The Art of soulful street snapshots

My love for photography began when my dad bought his own SLR analog camera—a heavy and rudimentary Nikon that I still keep lovingly safe. It brings back a lot of good memories of all the trips we used to take around Europe by car, sleeping in a tent trailer for weeks. It was a lot of fun. All those photos are still stored somewhere in my mum’s house.

I also had a special sensitivity to art. I used to paint, and museums are my go-to every time I have a chance. Some paintings can keep me captivated for hours, like Rubens’s Samson and Delilah: the light, the details, the story behind the brushstrokes, and the artist’s special footprint.

About 10 years ago, I bought my first DSLR camera, and that’s when I fell in love with photography. Suddenly, it all made sense.

When I reflect on my personal style, one theme stands out: capturing individuals interacting with their environment. This might involve someone accompanying them, the street they traverse, a thought they contemplate, or a song they dance to.

For me, capturing the perfect gesture holds significant importance. It’s not merely about photographing people; it’s about conveying the narrative that unfolds behind them.

Additionally, composition is a key aspect. In photography, as well as in paintings and design, among other art forms, composition marks the difference between a good and a bad photograph.

Therefore, I would describe my style as the amalgamation of interaction + micro-expression + story + composition.

It depends on the purpose. Typically, I have two scenarios: attending a specific event or randomly exploring the streets to capture moments.

When I attend a particular event, I anticipate that the attendees will be in character, whether it’s through cultural outfits, costumes, or complete immersion in the environment. Generally, these individuals are quite open to being photographed, making it easy to move around with the camera without being too intrusive. In these situations, my attention is drawn to someone with unique beauty, an exceptional outfit, the surrounding atmosphere, their interactions with others, or even with themselves. That’s when I look for that micro-gesture.

On the other hand, shooting randomly in the streets presents more challenges. People are often less open to being photographed, and the window of opportunity is much smaller. In such cases, I attempt to spot someone who has caught my eye (for the same reasons as before) from a distance. This allows me to position myself correctly in terms of both place and angle. This way, I can capture the shot with a pleasing composition while reducing the risk of being noticed taking the photograph.

I find that composition is a recurring theme in both design and photography. Being a designer before delving into photography has assisted me in comprehending and mastering composition without having to consciously think about it. I believe it’s a challenging subject to learn.

Moreover, as someone who is highly aesthetically driven, I’ve observed that photography enhances my design skills. For instance, when considering colours, shapes, and how a subject in a photo should be positioned in relation to other design elements, photography serves as a valuable tool. It contributes to creating a cohesive and immersive design.

I love it when I have a very small window of opportunity to take a photo and this one turns out to be great. For example when a couple is about to kiss… you only have a second to compose properly and shoot. That moment is gone before you can even think about it. Kisses are one of the most rewarding things to photograph for someone who loves love.

I love my books, and I always seek inspiration from photographers like Gordon Parks and Vivian Maier for street photography, and from Peter Lindbergh and Annie Leibovitz for portraits and fashion photography.

Paintings, especially from the Renaissance, hold a special place in my heart. They are intensely focused on the subject and narrate a story. Every detail in the artwork serves to convey something to the audience, and I’m particularly fascinated by the treatment of light.

Now, here’s a confession: I don’t consider myself a technical photographer. While I grasp the basics of how light works, including knowledge about aperture and shutter speed, etc., my true interest lies in capturing the essence of what unfolds through my lens. In street photography, adjusting settings on the fly can be challenging. It’s a decision between tweaking settings and potentially missing the moment. So, I prefer using preset combinations that I can manually adjust based on weather and light conditions, sticking to them throughout the shoot. Consequently, new techniques and trends don’t have a significant impact on my approach.

However, I’m open to exploring new techniques and trends if I delve into another form of photography, which is something I might consider in the future.

I’m relaunching my portrait business and returning to street photography, which I paused due to personal reasons. I’m eager to return to street photography—it has been quite a while, I’d say since the pandemic, since I haven’t ventured out randomly to capture shots of strangers.

Additionally, I have a desire to delve into still-life photography, possibly focusing on flowers, and experiment with this new creative avenue. I’m excited to see what artistic possibilities can emerge from this exploration.

Start sooner and don’t let fear hold you back. Be bolder and braver. This advice still applies to me today.