Chapter 3: The decisive moment
“The decisive moment” is a term coined by street photography pioneer Henri Cartier-Bresson. This chapter will explain what it is all about, and how to capture that split second of genius and inspiration.
15. Wander and explore
Some of my favorite street photographs were shot in unexpected places and off the beaten path, which is why I always tell beginning street photographers to wander, to explore.
If you automatically go where everybody else goes, you will probably take the same pictures everybody else takes. Sure, popular locations can be fun and offer good exercises in camera handling and composition. But to shoot truly personal and unique photographs, you need to seek out personal and unique locations.
Start with a general idea of where you want to go. Once you get there, let your curiosity guide you. Explore the quiet streets and narrow alleyways. Here’s where you are most likely to find unique opportunities to capture precious moments of locals interacting and kids playing. It’s true that seeking your photo opportunities this way requires a bit of work. But you will be rewarded for your efforts by more personal and interesting photographs.
16. Search your backyard
One of the most common complaints I hear from beginning street photographers is that their hometown simply doesn’t offer any interesting photo opportunities. Interesting photographs, they argue, require foreign and exotic places, such as Paris, New York, or Mumbai. But ironically, people in these “foreign” places don’t feel that their city or country is particularly interesting, either. I guess the grass is always greener on the other side.
In fact, the best street photography opportunities might be right in your own backyard. Shooting in your home environment might be difficult, but with the right training you will start to discover amazing opportunities. All it takes is a couple of simple exercises.
Try to take in your usual surroundings with a fresh pair of eyes. Rather than running your usual route from one place to another, take time to slow down. Pretend that you’re seeing this environment for the first time. Try to identify the small, quirky things that make your surroundings interesting and unique. This simple exercise will teach you to notice and appreciate things you may not have paid attention to before.
If you live in a suburb, you might feel that it’s the least interesting place to shoot. However, look for juxtapositions, such as a massive SUV alongside a tiny compact car. If you live in a farm, look for animals behaving in interesting ways. If you simply cannot find anything interesting about your hometown, invite a couple friends from other places to visit and ask what they find unique or special about where you live.
17. Always bring your camera
Have you ever witnessed the perfect photo opportunity and cursed yourself for not having a camera with you? For a dedicated street photographer, that’s quite possibly the worst feeling in the world. But just because this has probably happened to you before doesn’t mean it has to happen again.
Carry your camera with you everywhere you go. And when I say everywhere, I mean it literally. Bring your camera to the grocery store, when you are going to see your family, or when you are just taking a walk around the block. The most interesting shooting opportunity might appear where you least expect it.
Woody Allen once said, “Eighty percent of success is just showing up.” Applied to street photography, this means that the better part of your positive development as a photographer comes from simply having a camera with you. Think about it! It’s extremely hard to take a good photo without a camera, but it’s only a little difficult with a camera. Improve your odds; always bring your camera!
Nowadays, when camera-equipped cell phones seem to be the norm, there’s no excuse for leaving home without a camera. As photographer Chase Jarvis put it, “The best camera is the one that’s with you.”
18. Look for beauty in the mundane
Everyday life for most people tends to be repetitive. We generally wake up at the same time every day, eat the same breakfast, take the same route to work, and so on. And humdrum routines have a tendency to keep us from appreciating our lives and the world around us.
But even though most of us do have repetitive routines, there’s a simple way to find exciting opportunities for street photography. Try to re-envision the things you see every day. For example, if the old man with the funny shoes goes out to grab his newspaper every morning at 9:00 a.m., anticipate that and shoot it. Don’t wait until the next day; he might be gone! If you take the subway to work, look at the people around you. What makes each person different and unique? Tell their stories with images.
The fast pace of modern life also prevents us from seeing the beauty around us. Slowing down is the only thing that helps. Why not take a different (and slightly longer) route to work or school? And if you see something interesting, stop and take a photograph of it. If you’re heading to the store, try walking slowly and looking carefully at the things around you. As an exercise, look at an object as a reflection or a shadow instead of the other way around. Re-envision what’s typical to you, and more street photo opportunities will present themselves. It’s often the things we normally overlook that are the most beautiful.
19. Shoot as much as you can
Sometimes when you look at the work of other street photographers, you might think, “Hey, I could have taken that photo!” And it’s true. You could have. That is, if you were at that particular place at that particular time, ready with camera in hand.
Street photographer Thomas Leuthard once shared a quote that stuck with me. The quote, by Roman philosopher Seneca the Younger, was: “Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.” (As a side note, the attribution to Seneca has been contested, but the quote is still a good one.)
The fact that “being prepared” and “showing up” are such big parts of successful street photography makes the genre wonderful. Street photography is far less technical than other forms of photography. Don’t worry too much about gear and gadgets, but always be prepared to capture the decisive moment.
Walk as much as you can and be on the streets as much as you can. Instead of going by car, take the bus or the subway. Instead of eating inside your office, visit a place you haven’t been to before and eat there. Although there’s no formula for creating successful street photographs, spending more time outside among people will definitely help your chances.
20. Don’t regret missed shots
Missing the decisive moment is frustrating. Despite bringing your camera everywhere and keeping your eyes open for shooting opportunities, you will miss many good photos. Try not to beat yourself up about it. Instead, move on and look for the next great shot. Interesting moments happen thousands of times each day, in millions of places around the world. Even if you miss your decisive moment, thousands upon thousands more await you around the corner. Use this fact as motivation to take even better photos.