When I first started to shoot I would walk super fast through the streets, moving in and out of the crowds, looking for that quick photo. It wasn’t until I’d slowed down and started to pay attention to the movement of the street that I became more focused which made me a better street photographer.
It’s only been in the past week that I’ve started to notice other street photographers around Liverpool. What I’ve seen is a lot of other photographers using cameras with wide-angle lenses held close to their chests - hoping nobody will notice what they’re doing. Ironically, they stand out like a fart in an elevator and end up looking creepy! For me this isn’t even the worst part, it’s how fast they walk. They don’t take any time to watch the street and in doing this they miss everything. I think the road runner would have a problem keeping up with them!
When I enter an area that I’m shooting in I will find a spot, stand still and focus on my breathing, watching what’s happening in front of me. Once I’m relaxed it feels like I’ve slowed the street down and I can now see and hear everything thats happening. It’s only after I’ve done this that I then begin to shoot.
Street photography isn’t about shooting from the hip, hoping you capture something, you have to see what your trying to capture using the viewfinder or back screen. You must have patience. Waiting around in a spot watching everything that is happening is going to be more rewarding.
Holding the camera close to your chest is crazy. What about framing up your shot making sure you get what you’ve seen? Maybe chest photography is a new style I’m not familiar with. Or, it’s nothing more than spray and pray. This is not how you shoot street photography. Shooting from the hip with a wide-angle lens is no different to standing on the other side of the street with a zoom lens. Using a zoom makes the photo and subject feel distant, and the same is going to be true when shooting from the hip. You need good composition in your photos or they just don’t work as a street photo.
I’m not sure if this method is due to the fear of being seen or just down to ignorance about street photography. I think too many people think street photography is just a person walking down the street with a shopping bag etc. Maybe they just don’t understand what the masters of street photography see when they press the shutter button and I do think a lot of that comes down to people thinking that street photography is easy. They couldn’t be more wrong.
A few takeaway points:
1 Get closer to your subject
2 Don’t be afraid to let someone see you
3 Use the viewfinder more and if your camera doesn’t have a viewfinder use the screen
4 Slow down
5 Take the time to watch the street
6 Composition is every bit as important as the subject
A few photos where I took my time to see what was happening around me
