Photographing street scenes can be very exciting, and it's the style I enjoy the most currently.
It's a form of candid photography, catching moments of life in an unobtrusive way.
The streets of big cities are full of interesting people and events, and there's a lot of opportunities to take moving, emotional pictures.
I decided to share my experiences in this post, hopefully it helps other beginners to get better at street photography.

1. If you're just starting out, go to touristy places.
   Many people (including myself) who try street photography for the first time feel uncomfortable about taking photos of strangers.
   Try going to places in your city where a lot of tourists go.
   They're usually shooting the local landmarks - you should be shooting them.
   
2. Use normal focal range and a fast lens.
   Most manufacturers make fast prime lenses in the normal focal range (35mm, 50mm), you should pick up one of these.
   Wide aperture is important because it creates shallow depth of field, and you'll need the fastest shutter speeds anyway since you're constantly moving and shooting quickly.
   
3. Get close.
   This point sort of naturally comes from the previous, but I still have to emphasize it.
   Stalking people from a distant spot with a telephoto lens is not street photography! Be brave, get close, you'll get more powerful shots.
   
4. Shoot from the hips.
   This is usually not recommended for beginners, but I still think you should try it.
   This means that when you're taking the photo, you don't raise the camera to your eyes.
   This has the advantage of not changing the scene you'd like to capture, but obviously you won't know exactly what's going to be on the photo.
   Practice at home and you'll get better at guessing the distances and how to hold the camera.
   
5. Take a lot of photos.
   Quantity is key, especially if you're shooting from the hips.
   You won't have many keepers after a session, so shoot lots to increase your chances.
   
6. Know your camera.
   Controlling the settings on your camera should be second nature to you, otherwise you won't be fast enough because of the constant tweaking of your camera controls, and you'll miss a lot of opportunities, or get noticed quickly.
   
7. You don't have to do candids all the time.
   Finally, even though this article about candid street photography, there are situations when you can make much better photos by participating in the scene, with the subjects fully aware of your presence.
   Look for these situations, they might turn out to be your shots.
   

Would you add more to this list? Share your tips and experiences by leaving a comment at my blog!