Practicing street photography is one of the fastest ways to become a better photographer. This is why each of you should hit the streets with your camera.
Street photography can be one of those challenging yet rewarding genres to work with. While the thought of street photography will frighten many of you, there really is no better place to learn photography skills. I’ve always tried street photography as a way to keep my “photographer reflexes” sharp. I also really enjoy doing it, which is a bonus. However, I think I will still join the genre even if I don’t like it. The reason for this is that I often feel sharper and more alert when returning to a commercial photography environment that is usually slower and more controlled. It’s like comparing photographing a wild bear to taking a photo of a stuffed animal.
Photographers Faizal Westcott highlights many of these similarities in his latest video, where he advocates the benefits of street photography. The video begins with Westcott talking about how much he has grown as a photographer into the genre, as it has taught him to pay more attention to the things around him. around yourself. He also talks about how walking on the street is a great way to speed up learning photography. I stuck at this point, because there really isn’t a better way to learn how to be a photographer than to spend hours and take lots of pictures in a variety of situations. Of course, you can learn to shoot from the comfort of your bedroom, but shooting those same four walls gets old pretty quickly. Westcott also talks about the importance of failure and this is something street photographers are used to living with. I really like this point, because failing and learning from it is an important lesson to help us become better photographers.
The great thing about street photography is that you don’t have to rely on someone else to do it. The street is there 365 days a year, and it costs almost nothing to be there. There are no reservations at expensive photo studios or models scheduled to work with you. All that is needed is just you and your camera. Westcott’s video is an important reminder of all this and a great love letter to the street photography genre. I hope some of you who work in other areas of the industry give it a try. You may just be surprised by what you get out of it.
Have you taken any street photos yet? Does this category benefit any other area of your work? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
