How to Overcome Fear in Street Photography (Ask for Permission First)
What’s poppin’, people? It’s Dante.
Today I want to share one of the most practical pieces of advice I can give you for increasing your likelihood of making stronger photographs.
And the thing that it has to do with actually has nothing to do with photography itself.
It has everything to do with your courage, your curiosity, and the spirit that guides you.
Because honestly, photography has very little to do with the medium itself. It has everything to do with the way that you engage with life and with people.
If you’re a street photographer, if you’re trying to make impactful moments come to life with your camera, it’s possible. But in order to get there, you have to cultivate courage. You have to overcome fear, anxiety around rejection, confrontation, hesitation.
That feeling you get before making a photograph.
And so the most practical thing you can do to overcome this fear is knowing your why.
Know Your Why
When you’re out there photographing and you understand why you’re making a picture, engaging with people becomes much easier.
Ask yourself:
“Why am I photographing this?”
Maybe it’s the way the light is falling.
Maybe it’s somebody’s clothing.
Maybe it’s a gesture.
Maybe it’s an emotion.
But when you know your why, you’ll naturally be able to engage with humanity more openly because you already understand the reason behind your photograph.
That clarity gives you confidence.
Start by Asking for Permission
The next practical thing you can do is start by asking strangers for permission to make their portrait.
This doesn’t have to become your entire approach to photography, but if you’re just getting started with photographing people on the street, this is one of the fastest ways to improve.
Because once you get comfortable asking for permission…
Once you get comfortable engaging with people…
Once you start building charisma…
You’ll naturally become more comfortable making candid photographs too.
And so go out there and ask people if you can make their portrait.
Once you get comfortable with portraiture, you’ll begin engaging with people in a much more nuanced way.
There’s No One “Correct” Way to Photograph the Street
I don’t believe there’s only one way to practice street photography.
A lot of people become extremely dogmatic about it:
- “It has to be candid.”
- “You can’t talk to strangers.”
- “That’s not real street photography.”
But honestly, I have a much more nuanced understanding of it.
If you travel anywhere in the world and actually spend time practicing photography, you realize there’s an emotional closeness and proximity you need to cultivate in order to make meaningful photographs.
You can’t just run around willy-nilly making pictures of people.
There has to be humanity involved.
And so by giving yourself this challenge of asking for permission and making portraits, you begin unlocking the ability to photograph scenes candidly in a much deeper way.
Becoming a Fly on the Wall
Let’s say you stumble across a basketball game.
There are people sitting in the stands and somebody catches your eye.
Maybe it’s their outfit.
Maybe it’s their expression.
Maybe it’s just a feeling.
You ask for permission to make a portrait.
You have a conversation.
You make the picture.
And then afterward, you stay there.
You become a fly on the wall.
Now you’re present within the scene. You’ve already engaged with the environment, and because of that interaction, you can begin photographing candidly without tension.
That access changes everything.
Emotional Closeness Creates Better Photographs
That’s exactly how I approach the streets.
There are photographs I’ve made in Philadelphia where I first had a conversation with somebody before making the image.
One man I photographed was practicing chi movements in the park. I approached him, started chatting, and while he continued moving naturally, I began making photographs.
Nothing was posed.
I wasn’t directing him.
I was simply engaging with the moment as it unfolded.
And because of that emotional closeness, the photograph carries a different feeling.
The same thing happened years ago in Jericho.
I was walking through Wadi Qelt with Abdullah Muhammad, and we ended up bathing in the river after a long walk through the mountains.
As we moved through the scene together, I was photographing naturally. At one point he turned and looked at me, and I made the frame.
But the photograph only exists because there was already trust and emotional proximity there.
And honestly, I think those kinds of photographs are much more powerful than the “running and gunning” approach.
Use Photography as a Gift
Another thing that helped me tremendously was using an Instax camera.
I don’t do this as much these days, but for a long time it became one of the biggest tools for helping me connect with strangers.
Because now you have something to give.
You make the portrait…
And then instantly hand somebody a print.
That exchange completely changes the energy.
If you struggle with hesitation, this can become an incredible way to break the ice and engage with people.
Photography Has Nothing to Do With Photography
At the end of the day, interaction is one of the biggest barriers photographers face.
But the only way through it is repetition.
You have to put in the reps.
You have to get comfortable with rejection.
You have to get comfortable with confrontation.
Good or bad.
And eventually you realize:
Photography has nothing to do with photography.
It has everything to do with:
- how you engage with people
- how you engage with life
- how you carry yourself as a human being first
The photographs simply become a byproduct of the way that you move through the world.
Go Out and Start Conversations
So go explore your town differently.
Use your camera as a reason to start conversations.
Ask for permission.
Gift somebody a portrait.
Share a smile.
A lot of the people I photograph are genuinely happy that somebody noticed them enough to make their picture.
And I think that’s a beautiful thing.
Once you build this muscle, you stop hesitating.
You see a scene…
You know your why…
You know how to engage…
And you simply walk up and make the frame.
That courage changes everything.
Hopefully this inspires you to give it a try.
Go make portraits of strangers.
And yeah — that’s pretty much that.
Thank you for watching.
Peace.