I have been watching some pretty funny photography videos  by a company called DigitalRevTV, but mixed in with the humour is some salient photographic advice and inspiration.

On that note, I have been working on street photography. Street photography is hard because you cannot control much of what is happening. There is a lot more reaction than planning{{1}}. “The decisive moment”, “f8 and be there” and many other photographic cliches are relevant for street photography. It is a different way of seeing and even thinking than nature and landscape photography. When I am out in the woods, or on a beach I slow down and become almost zen like. I will contemplate a particular composition, maybe remove an offending stick or blade of grass. In a more urban environment, you have to anticipate what will happen, be ready for (or if) something to transpire. 

Landscape photography can largely become a technical exercise. Once you have found a location, much of the work becomes how to get the best image quality possible (using a tripod, perfecting focus and depth of field, choosing an optimal exposure). Street photography is more about capturing a moment. Technical mastery can become secondary. Composition has to be very instinctual and spontaneous.

As I was walking up Johnson St. I noticed this gentleman outside the Salvation Army Store. As I came up beside him, I turned and took a photo. I did move so that my reflection was hidden, but overall, I may have taken a second or two to take the shot. I gave it a black and white treatment, partly to emphasize the street photography, and partly to hide some of the technical flaws (I will talk about these in a later post).

[[1]]Yes there is a lot of planning in street photography, you have to choose your lens, you may scout a location, and even plan for a time of day, etc. but the “action” happening on your planned stage is spontaneous. You have to be ready, but you also have to react when things come together…[[1]]