me on my way.

They share a similar physique, are both wearing white shorts, and have chosen the same sweatshirts. Are they sisters? Or are they just friends who share similar tastes? They each have a sticker, indicating they are on a ‘hop-on-hop-off’ bus tour. I assume they decided to get off at a nearby stop and do some local sightseeing. They chose a nice day for it.

The photograph was taken as the protagonists walked towards me. This is also how most of the other photos in this collection were taken, allowing us to see the subjects face-on. I don’t think images taken side-on or from behind would be as informative.

Apart from the last two, I took all the photos with a wide-angle lens. I used three different camera and six different lens combinations.

I discussed the issue of candid versus posed street photographs in an earlier article. So, I won’t be revisiting it here. All but one of the photographs included here are candid shots, taken in a public setting.

It never rains in Southern California

The two women in the next photo, the most recent addition to my people-pair collection, present a very different image. I live in a beach town, with a great year-round climate, and a large resort hotel nearby. So, it is not unusual to see people in shorts, swimsuits and flip-flops. However, the uniformity of dress for these two is quite something.

Their choice of cut-off denim shorts (partly unbuttoned) together with minimalist bikini tops suggests close coordination. Are they friends, or could they even be mother and daughter? Are they on their way to the pool, or just enjoying the view?

Welcome to street photography in Southern California.

Boys in blue

By way of contrast, and to illustrate that I’ve also tried photographing two people who are male, here’s a shot of two blokes. It’s no surprise that this pair caught my attention. Decked out in matching royal-blue suits, white sneakers, and white shirts, they look pretty sharp. The well-travelled amongst you might spot from the cobblestones, columns, and lamps that this is Covent Garden, London.

The bloke with the umbrella is slightly more laid-back, as evidenced by his unbuttoned shirt. His mate is holding a cigarette. I wonder where these two are headed, and why they are dressed similarly? Some type of high-end retail store, perhaps?

I have already put an order in to my tailor for a royal-blue suit, just like theirs, and will soon be picking up a pair of white Stan Smith sneakers on Amazon…

This is the only male-male pair in my collection, so far. It’s a small sample size, but there do seem to be more female pairs than male roaming the streets

Red Coats

The two people in the next shot are also connected via clothing. I spotted these two gals walking towards me, one afternoon, their bright red jackets standing out, even at a distance. The jacket styles do not quite match, but each appears to have a sewn-on fabric badge, featuring an aircraft.

I am guessing that they are members of a society, potentially related to the significant military presence in San Diego.

So, similar clothing, either for men or women, can reveal a connection, although what that connection is can remain vague. Uniforms are used in many walks of life to inform onlookers that wearers are part of an explicit community. Obvious examples are the armed services, or the police. I note, though, that around these parts, photographing two people in police or military uniform is against the law.

Uniforms are also worn by groups of employees, members of societies, or, as in the next example, followers of a religion. When we encounter two members of such a community walking together, the connection between them is obvious.

Burka ban

In many parts of the world, two women walking along, each wearing a burka, is commonplace. However, in Coronado, California, it is highly unusual.

Along with nun’s habits, and Buddhist monk’s saffron robes, Burkas are clearly indicative of a religious affiliation. They have been banned in many European countries. It is therefore highly unlikely that photographing two people wearing burkas in, for example, Denmark, would be possible.

Neither The United States nor The United Kingdom have enacted such bans.

The impenetrable nature of the garment makes it impossible to draw any conclusions about these two women. In fact, that is the basis for the bans imposed in many countries. I note, though, that as in the previous two photos, both people are wearing the same colour garment.

Marching in lock-step

I realized, when beginning this particular project, that I would probably encounter twosomes who were more than just friends. This seems to be the case in the next image, where the two women are holding hands.

As anyone who has walked with a partner while holding hands will know, it helps to walk in lock-step. This is clearly the case here, where the protagonists’ footsteps are perfectly synchronized. It also helps if one’s stride length is comparable.

Here’s another pair walking in-step, this time with arms linked. This requires even more coordination in order to ensure each enjoys a comfortable gait. They, of course, always have the option of the ‘three-legged race’ strategy, where the inner legs move in sync. Perhaps not.

Orange is the new black

Back to colour coordination. Having said that, it is possible the two people in the next photo do not not even know each other.

I found myself standing behind them at a pedestrian crossing in Edinburgh, and noticed they were both wearing orange. So, I stepped into the middle of the street, while the light was still red, turned around, walked back towards them and took the shot.

It is possible they really are travelling together, having just checked out of their hotel. They may have been on their way to join a tour. On the other hand, since their fleece and jumper don’t match, their appearance together could just be a coincidence. I enjoyed the additional pseudo-symmetry of their wheeled luggage, and the white backdrop provided by the temporary fence.

Panda Parade

The next shot was posed. I bumped into these two young women at the San Diego Zoo. We were standing in line to see the recently arrived Giant Pandas. It is clear that these two were united in their enthusiasm for the occasion. They are both sporting Panda-themed beanie hats, and one is carrying a hybrid Panda-Pikachu soft toy.

With matching attire, hats, smiles, and Asian ethnicity, they are probably the most similar pair in my collection.

This final shot was taken at the San Diego Pride Parade 2024. It’s an example of two people walking together amidst a much larger crowd, with whom they are also connected. So, they are both wearing the same T-shirt, emblazoned with the logo: You belong at your library.

The declaration is a clever play on words (duh, these are librarians…). It both encourages everyone to join a library, and makes clear that everyone, and books written about them, is welcome at that library. A very fitting sentiment to broadcast at a Pride Parade.

Two for the price of one

Street photography is a gemisch. It’s about observing the world, documenting people’s lives, and creating art. It provides a window on a slice of society, as seen through the eyes of a photographer on the ground. I heard it described recently as visual sociology.

That sounds a bit grand to me. But, I maintain that people represent the most fascinating photographic subjects you can tackle. And with photos of them strolling about in pairs, you get to look at two of them for the price of one.

What are your views on street photography? Is it visual sociology or voyeurism? Does a photograph of two people say more about the world than a photograph of an individual? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Read the previous article in this series

Here is the first article in this series



8 COMMENTS

  1. Hi Keith,

    A couple of days ago I wrote a Comment ..then thought better(?) of it, and erased it and didn’t post it. I thought others might think it was too long, I was stating the obvious, or it wasn’t helpful.

    But thinking about it over lunch today, I think I’ll post about half of it, if that’s OK..

    First of all, it’s your words which explain what you’ve been doing, a “..quest of photographing two people out for a walk”. That’s the background, or reason, for taking the pics.

    But your descriptions don’t match the images: “..happily chewing the fat, is a delightful way to spend time. Here is a photo of two women doing just that”.

    But look again: it’s actually a photo of some cars, some trees, distant traffic lights, lamp posts, two people walking along together in similar outfits, and some items outside a shop.

    Then again, “I spotted these two gals walking towards me, one afternoon, their bright red jackets standing out, even at a distance. The jacket styles do not quite match, but each appears to have a sewn-on fabric badge, featuring an aircraft”.

    But what’s in that photo? Some trees, some cars, lots of bikes, shopfronts, some signs and a lamp posts, besides two similarly-dressed women.

    Then “..the next image, where the two women are holding hands”. But it’s a photo of distant trees, a crane, a couple of people wearing white, a lorry, a building and a bit of a car ..and two walking women holding hands somewhat in the shade compared with the bright background. So why are we looking at them?

    One’s – well, my own – eyes wander all around these pictures, looking for what you’ve intended to show us ..the intended point of the photos.

    If you were painting these pictures, you wouldn’t use a wallpaper brush, you’d use a small, fine brush to create the details of the people ..but you probably wouldn’t want the backgrounds to be so highly detailed, and so you might use a broader, rougher brush to create fewer details.

    I suggest that what you need for these kind of photos is the right tool.

    Except for the last two pics, you say “I took all the photos with a wide-angle lens..” ..and you probably cropped some down from the originals.

    But you wouldn’t knock in a screw with a hammer. You’d use a screwdriver. You probably wouldn’t pump up bicycle tyres (tires) with a high-pressure car or lorry compressed-air hose ..it’d be much too forceful. You wouldn’t knock in nails with a screwdriver.

    If you’re using – but why? – a wide-angle lens for these kinds of photos, you’d need a very wide aperture lens ..say f1.4 or wider.. to blur away what you don’t want or need in the pictures ..or, better still, you’d use a telephoto lens which would blur backgrounds much more than a wide-angle lens generally does.

    In your earlier article you have – for the most part – done just that! ..And the people in those photos have so much more impact! ..Or, you say “..a machine-learning-based Lightroom feature offers the possibility of having your cake and eating it. Introduced recently, this option seems algorithmically related to the ‘portrait mode’ option on iPhones. The difference here is that I can apply it retroactively and to a controllable degree..” ..to blur backgrounds which aren’t an essential part of the photo(s).

    I’d say ..but maybe you wouldn’t like any suggestions, and if so, please don’t bother reading any further, if you’ve got this far..

    But I’d say, speak aloud before taking each shot (not speaking silently to yourself) saying WHAT you’re going to shoot ..maybe “two similar-looking people walking together”.. and then remove from the viewfinder any sharp details which are NOT what you’ve just said!

    Look around the finder ..lamp posts? Fade them to a blur, or change your position. Palm trees? Fade them to a blur by opening the aperture more, or by having chosen a longer lens.

    Bicycles ..cars ..clear and sharp background buildings ..shopfronts ..none of those is “two similar-looking people walking together” ..so they’re unimportant and distracting bits which detract from what you’re intending to catch, or to show us. So why include them, clear and sharp, distracting from what you’ve just said you want to shoot?

    I’m sorry if this is ‘too long’, but I’m trying to be helpful and encouraging. Your pics in the previous article are so much more captivating, and your intentions are so much clearer! ..’Cos you’re using – what I think, anyway, are – the right tools for the results which you want! A wide aperture is your friend, to separate ‘subject’ (..what you want..) from the less important background. And/or a longer focal length lens.

    Yours, David.

    • If I may … I don’t know whether Keith needs or wants this advice (as you pointed out, he has some wonderful photos), but there are novices, like myself, who can benefit from well-meaning discussions. I learned something.

      In the same spirit, you were concerned that the post might be ‘lengthly.’ I wondered if your own comments might apply equally well to prose. That is, take one subject — a single photo — and focus comments on that alone.

      I hope I’m not ‘out of line’ here….

    • David, I think your earlier decision to delete your comment before posting was the correct one, suggesting you are, on occasion, able to exercise good judgement.

  2. An interesting article. I find going out with a theme such as this results in seeing images that might not be noticed. I once went out with a theme of three of a kind and captured some great images that I would not have noticed.

  3. I enjoyed reading this and the pictorial content in particular. I also like taking similar photos but always wary of any consequences. In my Photo Library I have a special folder entitled “The Public at Large” (No offence intended) just for my (Comical) “Streets”

  4. Keith
    I am back to my favourite pastime of tracking down locations. Photograph number two with the chap giving you a dirty look was taken in London, Covent Garden, north west corner of the square. We Brits tend to be a bit camera shy.
    I don’t have your nerve for this type of street photography, however I nevertheless enjoyed your article.
    Chris

    • Don’t forget Keith is also a Brit, as he will no doubt tell you… He may live in San Diego, but there’s a corner of Wales that is forever his!

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