Advice for street photographers
Yesterday on my twitter:
This is just something it works to me and not pretending is for anyone. Here I just want to put some notes to my tips:
Quit facebook groups
Facebook groups are not useful at all when it comes to street photography in my opinion. There is a tendency towards approval and people who want to highlight themselves by using negative behavior. But the main problem I see is that of a risk for your photography to anchor itself to the visual homologation, starting to take pictures as others expect. And we see the effects every day, with photographers not recognizable from each other due to photos that are all the same.
Buy books
I have seen how buying books is still a great thing to do to get inspiration and feed your brain. The experience of seeing and touching a printed book is still unrivaled.
Shoot film
The best school for a photographer is the experience with film cameras. It makes you a photographer who is truly aware of what photography is and you will find this experience useful even in the use of digital cameras.
Zone focus
Zone focus is the real way to go when it comes to street photography. AF is always a compromise where is reduced the creativity space. Zone focusing technique takes your street photography to the next level.
Avoid visual jokes
The thing is this: if you are interested in immediate success and a bit of a fool of social media go for the wow effect. But if you want to give photography something that can have documentary value between twenty and thirty years then you have to think of another way to make your street photographs. A dog that looks giant from perspective is a game for its own sake. And personally it doesn't say anything to me.
Drink coffee
This is because coffee just works to me. Always. Coffee helps to stay focused and keeps you awake. Coffee is also a great opportunity to take a break during your photo walk and a meeting point for a coffee is something very common among street photographers worldwide.
Buy good shoes
Sometimes we forget how much is important this tool for street photography. To have a good pair of comfortable shoes, the ones you forget to wear, will change completely the experience on the street. If your feet hurt you will go home sooner. And it's not a pleasant experience. Currently my choice is the Yeezy Boost 350 by Adidas that make me feel like walking on foam in any terrain.
Walk slow
This is something that I often repeat to myself because I tend to walk excessively fast. But walking slower can make the difference in what you will see and photograph.
When in doubt shoot
OK, this works especially with digital because you don’t have excuses, even if I force myself to do the same even with the increasingly expensive film.
Go out with your camera everyday.
No question about this. If you are a real street photographer this is your life and it can’t be considered a part-time activity.
Original tweet here:
Advice for street photographers:
— Alex Coghe (@AlexCoghe) August 9, 2021
- Quit facebook groups.
- Buy books.
- Shoot film.
- Zone focus.
- Avoid visual jokes.
- Drink coffee.
- Buy good shoes.
- Walk slow.
- When in doubt shoot.
- Go out with your camera everyday.
