I'd bet you aren't capable of stopping, Seamus.
It takes one to know one, Russ.
Once upon a time, I used to shoot landscapes and was reasonably good at it. I had a few exhibitions here and there, all very technically executed, wonderfully printed and well regarded - the right light, the correct exposure, should that rock be in or out, should I wait another fifteen minutes for the sun to rise higher, and why am I out at 6 am in the freezing cold hoping something will happen with the mist.
In the end, it became tedious - a joyless waiting game. I simply don't have the patience nowadays, although I deeply envy those who do and whose work is a wonder. When I see their best stuff, and understanding the effort involved, my breath is taken away and I wish I had the endurance to go back to it again.
However, in the street, as you well know, it's a different game: there's no time for that luxury: you see a scene, shoot it in the full knowledge that 99% of your efforts will inevitably fail but you go for it anyway. It's a blind act of faith between you, your ability to work the damned camera and your view of the world. Many times, the shot will be out of focus and technically deficient on any number of levels. But when it works, when all the ingredients come together, when all the elements of the human condition are there, well, its magic - hopefully not just for yourself but for anybody who understands what you're about.
It's street.
