Quick tip: How to improve as a street photographer

Don’t get me wrong, there are lots of other ways we can all improve as street photographers and I’m not suggesting this is the only one. But is perhaps the one that’s most overlooked.

Anyone who’s into street photography will have noticed just how much material there is out there for us to absorb. Blogs, YouTube videos, discussion groups, books, films . . . the list goes on - and it’s brilliant. Street photography now has the voice it deserves.

But with that comes a lot of what I would call noise. There is just so much information to absorb and most of us get drawn in and we have this yearning for learning that we know will make us better street photographers. And I’ve seen some people get to the point where they’re relying so heavily on this information handed to them on a plate that they’re not getting out there and finding their own way. They’re not having the experiences; they’re not putting it all into practice; they’re not making the mistakes - all the things that are an essential part of our creative development as photographers.

So today’s quick tip is something which might sound really obvious but something we just don’t do enough of. It’s all about getting out there and practicing. If you’re anything like me, you’re really good at making excuses: it’s too cold / too hot / too wet; I’m too tired; I’m too busy; I can’t spend a whole day doing street photography; my partner won’t be happy, etc etc etc. We can all find a good reason not to go out and shoot. 

But like musicians, we need to practice our art in order to get better. Buying a book won’t necessarily make us better (though it can definitely help) - and buying lots gear almost certainly won’t - don’t get me started on the dreaded 'GA'S - gear acquisition syndrome - I could make a whole new video about that!. But practice will make you a better photographer.

If you were to ask any of the greats - Winogrand, Meyerowitz, Levitt, Davidson, Frank - about what they believed made them good street photographers, I’m pretty sure they would all say the same thing - it’s all about getting out there and doing it. High mileage equals more keepers. It’s a simple equatio

There’s only so much you can get from a book - or an online course - and you need to cross that pain barrier, get over that boredom threshold and JUST DO IT. Work on your observation skills, your ability to judge the light, your timing, the way you see the world, the way you interact with your environment and the way you connect with people and things around you. Work on specific skills or techniques - work out what your weak points are and work on them. Get out there and practice. Practice to the point it becomes instinctive. Practice until it hurts.  It WILL pay off.

If you need to inspiration to help you practice those skills, maybe have a look at my latest book - 52 Assignments: Street Photography. This will get you working on and practicing a specific set of skills which will all help you improve as a street photographer. And don’t forget, you could always book a workshop :-)