It’s a Man’s World, It’s a Woman’s World
The song “It’s a Man’s World,” made famous by James Brown, was written by one his girlfriends, Betty Jean Newsome, but it’s far from being a feminist tract. According to the song, man made the cars,...
View ArticleMore About Words in Photos
I’m reasonably sure that words appear in a disproportionate number of my photos. Maybe the ratio is one to ten: one picture containing words to ten without. For whatever reason, I always notice them....
View ArticleWhat Are We Waiting For?
When you photograph someone waiting patiently — or impatiently — you’re introducing an element of expectation into your photo. This means the shot is “open-ended,” or not complete in itself. It’s...
View ArticleIn Praise of Shadows in Street Photography
To write a blog post I enjoy switching on my computer in the morning and be greeted by another splendid landscape from Microsoft on the start-up screen. Mostly, the photos are well chosen: spectacular...
View ArticleSomething Mysterious is Going On
Cities are deeply mysterious places because it’s almost impossible to understand the full truth of what’s happening. People are moving around, occasionally pausing in doorways to chat on the phone, but...
View ArticleThe Subjects Are Hiding
When subjects are fleeing into darkness, or when they have their backs turned towards us and are studying something unseen with intense concentration — that’s when you can get a good street photo....
View ArticleSometimes the Devil Is in the Detail
If you’re like me, there are occasions when you look through the shots you’ve taken and you come across one which prompts the question: “Why on Earth did I take it?” The composition is poor, there are...
View ArticleThe Trailing Street
I wish I had the perfect shot with which to illustrate this concept, but I’m still waiting for the right opportunity. Let me explain what I have in mind. I imagine a scene in which the camera viewpoint...
View ArticleStreet Photographer Goes Birding
If you’ve just built a hide in the woods and bought a 600mm lens, please stop reading now. This morning I looked out of my bedroom window and snapped a baby goldcrest with my Canon 5DIII and 40mm lens,...
View ArticleIn Street Photography, Let the Viewer’s Imagination Go to Work
Cameras are magical instruments because of their potential. When you look at a brand new camera, just out of its box, you can imagine all the wonderful photos it may eventually take. You mind completes...
View ArticleUsing Posters and Graffiti in Street Photography
If you’re a street photographer it’s almost impossible to resist taking full advantage of posters and graffiti: readymade artworks that provide a colouful and sometimes meaningful backdrop to your...
View ArticleThe Urge to Simplify in Street Photography
Can you resist it? Should you resist it? I’m talking about the urge to simplify your street photos in order to make them more striking, giving them more instant appeal. The compulsion to simplify is...
View ArticleColourful Arguments
As I’ve said approximately twenty times in these blog posts, “contrast” — in the broadest sense — lies at the heart of street photography. So here’s a potential theme with built-in contrast: domestic...
View ArticleDressing Windows
A sheet of plate glass less than an inch thick separates the life of the street from the life of the shop window. When window dressers change their display, they — and their display — become a...
View ArticleDeliberate Obscurity
When William Eggleston said “I am at war with the obvious” I don’t think he was recommending the deliberate embrace of obscurity. Yet it’s a measure of how far we’ve come that today a photographer can...
View ArticleFeasting, Eating, and Snacking on the Street
The civic authorities in Bangkok are beginning to outlaw the sale of fastfood on certain streets, especially those in trendy, up-and-coming areas like Thonglor. Not everyone is happy about it. After...
View ArticleWaterway “Street” Photography
Can you do street photography on rivers and canals? I don’t see why not. The only difference between the waterway and the street is the obligation to use a boat for transport, rather than your feet....
View ArticleAllow Themes to Emerge
This blog post is all about one single tip for the aspiring street photographer. It’s this: don’t set yourself specific tasks or place yourself in the straitjacket of a “concept.” Just take pictures...
View ArticleKeeping the City at a Distance
Like most street photographers I place people centre-stage. In musical terms, I give people the vocal role while the city provides the instrumental accompaniment. I tend to keep the two components —...
View ArticleThe Charm of Pedal Power
Why are bicycles so charming and photogenic? You would think they’d make terrible pictures, being cluttered with chains and spokes and odd bits of metal here and there. But no, a bike can lift the...
View Article
More Pages to Explore .....