What defines success? I believe a successful street photographer is somebody who is simply making new pictures. To be in the state of production is the ultimate goal. I oftentimes get bored when I look back at my old photographs because I’m always looking for something new. At the end of the day, we want to make sure that we focus on longevity and making pictures for the rest of our lifetime. How can we achieve this? These are three key traits to becoming a successful street photographer and keep you going back out there for more.
Curiosity
The etymology of “curiosity” traces back to Latin and Middle French origins. It comes from the Latin word “curiositas,” meaning “carefulness” or “inquisitiveness,” which itself is derived from “curiosus,” meaning “careful” or “curious.” This Latin term is related to “cura,” meaning “care.”
The evolution of the word reflects a blend of the ideas of careful attention and a desire to learn or know more.
First and foremost, curiosity is key. When it comes to street photography, our curiosity is what guides us out of our houses and onto the streets. Treat the camera an excuse to go out into the world and to see what’s going on. When you’re making photographs, you’re asking questions about the world. Pay attention to what triggers your attention and follow those desires.
Every morning when I wake up I like to consider it as a new day to go out there and play with my eyes wide open. I’m basically just a big kid with a camera. In order to remain forever curious I believe we must return to the childlike state. Forget everything you think you know, and remain as open-minded as possible. When I go out there into the world, I like to remain open without any preconceived notions of what I may find. To embrace chaos and the unknown is the name of this game. Through our curiosity, we can uplift the mundane and create something out of nothing. Everything and anything can become photographable when you raise the camera to your eye. You just have to look at things like you’re seeing it for the first time with curiosity.
Look at the details around you, the textures, fleeting moments, landscape, people, faces, architecture, everything is something that can be uplifted with the camera. Before you go outside, ask yourself this question:
What will reality manifest to be in a photograph?
Intuition
The etymology of “intuition” is rooted in Latin. It comes from the Latin word “intuitio,” meaning “a looking at, consideration,” which is derived from “intueri,” translated as “to look at, consider.” This word is formed from “in-” (meaning “at, on”) and “tueri,” which means “to look at, watch over.”
The word encapsulates the idea of “looking into” or perceiving something instinctively.
Street Photography requires a strong visual acuity and sensitivity to things. Intuition is that God-like feeling you get from your gut that tells you to press the shutter. To capture spontaneous moments, you must remain on your toes at all times ready to pounce on the hunt.
Don’t overthink, just shoot. The less you think while on the street, the more you will tap into your intuition. What I love about street photography is that it allows you to remain in the present moment. You forget about the past and you’re not worrying about the future. The only thing that matters is the now. I consider street photography a zen-like meditative practice where intuition and spontaneity takes over. It is a very liberating feeling because of this. Simply follow your desire and whatever you are interested in will appear within the frames that you create. My advice is to actually throw away all of the rules. There’s no such thing as good or bad photographs. Traditional notions of what makes a successful composition are boring. I say let the chips fall as they may. Follow your gut and shoot more carelessly. Take more pictures than you think you should and approach subjects from all angles. A lot of the time the first shot you take will be the best because your intuition is king.
Street photography is an artistic approach to the medium. It’s a blend of documentary and surrealism. When reviewing your photographs after a day of shooting consider this:
What you see isn’t what you get. What you get is what you didn’t see.
Courage
The etymology of the word “courage” traces back to the Latin word “cor,” which means “heart.” Over time, the concept of courage became associated with qualities of the heart, such as bravery and steadfastness.
The evolution of “courage” from its Latin roots to its modern usage encapsulates the idea of inner strength and bravery as qualities of the heart.
A famous quote about courage from the “Rocky” film series, specifically from “Rocky Balboa” (2006), is:
“It ain’t about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward; how much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done!”
This quote is often cited for its inspirational message about resilience, perseverance, and the true nature of courage.
How much heart can one have? Street photography tests your courage. It’s not necessarily easy to photograph strangers on the streets candidly. You must be bold and daring. Street Photography requires a bit of risk taking to get the shot. I find this to be an exhilarating feeling that fuels my lust for life itself.
Some practical advice to overcoming fear in street photography and giving yourself more confidence and courage is to simply ask for permission to photograph people. I believe every street photographer should purchase an instax camera and carry it with you when photographing in a new place. If there’s a particular subject or scene that you’re interested in making pictures of, you can break the ice and gift strangers small prints of the photograph you make of them right there in the moment. This allows you to test your skills of interacting with people. Remember, we photograph people because we love people. Perhaps you get denied, this is a good thing! You want to get rejected and become used to it. Confrontation creates humility and allows you to fuel your courage and confidence to actually go out there and do the thing. You must recognize that you’re not doing anything wrong when you’re making pictures of people on the streets. Embrace your passion with an open heart. Wear a smile on your face when on the streets. Say hi to people and give them compliments. Be the tourist in your hometown. Sometimes, the more you stand out, the more you blend in.
Ultimately, the amount of courage you exude on the street will determine the results of your photographs. Strong pictures are the results are of a strong photographer. One question I like to ask myself about my photographs is this:
Did the photograph requires courage to make or not?