Blend it all together
Cheat, steal, and become a savage!
Create in a flow state
When you have a camera in your pocket, the momentum never stops. It doesn’t matter what you are doing. There’s no excuse to not be making something
Repetition in Street Photography
Repetition in Street Photography
The Power of Repetition
There’s something profound about walking the same paths, experiencing the same moments, and capturing the same scenes, day after day. In street photography, repetition is a tool—a way to sharpen your instincts and force your own luck.
“The more you repeat the same pattern, the more opportunities you create for something extraordinary to happen.”
Daily Rituals and Patterns
Street photography thrives on patterns and predictability. By embedding yourself in the rhythm of a place, you start to see its hidden layers. Certain rituals become part of your photographic process:
- Listening to the Centennial Bell at noon
- Walking by Reading Terminal during the lunch rush
- Passing through the tunnels of City Hall
- Stopping by Penn’s Landing at sunset
These repeated experiences heighten your awareness and sensitivity to subtle changes.
Pattern Recognition as a Skill
“Street photographers excel at pattern recognition.”
Repetition trains your eye to anticipate moments before they happen. You start recognizing the ebb and flow of life in specific locations. A particular street corner, a patch of light, or a bustling square can yield different stories every time you visit.
Balancing Repetition with Chaos
While there’s value in embracing the unpredictable chaos of street photography, repetition provides a counterbalance. It allows you to observe how a scene evolves over time, offering new opportunities to capture something fresh within familiar surroundings.
“The more you walk a similar path, the more you notice the nuances—the subtle shifts in light, the changing faces, the unexpected moments.”
Deja Vu and Timelessness
Repetition can also evoke a sense of deja vu. Certain scenes feel like fragments of a dream, moments you’ve lived before but are now capturing anew.
“When you’re living a moment that you’ve dreamed of, that’s deja vu. Repetition makes those moments possible.”
Tips for Embracing Repetition
- Choose a daily route: Walk the same streets at different times of day.
- Create rituals: Visit familiar landmarks, like listening to the organ at 5:30 PM or the bell at noon.
- Pay attention to subtle changes: Light, weather, and people transform the same scene in endless ways.
- Be patient: Great shots often come from waiting and observing within these repeated patterns.
Forcing Your Own Luck
Repetition isn’t monotonous—it’s an invitation to dig deeper. By consistently showing up, you increase your chances of witnessing and capturing something remarkable. Every street photographer knows: luck favors the persistent.
“Repetition in street photography isn’t about redundancy; it’s about revealing the extraordinary in the ordinary.”
Walk endlessly
Life is a mere blink of an eye. Say hello to more people and smile all day long. When you are simply grateful to have your heart beating, nothing can stop you. We are infinite beings and all connected through the Earth from the mycelium, the trees, the breeze, and your knees.
Story and Memory
When you live a full life you come home with unlimited stories tucked away in your brain. You don’t even need a photograph. No TV show or movie will ever entertain me. There is potential to start a new story each day you wake up…
The question about fasting
Fasting to rid of all the body’s toxins. Clean body, clean mind, and clean soul. We were designed by God to hunt for game. Living in the modern world of convenience, we are removed from our natural way of life. I prefer to lift in the morning and fast all day to simulate this primal way of life. I eat meat with greens at night before bed.
