Street Photography has more depth than the vast majority of street photographers assume. When I visit forums or watch You Tuber’s spout off, I am blown away by the lameness of shots. I call them “tourist shots”….”post card’ by nature representing buildings or snapshots of people with little depth, no meaning, a blank narrative….absent of a story.
You see, your images need those in order to take your images to the next level. Make a point to capture photographs that tell the viewers something, whether it is one photograph or a series of that compliment one central theme (as I prefer them). In either case, the photographer needs to hone a series of sub-skills in order to achieve.
Take this photo for instance….
Take Note… this is a pure candid shot….I didn’t ask this lady if I could take a shot…nor did I have her pose in any manner. I simply took the shot and the result is ‘one image’ that tells a story. What is she thinking? Look at her expression; she appears to be lost in a daze. and oblivious to her surroundings. A wandering mind.
What did I do to capture this? …..I gained access to her world. I became as common to her world as the litter at her feet. I became non-existent. How to do that? A few tips.
First….dress the part. This was an alley at dark….the evening when the young ones come out for their night of frolic. I didn’t stand out in clothes but became a part of them in my clothing.
Second….I was the scene. I was there first. I waited….I didn’t come to her but she came to me. I was there first. I sat and just waited for something to occur in that alley, knowing that eventually something would. I had no idea of what though. I waited…I had patience…I existed and I melded into this alleyway.
Third….When ‘she’…..came, I was there but not in an overt or blatant manner. Just because she sat next to me doesn’t mean that I grabbed my camera and shot. But I let ‘her or she’ become comfortable within her surroundings. I wanted her to be natural.
Fourth…when it came down to shooting, I was prepared. My settings were already in place for that alley shot with my exposure set. My focus was ‘zone’ and just needed an adjustment to show she was a few feet away as opposed to 10. Just a quick glance at my settings and I adjusted. No more needed.
At this point….I had established my ‘access’ ….I simply needed to get a quick pull up of the camera and press the shutter. She never knew, it was that quick.