Letting the Photography Come to You
If there’s one thing you need to learn about photography, it’s patience. In all aspects of the word, as they say, patience is a virtue, and it’s something which is very much needed when it comes to taking photos, and in particular within the niche of Street Photography.
In the past, I would find myself going out with the aim of getting very specific photos and ideas of shots I wanted to gain, often leading to failure and therefore disappointment. However, as time has gone on, and especially more so over recent times as I travel through Asia, I’ve learnt that patience is the key to everything.
Therefore, this is where letting the photography come to you comes into play. The idea of taking the best photos and every photo must be amazing is unrealistic, and as a result you put unnecessary pressure on yourself. Trying to force shots only leads to frustration when you don’t come away with the results you wanted, and that can lead to periods of discouragement.
My advice from my own experience would always be to slow things down, go out with no expectations, and just enjoy your day. Indeed, there will be days where you might come back with very little or indeed nothing to show for it, but that’s just part of the process, photography is a learning curve and one which does have its ups and downs. It’s how you improve and learn from the downs what counts.
Ultimately, don’t let your photography expectations dictate your day. For example, if you are planning to go to London for the day, prioritise what matters most first, and that’s having an itinerary of what you want to see and while having a great time! I’ve found that my photography has improved greatly when I’ve treated it as a secondary bonus, and it will be the same for everyone. You’ll find it much easier than you think to take photos when you’re much more relaxed and not specifically thinking about putting the photography first. Enjoying your time exploring somewhere will naturally lead to more natural and candid looking photographs, something which as your photography progresses will help to improve yourself as an all-round photographer.
Street Photography in particular is a niche in which moments happen in an instance, sometimes giving you little time to react. However, on the flip side of this, this gives endless opportunities into snapping captivating stories and insights into the perspective of peoples lives around the World and how they go about their day. Whether it be within the fast paced City action, or the slower and calm Countryside, your approach to photography should always stay the same.
Always be ready with camera in hand, but ultimately let the photography come to you, not the other way round. That’s how you can guarantee a higher success rate of results. Photography is a game of perspective, it’s all about the game, and how you play it.
