May was a challenging month. I’m not as much a street photographer as some might expect. Photographing people in the moment of action feels a bit intrusive whether it is legal or not. But it was also a month of growth creatively as I came to really love what I was doing. While I’ve done people and street photography before, something clicked this time.
On May 31st, I didn’t want this journey to be over. I didn’t want just some other theme for my photography and I didn’t want to “just do another month of people” so I focused and challenged myself further in a theme I never had done before: fashion.
While I don’t have the time to setup photography shoots every day for thirty days, my challenge became approaching people who had an interesting outfit or accessory and ask them if I could photography them. It is still a bit surreal—it was very easy but also intimidating and a lot of work. It isn’t about ‘high fashion’ but what is fashionable yet I couldn’t just take a photo of anyone. They had to have a “look” that caught my attention.
But no less than thirty days, I photographed all sorts of styles, people, and moments. I made some friends and I learned a lot. Most importantly, most people were very open to me photographing them and some even appreciated it as a compliment.
Three pieces of advice I would give to anyone who wants to do this “street portrait” photography:
It’s all about your approach. Be friendly, succinct, and honest.
Offer them their photograph. Most people exchanged Instagram accounts with me and I would share their photograph with them. A courtesy for their cooperation.
Slow down. While some people might be in a hurry, take the time to let the moment breathe—while you’ve getting set up or giving a few directions, as them how their day it, where they are going, and so forth. The personal touch is nice and it gives you time to get things right.
