Today's Real Street Shot

[RSL]

And then. . .

[GreggP]

I like it.

When you are walking about taking photos, what is it about a particular scene that you think is worth shooting?

In this case, was there something about these two guys that you thought was interesting? Many times when I'm out, I try to avoid shooting random people. That's been done a million times and has been argued here as just adding to the noise of street photography and not presenting anything unique or interesting.

Do you ever position yourself to compose an image with leading lines, framing, interesting shapes, etc., and then wait for subjects of interest to enter your scene?
Do you photograph people just because you think they are interesting or unusual?
Have you purposefully sought out a scene that you think makes an interesting story or is this something that just happens spontaneously and you were observant enough to capture it?
Is there something in the scene that you've determined helps define a unique moment in time or as newsworthy?
Can you combine all of the above?

Just curious to learn how you approach this.

[RSL]

Hi Gregg,

Hard questions to answer. What makes me lift the camera varies. All I can tell you is that when I have a camera in my hand I go around framing what's out there. If what's within a frame strikes me I lift the camera and shoot. I miss a lot and throw away a lot of flubs, but that's all part of the game.

The main thing about this picture is that there was a fairly intense discussion going on between these two guys, and as the vendor made his gesture I raised the camera and shot. The framing was going to work too. Which made it more than a random people shot. It's a long way from a great street shot, but it IS a street shot.

I can't remember ever positioning myself for a composition. I compose on the camera when I get it to my eye.

What I do most often is simply go out on the street with a small camera in my hand -- shoulder strap wrapped around my lower arm -- and walk. The bottom line is what Cartier-Bresson said: "Photographing is nothing. Looking is everything." The other important thing he didn't mention is that you learn composition by studying thousands of great paintings and photographs. You're not going to try to copy what's been done before, but what you learn from those studies is what moves you visually, and how to place things in a composition.

The best explanation of all this probably is in my "On Street Photography." It's on my web, but LuLa also published it with some pictures at https://luminous-landscape.com/on-street-photography/.

[GreggP]

Thanks! "Spending days on the street looking, and rarely seeing a situation worth shooting can become pretty discouraging, so there’s a temptation to just shoot some people on the street and call it a street photograph." That's me.

[RSL]

Don't sweat it. The way you learn to do this is to do it and do it and do it.

[BobDavid]

Funny how little details, such as the fire hydrant, alter the story.

[MattBurt]

Funny how little details, such as the fire hydrant, alter the story.

How does that change the story? I'm seeing the story as "Vendor animatedly describes something to passerby."
Seems like it would be the same if the guy was leaning on a hydrant, a mailbox, or just standing there. How does it change for you, or are you seeing a different story?