I have yet to meet a street photographer who at some point hasn’t felt uncomfortable when starting out their street photography journey - it feels like it’s a rite of passage when you first take those tentative steps into the streets armed with your trusty camera, but in the moment, it’s normal to feel like you’re the only one who has ever felt that way. I am here to tell you: you are not.
My initial foray into street photography came about at the start of 2020, when I discovered what street photography actually was. The concept of it fascinated me: capturing the everyday lives of the people in the places around you, or places you visit. Turning ordinarily mundane scenes into something artistic and interesting. It almost felt a bit like a magic trick, and one I wanted to learn.
However, as soon as I stepped out to put it into practise, I froze. My mind raced with hundreds of paranoid thoughts. What if someone sees me, what if I look suspicious, what if they get angry? How to I handle conflict, should it arise? To help answer those questions, I’ve outlined some key things to remember, and put into practice to help overcome that fear.
My initial foray into street photography came about at the start of 2020, when I discovered what street photography actually was. The concept of it fascinated me: capturing the everyday lives of the people in the places around you, or places you visit. Turning ordinarily mundane scenes into something artistic and interesting. It almost felt a bit like a magic trick, and one I wanted to learn.
However, as soon as I stepped out to put it into practise, I froze. My mind raced with hundreds of paranoid thoughts. What if someone sees me, what if I look suspicious, what if they get angry? How to I handle conflict, should it arise? To help answer those questions, I’ve outlined some key things to remember, and put into practice to help overcome that fear.
REMEMBER HOW PHOTOGRAPHERS SEE THE WORLD
As photographers, particularly street photographers, we look at the world in a very different way to those who are not. We’re finely tuned into the details of a location, paying attention to those things that are likely to go unnoticed by others. Try and think about how the way you view places and people has changed since you started your street photography journey and how now, even without a camera in hand, things spring to your attention that would never have done before. Our minds are always searching for compositions, subjects and scenes. We’re seeing life through photographer eyes, but it’s important to remember that most people do not.
LOOK AT YOUR PHOTOS TAKEN PRIOR TO STREET PHOTOGRAPHY
If you’re like me, you had somewhat of an interest in photography before discovering street photography. I was very much a point-and-shoot holiday photographer. While I had no idea what I was really doing, or how to use my camera or even what aperture was, I loved taking photos of the sights around the cities I visited. At the time I had no concept of street photography, yet when I look back at some of these images, I notice many could easily fit into the street photography genre. Was I an anxious about being questioned or approached back then? No. Yet in theory, nothing has changed but the knowledge of the genre. Don’t let that hold you back.
SHOOT BIG CITIES
While it’s nice to shoot around your local area and capture the scenes around you, if your hometown is a small town or city that isn’t used to tourism, walking around with a camera may make you feel like you’re sticking out like a sore thumb. One way to speed up the process of easing this anxiety is to go to a bigger city where the sight of someone with a camera is the norm. This will allow you to concentrate on the photography and less on your concern, which not only allows you to refine your skill but also give yourself some time to get comfortable with the process.
CHANGE THE WAY YOU TAKE PHOTOS
This may sound drastic, but it’s something to consider. There are times where it might be prudent to be a more inconspicuous than usual - for example, on public transport or underground metro. There are some great stories to be told in these locations, but it’s a lot more an intimate environment that out on the street. Consider a silent shutter, and consider a few tweaks when composing your shot. If you’re used to looking through the viewfinder, use the screen instead, or try shooting from the hip. Most people would notice someone holding a camera up to their face, but if you’re head is down and paying attention to a screen, it simply looks like you’re scrolling through your camera - and let’s face it, most people spend a great deal of time with their head down looking at a screen, right?
BE PREPARED FOR CONFLICT
So this might go against everything I have said above, but one of the best ways to get comfortable is to be prepared for conflict to happen. That’s not to say it will, and in my 3 years of street shooting I’ve only been questioned twice. But it’s important to remember that you’re not doing anything wrong (unless, of course you are and if you are, stop). Many people don’t understand street photography, and that’s fine. But so long as it’s not exploitative or done to humiliate, then it’s a legitimate, creative and most of all, important art form and your existence is justified. Have a rebuttal in your mind ready to go should someone ask. If you have an online portfolio such as Instagram, show them your work and explain what you’re doing and why. In my experience, explaining what you’re taking a photo of and why is enough to put their mind at rest. At the same time, remember Point #1: we see the world in a very different way to others, and once we point out the aesthetics of something, why it makes a good photo, it’s usually appreciated.
And most important of all, if a subject requests you delete a photo, it’s common courtesy to do so.
And most important of all, if a subject requests you delete a photo, it’s common courtesy to do so.