Street Photography in Miami

Lincoln Road is a pedestrian mall in the middle of South Beach, about 10 blocks of shops and outdoor tables. Walker calls it the premier people-watching spot in Miami and did a street portrait project here. Locals and visitors from everywhere walk it all day, and it gets livelier in the evening. The planted medians between the two walkways are good places to sit and let people pass on both sides. For a composition, use a bright shopfront as a backdrop and wait for a stylish walker to cross it. Caution: restaurant staff do not like cameras pointed at their tables, so keep diners out of close frames.

Ocean Drive is the Miami postcard: pastel Art Deco hotels on one side, the beach on the other. Walker recommends the beach side for street photography and the Deco side for backgrounds. The boardwalk brings rollerbladers and runners. Chasing Hippoz suggests early morning, when the facades are front-lit and the sidewalk is empty. After dark, the neon signs light faces in pink and blue. Try a low angle with a walker against a pastel wall and the sky. Caution: the Deco side is crowded with tables and hosts trying to seat you, and it gets rowdy late at night.

The beach itself is the main subject in Miami. Walker says it has a culture of its own: sunbathers and volleyball regulars. The colorful lifeguard towers are strong graphic anchors. Put one in the frame and wait for a figure to walk past it. Sunrise over the ocean gives backlit silhouettes and soft color. By 10 am the light off the sand is brutal. Lower your ISO and use an ND filter if you shoot wide open. Caution: people in swimsuits are more sensitive about photos, so avoid close shots of sunbathers and never photograph children without a parent's okay.

Calle Ocho (SW 8th Street) is the heart of Little Havana, the Cuban neighborhood. Walker says it can feel like another country. Cigar rollers, barbershops, coffee windows and salsa from open doors line the street. Máximo Gómez Park, known as Domino Park, is where older men play serious dominoes. Chasing Hippoz advises asking first there, and says most will say yes. Mornings are calmer and cooler. Frame a player's hands and tiles with a face behind. Caution: stick to the main blocks of Calle Ocho, especially at night.

Wynwood is the art district, with the Wynwood Walls and blocks of warehouses covered in murals. Walker calls it his favorite neighborhood in Miami. Lomography notes the murals keep changing, and Walker says new work goes up all year. The trick is to treat murals as backgrounds, not subjects. Wait for a person whose clothes echo or clash with the colors. Come mid-morning before the crowds and before direct overhead sun flattens the colors. Caution: stay on the main streets, especially after dark, and expect crowds of people doing their own photo shoots.

Biscayne Boulevard runs past Bayside Marketplace and the towers of downtown. Walker's favorite part is the outdoor stage at Bayside, where people of all ages dance to live music at any time of day. Downtown itself has office workers and commuters. The free Metromover gives you elevated views of the streets below. Late afternoon puts long shadows across the plazas. Shoot dancers with a fast shutter, or drag the shutter to show movement. Caution: some blocks west of downtown are rough, so stay near the bayfront and the main streets.

Española Way is a short pedestrian street in South Beach with Mediterranean-style arches and outdoor tables. Lomography notes live music and a Sunday farmers' market. It sits a few minutes' walk from both Lincoln Road and Ocean Drive, so it fits easily into a beach day. Evenings are busiest, when string lights come on and diners fill the street. Use the arches to frame people walking through. Caution: it is short and gets packed, so work quickly and step back to the ends of the street for cleaner frames.