No plan is a good plan

Choose the lens, make sure battery is full and plenty of space in the memory card, pack your minimum equipment, good pair of shoes and out.

That’s my preparation for every day shooting. And I said “my” preparation because probably other people will have their own method. Personally I don’ t have it. Go out without a plan or a specific destination, without any idea about how many photos I will take, what I will shoot and most important without any idea of who I will shot.

There are days I come back with 30 photos, and other days with more than 300. And the moody process of post processing, filtering down the best photos, adjusting them according to that specific mood I am in that particular day. Funny…very recently I have decided to wait at least 48 hours before approving 100% a photo. Why? Because right after the first editing, it happens that those editing look horrible the day after and I have to change them.

Let’s admit it, street photographers are probably the weirdest people in the photography world. Most photographers, such as portrait, landscape, wedding, event photographers are most of the time paid and their work is commissioned from somebody else. But the street photographer, the truly mad one the genius, just click and click and click for the pure pleasure of freezing completely unknown people in their daily activities who are completely unaware of the fact that their face will be published. And in the lucky event the street photographer will get eventually paid, it is from other people that have nothing to do with the subject on the photo.

And everything happens in a few second, without much time to prepare the composition or check the light, or make yourself comfortable. Ok maybe there is a slight idea of what we are expecting to freeze, but the minute you point that lens in the face of somebody, you have probably 1-2 seconds before that face changes or hide or run away.

I think there will not be a street photographer without a bit of madness inside (or maybe quite a lot).

But, it is so rewarding and makes you feel great. Going out with a camera and that voyeuristic instinct,  without any clue or plan about what you will come back home with, and look at those faces, those moments that you know are unique, not replicable.