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 p.2 #8 · p.2 #8 · Your favorite 10 street shots that you took in 2022 | |
RustyBug wrote:
I think this happens more and more as our (mine anyway) shooting becomes more of that "learned instinct" or intuitive / anticipatory shooting. You know, the kind where you get the shot, without first confirming that everything is "just the way your want it" before releasing the shutter.
The "surprise" when you open 'em up at home, comes in somewhere between the surprise in a box of Cracker Jacks, and watching the image come to life in the tray. Folks tend to think that the "magic" of revelation got lost when we went from film to digital. But, with street ... yeah, when things are captured so quickly sometimes, that (mine, anyway) the mind doesn't always have time to process it all in real time.
At first, I kinda felt like those finds were just lucky and I didn't have anything much to do with 'em. Then, as they just kinda kept happening, I figured that's part of the "make your own luck" that we embrace by virtue of the effort to be there in the first place, coupled with our "learned instinct".
Note: Literally, people don't have instinct, (more like intuition) ... but the phrase stuck. I kinda argued against the phrase for a while. But then as I began to experience it a bit more, I began to better understand how it may have come to be.
I'm pretty much a structured shooter by style and temperament, most times. But when I do allow myself to shoot "looser", those surprises occur, even more. I'm inclined to think (cognitively) that there are (autonomous) parts of our brains that process so fast, we don't even (cognitively) realize they were processing ... kinda like "in the blink of an eye", only about a billion times quicker. It is here, where we try to put labels to it, such as instinct, intuition, gut, etc. to explain it. But, no matter ... where it came from inside you, it was still inside you. Even if other (cognitive) parts of the brain need more time to catch up with the autonomous parts of the brain, later. 
My point ... do NOT discount your capture, just because you didn't cognitively note all aspects of the scene at the time of capture. There was "something" inside you that compelled to you capture it ... still yours, ALL yours ... even, the "surprise" elements that you found later. 
Case in point (of mine) ... #9, was a "drive by shooting", but not the kind we typically associate with the phrase. As I was driving, I saw these two guys, so I took the shot while rolling by. Mind you, that's a "no look" shot since I'm literally driving, eyes on the road. Yet, something called to me to capture that scene. The irony for me upon opening the image at home, was the revelation of the waistband hardware, as captured in my own "drive by shooting". But, in addition to that, was the captured look on his face as he was watching me. For me, it was a bit of a "surprise", when I first saw the combination of him watching me, and his displayed hardware. Neither of which were part of a "cognitive" capture. I had no idea of either at the time of capture. Just a gut feel about the scene ... click.
Highly unlikely that I would have taken that shot, had I waited till I processed everything in the scene before making the capture. So, yeah ... sometimes, we find "surprises" when we get home. I often shoot with specific intent, but the surprises from the gut captures are a welcome part of things, too.
To Create ... is to make the unseen, visible.
Magic, in a moment.
Your effort, your gut, your pics ... surprises and all. 
 ...Show more →
Well spoken. I recognize a lot, even though I seriously started with street photography just last August. I had a few short episodes before, but this time I am completely hooked. For the most part I was into landscapes and portraits, but photo opportunities were scarce. I realize now that street photography yields plenty of opportunities, almost regardless of where you are. And I find it so rewarding.
Intuition is coming fast, or maybe there was some from before, and I find that the following "rules" help me in the process:
- Anticipate, for instance to catch people where you want them in the frame and in relation to the background, trying to avoid distractions. This is not always possible of course. I may take the shot anyway and see how it works out later.
- Patience. I had to wait for an hour until the right kind of person walked by and looked in the right direction in my image #9. The person behind the fitness advertisement is a bit distracting (point 1), but it was this shot or nothing.
- Despite the previous point, don't hang around in the same place for too long.
- Don't follow/stalk your subjects. There is an unlimited supply of interesting people and the next one will come around the corner.
- Don't strive after technical perfection. The moment is gone before you know it.
- Enjoy surprises. I didn't see what was on the sheet of paper in my first image when I released the shutter. With #3 I thought that I captured a man with a cigar exchanging money. Close, but no cigar.
Paul
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