The Street Photographer’s Handbook – Three Basic Virtues

When I first ventured into the world of street photography, I had barely any knowledge of this art. My first pictures though well composed, used to come out blurry and at times out of focus.

Fear will ruin the moment
Fear will ruin the moment

I began studying those images, first checking the exif settings to see if my technique was flawed. They seemed alright, so what was causing this problem. I reflected back on my feelings at that the moments just before, and after pressing the shutter to discover the answer. Any guesses ?

It was fear, that was the source of the problem.

I vaguely remember hiding the camera under a scarf or ducking away to avoid a conversation. The street can overwhelm a beginner and for that matter even an advanced user when inserted into an unfamiliar environment. With the passage of time, the pictures improved, the secret being the three virtues which we shall discuss today.

Before I reveal the first virtue, let me briefly talk about what is so attractive about this form of image making. For some it is the ability to capture human emotions, relationships and behavior in their raw form. That is true, what better than shooting in the studio of real life. We are in the open and so is our subject going about his routine life. The moment  we intersect, the photo will take place. And for this we require the first virtue: patience. Timing is the crucial ingredient in street photography, even more important than the subject and the background. One of the masters of this art Cartier Bresson had coined a phrase for this, calling it the  “the decisive moment”. You can read up about more about this yourselves because for me it can be summed up in a single word, patience.

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Patience Pays
Patience Pays

Let us assume we have built on this virtue and managed to find perfect moment. I used to find them as well, but the fear used to cripple the results. For one to step up, and get the picture as you imagined you need  the second virtue, which is courage. You will encounter all types of subjects during your journeys on the road, some will be inert, some will shy away and some even approach you to clarify your intentions.

Face the Question
Face the Question

So what happens when you are on the street and someone confronts you ? The most common question I get most of the times is the simplest, ” my friend, what will you do with these pictures ?”  It could be as simple as that or something more complex. Here is where the third virtue comes in: humility. The objective here is to put the subject at ease and be as honest and humble with our answers. Some may argue that once the moment is lost, cant we just walk away. We could if the subject looked intimidating or turned hostile. On most occasions it is just our way of collecting good street karma.

Humility will win you street karma
Humility will win you street karma

You will find many other virtues and techniques in books and other sites to help you improve your street photography. I am sure you have your own mantra for success and would love to hear from you as well. For me it starts with understanding and  practicing these three virtues first. Try them out, perhaps you will see changes in yourself even before you see them in your photographs.

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