Over the last couple of years, I have worked on improving my street photography. The streets of Nashville are a great place to practice. As a result, I believe my work continues to improve. I currently take to the streets with no theme in mind. This is mainly because I still see my street ventures as practice runs. It’s as if I am preparing for the main event. A famous street photographer by the name Henri Cartier-Bresson once said, “Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst”. There is a lot of truth in that statement.
I believe it is safe to say after shooting 10,000 photographs, you might know a little about photography, especially the technical side. More importantly, I believe you learn more about yourself. If you are still making photographs after 10,000 shots, then something is moving you. Realizing your passion drives you to produce work with meaning for you and your viewers.
So how does this relate to this post? As I mentioned, I usually take to the streets without a theme in mind. This means upon reviewing my images, I group shots together that have something in common, like hats. This is ok, but it lacks purpose. Actually the purpose is practice, but ultimately I want to convey a real message. Therefore, as I look ahead, I am going to look at the streets a little closer. Instead of determining a theme after the shoot, I will determine the theme before. This will take more forethought, observing and anticipation. This means I will take less photographs and it will take more time to complete a roll of film, but in the end, I believe it will be much more rewarding. Ansel Adams once said, “Twelve significant photographs in any one year is a good crop.” You can read more about Ansel Adams and see his work at Artsy.
Downtown Nashville – Olympus OM1 / 50mm f1.8 / Kodak TRI-X 400 / FINDLab
Downtown Nashville – Olympus OM1 / 50mm f1.8 / Kodak TRI-X 400 / FINDLab
Downtown Nashville – Olympus OM1 / 50mm f1.8 / Kodak TRI-X 400 / FINDLab
Downtown Nashville – Olympus OM1 / 50mm f1.8 / Kodak TRI-X 400 / FINDLab
Downtown Nashville – Olympus OM1 / 50mm f1.8 / Kodak TRI-X 400 / FINDLab
Downtown Nashville – Olympus OM1 / 50mm f1.8 / Kodak TRI-X 400 / FINDLab
Downtown Nashville – Olympus OM1 / 50mm f1.8 / Kodak TRI-X 400 / FINDLab
A while back, I made a short list of things I needed to work on to become a better street photographer. I wrote a blog about it called “The 3 C’s…..” That blog also has a short inspirational YouTube video by John Free. It’s a message I think every street photographer should hear. Below is the list.
- Technical
- Courage
- Vision
- Content
At this point, I believe I can cross out 1 and 2. Those were the easy ones. I am about to embark on 3 and 4 which in my opinion are the hardest ones to accomplish. This is where purpose becomes the driver. When I can identify the purpose for a particular project, the rest should fall into place.
I hope you have enjoyed the pictures. If any street photographers are reading this, I would love to hear about your journey to where you are now. I’ve found it to be enlightening and beneficial to hear about and see the work of other street photographers. Stay tuned for more shots from this roll. Thanks for reading!
Images Best Viewed in Lightbox Below!
[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”129″ gal_title=”Hats”]
8 Responses
My favorite: the woman framed between the two dark pillars and the re-frame of the buildings along the street, and the interesting additional frame of the pedestrian overpass in the distance. Really outstanding composition.
Thank you! I really like that shot, too. When I saw the pillars, I knew I had to use them. I waited a few minutes before someone came by. I love your detail comments!! Thanks for visiting my site!
Some really nice photos! I like reading about your path and how you approach photography. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you and you’re welcome. It’s a fun journey.
A nice post in your blog. With 50mm glass, you have to come very close to these people, that takes courage. Good work!
Thank you! Getting close gives you more detail and it gives a more intimate perspective. Robert Capa once said, “If your pictures aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough.”
You are definitely well organised, being able to group shots on the harddrive. 🙂
The 1st photo is my favourite, the soft light looks beautiful.
I can so relate to your hats, they caught me during my stay on Crimea 2013:
https://ratherthanfacebook.blogspot.co.at/2013/06/the-hat-ladies.html
My photos were taken with a digital camera. The camera is slow, a diva. 😉 Which lead to motifs which moved away too fast, getting smaller.
You can tell: I did not dare to portrait them from the front. The back is not that bad, with details and decorum.
The more I browse through your blog, the more I feel like coming up with a joint theme. Might be fun?
best wishes,
Paula
I wish I could say that I started out searching for hats, but they were all random shots. Regardless, they do make a good theme. I took a look at your hats from Crimea. Nice captures! I believe photographing hats from behind is probably the best way to capture the best details of a hat. I’m looking forward to seeing what themes you will create! Thanks again for stopping by!