10 Street Photography Resolution Tips

Happy New Year All!!! May health, wealth and happiness be present to you in 2018! Now I am not a big believer in setting up goals especially when it comes to New Year’s resolution. In fact, I believe you are just setting yourself up for failure and disappointment. I feel instead of making a big unrealistic goal for example cut off soda entirely from your diet…instead you should narrow the large goal even further down (just thinking about cutting out your favorite beverage seems overwhelming). So if your goal was initially to cut off soda by year’s end then maybe instead it’s to only allow yourself to drink soda twice (12oz can) a week during lunch. Now that doesn’t seem too difficult does it.

Below are ten street photography goals that you can apply to your new year’s resolution!

Carry Your Camera Everywhere 

Carry your camera everywhere with you and a mobile phone does not count unless that is all you have. So anytime you go out of the house or office, bring your camera. Have it dangling from your wrist or neck. At the very least you won’t regret not making a photo of something you see it. Stop with the excuses of “Oh I forgot my camera”…”Damn I wish I had my camera”…this happened to me on several occasions last year, some may have been good photos but I ain’t losing any sleep for not taking it. I’ll do my best to bring my camera everywhere, you never know what you might see or come across. Read my blog post on “The Laws of Averages”

If you can’t carry your camera everywhere then shoot at least an hour a day

If you are unwilling to carry your camera anytime you head out because you’re either lazy or don’t want to hold a 20oz camera then try to shoot at least an hour a day. Shoot during your lunch break, after work, wake up early and shoot before work. Walk home and shoot. Walk to work and shoot. Remember you’re killing two birds with one stone by being creative and burning them holiday calories.

Be Creative Daily

Be creative daily to help you get thru the day. To help stimulate your mind and soul and to give you something to look forward to. Creativity benefits you in so many ways, your mood, your energy, your overall growth, helps resolve conflict, and create balance and order in your life. The key is to have continual learning, so whether you choose to be creative through photography, reading, drawing, painting, music, or writing, try something new,  find what sticks for you. Everybody is creative.

Take a Workshop

Take a street photography workshop in your city. If not travel to the nearest city from you that’s offering one. If your budget allows, travel offshore to  take the workshop. I say it’s a must do at least once for every street photographer enthusiast.

Travel to a Foreign Country

Travel somewhere you have never been before. Get out of your comfort zone and there’s nothing like seeing a new place with a fresh pair of eyes with a camera in your hands…and most importantly TIME. No need to worry about work, stress, or anything back home. Just shoot it up in a new place. Have fun!

Perhaps, travel to a country and meet up with a local street photographer there. Hit them up and make arrangements before hand. Most street photographers are nice people.

If you are unable to travel then travel to different parts of your own country, city, state….and shoot in different area for one month throughout the year…amounting to 12 new locations for the calendar year. This should help stimulate your creative juices!

Attend a Street Photography Festival

Attend a street photography festival to meet other street photography enthusiast and network as well (I hate that word by the way). Attend panel discussions and learn new things about the art of street photography. If you’re on the west coast visit Streetfoto.org in San Francisco. If you’re on the east coast stop by in Miami to visit the Miami Street Photography Festival 

There are more street photo festivals booming in parts of Europe due to the popularity of the genre.

Upload Only Your Best Photos on Social Media

Social media is full of crappy photos. Even if your photo is awesome, most likely it wouldn’t get recognize because the way people scroll through their feed is a correlation to the general populations attention span. So when your followers or friends do scroll and come across your photo…make it count…every single time.

Make Prints

Make prints, small or larger, or both…Make postcard sizes which are perfect for Christmas gifts or birthdays. It’s a great touching point with your friends. And physical photos are so much cooler to look at and be appreciative of them than online. There’s a different aura with tangible prints and that’s why street photography photo books have been booming in recent years.

Start On A Project

I did a project when I travelled to Cuba last year. It’s more of a documentary project than street (Rafael Trejos) and still have my on-going project Beach Please!

Projects help you give direction and narrow your focus in times where you may feel like your mind is all over the place and you’re unable to see anything out in the streets.

Don’t Buy A New Camera…Unless

Stop lusting over new gear or lenses. NAB & CES is right around the corner but I would advise to spend less time researching and geeking out on gear and put in more time working on your craft. Hitting up the streets. Your camera is not your limitation. Only your mind is. Also remember your camera is just a tool.

Only buy a new camera if obviously you need one (broken, stolen, etc). I usually don’t upgrade camera’s unless my current one is broken…I am that type of person that wears the same pair of shoes until the sole completely comes off then I’ll buy a new pair.

In fact, your mobile phone is good enough if you are only going to post your work online. I have seen prints as big as 11 x 17 from a Iphone 7 and they look amazing. The average person wouldn’t tell the difference between that print and a print from a 42MP A7RII.

The main keys to making a good photograph, content, framing, and lighting….camera’s don’t produce that…you do.