This time I want to share my personal notes that I wrote for myself. I keep these notes in my phone so I can read them anytime to keep me focus, motivate, and has deeper understanding about street photography.
Personal notes are about honest words that reflect myself and my philosophy in street photography world. I truly hope they able to help or inspire people to start/keep doing street photography.
I already wrote “21 Personal Notes” before (Read here), and now here they are the additional personal notes for myself:
– Street photography is telling story about reality, based on photographers perspective and imagination.
– Street photography is not documentary nor journalism photography. It is not about serve the accurate reality, instead, more about a piece of artistic scene on public space that happen in decisive moment.
– Social media is a place when we let people judge our photos. Also, always remember the fact that they judge our photo, not ourself as a person. Do not feel offended when people criticize our photos.
– Have habit to try finding good images everywhere, as we can do street photography everywhere. Included in boring site like our working place or area around our home.
– Seek objects around us, that able to create creative image: framing, reflection, geometry, diagonal line, and vibrant colours.
– Street photography is about finding beauty in the mundane, in everyday life, away from the factual appeal of journalism or the instantaneous beauty of Pictorialism – Magnum Photos
“Pictorialism, an approach in photography that emphasizes beauty of subject matter, tonality, and composition rather than the documentation of reality. (Wikipedia)”
– I create photo to satisfy my craving about artistic things. To please my visual and my mind. I create photo for myself.
– Create impact to audience’s visual perception with contents inside our photo.
– Street photography is the art of seeing artistic scene on the street in decisive moment.
– Using prime lens? Move your leg! (Read here about prime lenses)
– Street photography is about record unique moment spontaneously. Could be unique in story or visually or both. Neither of them are wrong.
– Often we are paralyzed by too many options or by analyzing too much. Start simple, and optimise everything we have. A camera with a prime lens is all what we need to do street photography (or a smartphone!).
– Doing street photography is like doing exercise in gym place. It doesn’t matter what others able to achieve. What matter the most is be a better you day by day. It is all about you vs yourself. That’s why shoot regularly to improve!
– Art is all about doing what you shouldn’t – Nobuyoshi Araki
– Shoot street photography is not about serve the accurate reality, but more about a piece of artistic story or scene.
– A million different stories from one (artistic) photo. Force audience use their imagination when see our photo.
– Anxiety, depressed, and lack of inspiration will happen to anyone who create art content. You are not alone.
– Best photo is the one I will take tomorrow – Imogen Cunningham
– Camera is only a tool (Read here). A gadget. It helps us to record the light. it will not determine the quality of content inside photo.
– To trains our brain: Stimulate it, experiment new things, challenge it, and rest. Repeat.
– To create a great creative shots: Learn how to look a scene in different way. Learn where to stand and when to click camera shutter.
That is all about my second part of 21 personal Notes. Hopefully they would able to help other people (and myself) to keep going in street photography. After all, street photographer is a happier person!
Keep shooting everyday,
Nico Harold