Are some things best left alone ?
Imagine understanding everything about everything and eliminating the mysteries of life , love and all things !
Makes me shiver thinking about it , I’ve written before about the importance of leaving space within your mental and aesthetic approach to Street Photography for serendipity to flourish , a big part of this approach is giving up a element of control in order to be “Lucky” !
The acid test of this approach is the repeatability test , how difficult would your latest masterpiece be to reshoot ?
What are the odds of the right person turning up in the right light at the right time and doing the same thing , that is before we get into settings , viewpoint and chance favoring a repeat capture .
Truth be told the repeatability question really relies on how adventurous the author is at the time of capture , simple captures are more likely to be simple to replicate !
I’m not a gambler but I consider myself to be a visual risk taker within my personal work , the buzz of formulating ideas that at first glance are unlikely but eventually deliver are a personal driver for me , good Street Photography should be uncertain , unpredictable and full of surprises for the viewer and the photographer !
I love the idea of giving up photographic control and rolling with the flow of the everyday !
Once my head goes into creative mode it becomes a playhouse of visualisation but it never threatens to come close to the unlikely imagery that real life randomly delivers , I might not be able to imagine the serendipitous surrealism of my reality but I hope to be able to identify it when I see it !
The quick recognition and anticipation of a complex picture opportunity is the real talent that good Street Photographers develop over time .
I dare not think about how much of this “Stuff” passes under my radar , unseen and un-photographed ? It would send me mad if I thought about it too long , I’m grateful for the ones that I manage to see and capture.
The ones I see and fail to capture are another blog for another day , I’m not going there !
Some days deliver a level of SP clarity while others feel like hard work , good days flow and create a visual rhythm while other days feel difficult , obstructive and uncooperative , its like being at the centre of a invisible conspiracy of photo-vandalism ?
What makes good days good and bad days not so good is anyone’s guess , I do believe that happy togs make better photos , I’m not sure its the happiness itself but the positivity that accompanies a inner smile and maybe a outer smile too definitely helps !
Dark moods usually trigger cynical dark pictures , nothing wrong with that if that is what you want .
I don’t really want to understand or over think all this analytical “Stuff” , I’m happy to approach my pictures in the same way that I tackle life , one bite at a time !
Street Photography is capable of delivering great highs and lows on the same day , the secret of surviving these extremes long term is to treat both emotions equally , both success and failure are temporary states that can usually be effected and rectified by a continuous search for the next great shot !
Good spontaneous, unplanned pictures still feel like magic to me , I am less paranoid on the bad days than I used to be , truth be told lockdown has taught me that life is not so bad if I’m lucky enough to be out on the streets making pictures , regardless of the end results .
Believe in your next shot , it might be the best capture you ever make ?
I don’t want to be the one who explains the magic away , a deep understanding might break the spell , appreciate the small things and accept lifes serendipitous gifts, graciously …
Keep it real , stay safe and be lucky …
David Barrett shot the pandemic crisis during 2020, The Testing Times project can be seen by clicking above .
The State Of Britain series is complete, it explores everyday life during the Brexit era and gives visual insights into British identity, aspirations and post-truth uncertainty .....
Check out the new UK Street Shop on this site to buy Prints, Walks & More …
He is based in the South West of England .