Right now, social media is flooded with mediocre and subpar street photography. Just pointing your lens in the direction of a person on the street does not qualify as street photography. As in all photography, how you compose your image will make or break your photograph.
A good street photo needs a clearly defined subject. All the rules (and I use that word loosely) of composition, such as rule of thirds, leading lines, use of negative space, symmetry, frames, etc. still hold. Try and tell a story with your images. Create photographs where the viewer pauses and asks questions.
These are the signs of good street photography.
Do Street Photos Need People?
Whether or not street shots need people in them is up for debate. Sticklers say that all street photographs must contain people. However, I take a more laid back approach. While I believe that street photographs do not need people, they do need the suggestion that someone was there.
For example, shadows can be used to capture thought-provoking shots, even if you can’t see the humans casting them. I also like to photograph things left behind by people. These images leave the viewer wondering what the story is behind the discarded objects.
X100F @ 23mm, ISO 200, 1/210, f/5.6