In street photography, the fishing technique is a way to increase your chances of making a successful composition. Essentially, position yourself on a corner, or at a particular spot in your city and wait for people to enter your frame.
Go where the action is
Find the most bustling part of town or where know there will be action. Position yourself strategically amongst the sea of people. Find your background and set yourself up in a way that will give you a higher success rate with your photography. I often like to stand near the curb of a street and find a place where people converge on a street corner. Any street corner can be the perfect place for you to start and practice the fishing technique. Personally, in Philadelphia, I use the tunnels of City Hall. At this particular location I am always certain that people will be walking through. There’s lots of tourist and locals that pass through these halls, and the light is always beautiful no matter of the time of day or weather condition. Because I know I will have a higher success rate at this location, I always make sure to practice the fishing technique at City Hall.
Pretend like your photographing the background
When you’re practicing the fishing technique, just pretend like you’re photographing the background! If you are fishing on a street corner, look up towards the architecture, and act as though you’re interested in something else. Don’t make eye contact with the people that are passing through and allow life to flow past you. You should prepare your camera so that you can be in the right position at the right time. Become one with the corner that you choose to fish upon. Recognize the different patterns that occur as people converge. With the fishing technique, it’s all about patience, understanding the location, and being ready to press the shutter!