Street Photography in Philadelphia

Reading Terminal Market sits between Market and Arch Streets and between 11th and 12th. It is packed with vendors, delis, diners and pubs, and it draws a blend of cultures. Don Springer, who has shot Philadelphia for more than 50 years, says you can make photos there with no issues. Go at lunchtime for the biggest crowds, or mid morning for vendors with time to chat. Composition idea: shoot along a counter so the cooks and the people eating share the frame. Caution: it is private property and a working market. Keep aisles clear, and stop if staff ask.

This is the main tourist area, roughly between 5th and 6th Streets and between Arch and Chestnut. Don's advice is to follow the tourists. Everyone is looking at Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, and the people taking pictures become your subjects. He once found two monks struggling with a camera, made a shot and then helped them out. Composition idea: frame a visitor photographing the Liberty Bell, so their phone and the bell share the frame. Caution: the Liberty Bell Center and Independence Hall have security screening, so carry a small bag.

Penn's Landing is the waterfront on the Delaware River, and it usually has events on. A schedule is posted online, so plan around it. Don finds the whole area from Independence Park down to the river interesting to walk. Events bring crowds and food stands. On quieter days, look for people against the river and the Benjamin Franklin Bridge. Composition idea: use the railing along the water as a line and wait for a figure to lean on it. Caution: highway traffic separates the waterfront from Old City, so use the pedestrian crossings.

The Parkway runs from 15th Street to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, a wide boulevard lined with trees and flags from around the world. Don says there are always photos to find along it. Logan Circle, with its fountain, sits in the middle and draws people on warm days. Composition idea: use the row of flags as a repeating pattern and place a walker in a gap. Caution: the Parkway is also a busy road with wide crossings. Watch the lights.

The museum sits at the top of the Parkway, and its east steps are the famous Rocky Steps. Visitors run up and pose at the top all day, which gives you easy candid work. From the top you look straight down the Parkway to City Hall. Don has a soft spot for this museum. He says its photography collection is one of the best in the world, and he learned a lot there over the years. Composition idea: shoot from the side as someone raises their arms at the top, with the skyline behind. Caution: photo rules inside vary by gallery, so check the signs.

From the museum, Don recommends the road along the Schuylkill River to the Philadelphia Zoo area. He calls it East River Drive, which is the old name for what is now Kelly Drive. There are spots to hang out and vendors selling snacks and water. Boathouse Row sits here, with rowing crews on the water and houses outlined in lights at night. Spring and autumn weekends often bring regattas. Composition idea: silhouette a jogger on the path against the lit boathouses at dusk. Caution: cyclists move fast on the river trail. Stay to the side.

The South 9th Street Italian Market is one of the oldest and largest open air markets in the United States, dating back to the 1880s. Produce stands line the sidewalks under awnings, with butchers and bakeries behind them. Today it mixes Italian shops with Mexican and Asian businesses. The heart of it runs roughly from Fitzwater Street south to Federal Street. Mornings are best, while vendors are setting up. Composition idea: frame a vendor weighing produce, with the awning as a roof over the picture. Caution: sidewalks are narrow. Do not block the stalls, and ask before a close portrait.

City Hall sits at the centre of the city, with William Penn on top of the tower. It was once the tallest building in the world. Around it, commuters stream in and out of the subway, and billboards and signs give you what Don calls juxtaposition galore. For a classic view, look north from South Broad Street between Sansom and Walnut. Composition idea: line up a passerby with a face or word on a billboard so they comment on each other. Caution: the Broad Street median is between traffic lanes. Only stand there if it is safe.