The only Street Photography skill that matters
One of the best things about street photography is how we could all be using the same camera be at the same location, at the same time and all end up with different photos. Because we all have different perspectives and observations of the world around us.
Our level of awareness might just be the most important part of street photography. We all have the ability to identify what makes a scene special, but it is our perspective that determines what we deem noteworthy.
Street Photography for me is a lot of picking out the details that stand out. But the better our awareness is, the more complex and exciting those details can get.
The photographers ability to find worthwhile images IS the skill in street photography. Before anything technical, before you choose your composition, before you even touch your camera. Finding and noticing moments is the most important part.
Now we all have different opinions on what makes a good photo. So whether you like shadows, colour or minimal compositions, that’s your personal taste and it’s all subjective to some extent.
But what isn’t subjective, is our eye. Our ability to notice. You either see it or you don’t. To me… that’s the biggest difference between the absolute greatest of photographers and those who have only just picked up a camera.
Joel Meyerowitz will take a photo I wouldn’t even notice. There’s a skill difference before either of us even think about picking a camera up. His eyes will be working in ways I haven’t considered yet.
I think most of us go through our lives partially asleep. Even though our eyes are open and we're out in the world, we're daydreaming or we're distracted in some way. But when I make a photograph of something, at that moment I feel in a very precise, conscious, alert, awakened state, even if it's only for a split-second. And for me that's the joy of photography: to be connected to things in the world that are suddenly of conscious value.
-Joel Meyerowitz
I resonate so much with that previous quote from Joel that it reminded me of a book called The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle. It’s a very philosophical and spiritually book. That might sound really heavy and rar rar but I recommend everyone on the planet reads it.
Basically, my understanding in a very very simplistic way is that the only thing that truly exists is the present moment. Knowing that, we can relax because the past is no longer and future hasn’t happened so drop your worries and enjoy the only thing that’s real. Right now. However… that’s really hard to apply day to day.
But what I can say for certain is that street photography brings me as close as physically possible to the present moment. Almost in a meditative state. You may have heard of it as being in flow. There’s nothing I have experienced that switches me onto the NOW quiet like street photography does. There’s a level of intense focus needed and even if it’s only for 8 seconds for example in that brief moment every single thought that isn’t about what I can see and hear right now. Disappears.
And that’s the reason for this video. I wanted to discuss how we think about street photography because our perspective on the present moment is the first step to taking photos we’re happy with.
How to know if a photos good? …it’s a feeling
I posted this on my story, asking you guys how do you know if you’ve taken a good image, or at least an image your happy with. Almost every response was along the lines of ‘its a feeling’ or ‘you just know it’
I pretty much agree and from that, I wanted to try expend on ‘it’s just a feeling’ to something more practical. and here’s kind of what I’ve landed on.
Is that ‘feeling’ quiet literally the connection between you’re awareness and then turning it into something real. You had a thought, then through the act of photography that thought become something tangible.
Our own unique personal experiences and biases shape who we are and what we think about. I think if we lean into those ideas more we could see the benefits in our work.
We shouldn’t all be trying to take photos of the same things anyway. If we all copied each other nobody would be creating anything unique. So what interests you? Ask yourself Why you like a certain scene, look back at your favourite images and analyse the reasons they’re appealing. Don’t look at your most liked instagram photo and just shoot more of that.
Look at the photos you’ve taken that made you feel something.
Here’s an example from Istanbul. I managed to shoot his persons hair and a bunch of flowers to create some what of a funny juxtaposition. When I noticed the person leaning over browsing the flowers and my eyes put 2 and 2 together I quickly moved in closer to compose a shot.
I like this image because I remember smiling while taking it. The moment made me chuckle, so that’s a reminder to myself when I next notice something that humours me. Can I capture that? And the best thing about this approach is that the things that make me smile won’t be identical to the next photographer.
Just like I mentioned a second ago. Our perspective could be our super power.
Spending time with other photographers shows me this more than anything else. Watching what they look for, what they comment on and what they notices teaches me a lot. I was in Istanbul last month and I met up with Gokhan. An absolutely brilliant street photographer who is able to capture some great juxtapositions. Just walking around and watching him mention and speak about moments before they have happened or could potentially happen tells me about his level of awareness.
Be Curious
Be curious, be intrigued by things, make up scenerios in your head. Ask yourself what if, Make the world interesting, prepare yourself for something to happen. The streets are a photographers playground, so let’s have fun with in. Many times, a photo doesn’t look good in your head, but when you raise the camera up and make a composition, it does look good. Don’t assume it won’t work, assume their is an opportunity, be positive and be curious.
What I’ve been thinking about recently is how many of the best street photographs tell us more about the photographer than what’s in the image itself. Yes, on face value we’re looking the physically photo that was taken and what’s going on in that scene but the best images make me think me how, or even why? How did that photographer notice that moment in the first place and then why did they press the shutter.
There’s a reason the greatest photographers don’t all end up with a catalogue of work exactly the same and I think the biggest reason has to be their own level of awareness. Before walking out into the streets of New York, or London or Paris, the photographer is already carrying their own idea of what they’re going to see and what they’re going to notice.
So building upon our own level of awareness as photographers has to be the starting point and arguably the most important skill of them all.
Here’s the fun bit about street photography, the more you do it, the better you get at it. With experience and practice, you build momentum and you start banking ideas. I made a video last year about photography triggers, once you notice things, you notice more things and once you remember what you noticed you can save that as a trigger. Once you have a few triggers you’re armed with a right ideas to notice future possible photos.
Sometimes moments happen right in front of you - 100% luck you could say. in those instances, photography is easy. The technical aspect sure. But you still needed to of noticed it and you still need that level of awareness to begin with and I think that is what I’m interested in improving. That’s the chase for me going forward with my street work. What exactly catches my attention, what interests me? and then leaning towards that, being open to it and staying curious.
