Author: timhuynhphotos

Let’s face it, the pandemic took a toll on our overall well-being and left many of us drained. Some street shooters I know have only recently gone out with intentions of shooting street. If you were on a street photography hiatus during quarantine and lock-down, view it as a positive step towards recharging your emotional batteries and coming back out shooting the streets with a fresh pair of eyes. If you’re having trouble finding where you last left off, then here are 5 ways to get your street photography groove back.

Just Press It

Just shut up and shoot! Or a more polite way in saying that, just press the shutter button. Regardless if you think it’s worthy of being an image or not, just click the shutter button. Main point of this suggestion is to get you in a groove and comfortable back on the streets. Sometimes you just need to loosen up any per-conceive tension and let loose by snapping that shutter button. If you wait for the right alignment or subject matter to enter your frame of shot, you may never click your shutter button and remain in your creative rut.

Try Something New

Do something you’ve never done in your street photography. Shoot wide angle. Use flash. Shoot low angle. Shoot extreme close ups. If you shoot predominately in color then shoot in black and white, and vice versa. Trying something new will force you out of your comfort zone and challenge your creative instincts. Don’t always rely on muscle memory to get you back into the flow of the streets. Despite the streets looking filled and almost back to “normal”, people are still adjusting being in public spaces. Most wear a face mask in public. The six feet social distancing rule is something to always consider and be respectful of.

Street photography like anything, needs practice. The more reps you put in, the better you become at it, and the better you become at it, your chances of making a great photo increases.

Celebrate Your Images

Our culture tends to only celebrate the winners. That also rings true in street photography, we celebrate the one’s the either received a lot of “likes” on social media or the one’s that made a finalist in a contest. Embrace photos of yours that resonate with you, not just the ones that are celebrated by others. I think it’s more important than ever post-pandemic that we give more appreciation and we embrace more of our own work. Not overly admiring of others in the field and wishing we were them or capture the images they’ve captured. Time to celebrate your own individuality.

Connection

I think connection is huge post-pandemic especially after a full year of zoom meetings and zoom virtual events. So one suggestion I have is to connect with other street photographers in your community. Meeting other street photographers in your area makes bonding much easier because of an existing shared interest based on things you both enjoy doing or talking about.

Another option is to make a street portrait of a stranger and stir up a conversation. People love being met with acknowledgment or respect. A quick chat with a stranger or a short bond with someone new can foster a sense of fulfillment. Taking a candid photo or portrait of someone and complimenting them afterwards with enthusiasm can kill most awkwardness between you the photographer and the subject/stranger. I mean how many times has a stranger ever given you a random compliment.

Watch Fill The Frame

Whether you are a street photography fan or not, I can guarantee one of the eight subjects in my documentary Fill The Frame will inspire you and you will be able to find connection with. Fill The Frame will inspire you to go out and take pictures in your area of public space.

1. Hi Brett, please introduce yourself

I am a freelance photographer currently based out of Los Angeles. I was born and raised in Southern California and attended photo school for visual journalism. After graduating, I moved to Washington, DC in 2009 to work as a staff photographer for U.S. News & World Report. I was with the magazine for over 10 years before moving back out west in 2019 with my partner as she began law school.

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2. How did you get started in street photography
   
   I began dabbling in street photography while I was in school. I was influenced by the work of quite a few street photographers at the time, and it was an easy way to get out and practice the various skills I was learning and make images for assignments. In the years since, it is just something that I really enjoy and it has definitely become a part of my creative process. It is nice to be able to wander, see new things, appreciate light, and just make images for myself. It has the added benefit of keeping my skills sharp and enabling me to experiment with new ideas that I might not want to try while on assignment.

3. Has covid changed your shooting style at all. What have you learned

Aside from more PPE and a little more caution than normal times, I still take a similar approach. I have always shot a little wider, so needing to get close is usually not a big issue. When I am photographing I try to be hyper aware of everything that is going on and I think I have learned to amp that awareness up a little bit more just to make sure I am keeping distance from people and not getting myself into a situation that I might not be super comfortable with.

4. Who are some of your favorite street photographers and why

Alex Webb’s work is incredible and has inspired me for as long as I can remember. His compositions and use of color are amazing.  Shin Noguchi is another photographer whose work I really admire. His eye is incredible and he does a really wonderful job at capturing feelings and moments in his photos. I also really like Trent Park’s work. The way he sees and uses light is awesome.

5. If you could have one street photographer document your wedding day who would it be and why 

I think if he were still alive I think I would choose Henri Cartier-Bresson. His work is just so classic, the way he composed images and the moments he found were so good. I would like to imagine he would make some really beautiful images that would capture the feelings of the day with style. 

6. What are some of the positive influences Street Photography has had on you?

Street photography has definitely influenced the way I shoot and my approach in general. Without its influence on my work I am not sure I would have had the same opportunities as a photographer as I have had to this point in my life. There is so much crossover with photojournalism that the skills and lessons learned while out making street photos have definitely come in handy while on assignment. The confidence I have gained from street photography has also been empowering – to know that I can just roam around and find interesting scenes and compositions has been very beneficial at times.

7. What are you most proud of in terms of your work?

It isn’t necessarily street photography, but I think some of the healthcare work I did while at USN&WR really stands out to me as work I am proud of. I would often spend time with patients who were going through some really hard situations, yet they still had the most upbeat positive attitudes about everything –  it was humbling and inspiring to say the least. Occasionally during these assignments their family or friends would pull me aside and let me know how grateful they were for the work the magazine was putting out and how it had helped them figure out the best care for their needs. It was nice to know that the photos were part of something that was able to make a positive difference in someone’s life. Definitely hard to top that.

I think a lot of artists are never satisfied with their own work, so just generally knowing that some of my images have inspired, informed, been appreciated or made a difference to someone makes it feel like I am doing something right. That is the work I feel best about.

8. If you had to explain your work to a senior citizen how would you describe it?

When it comes to my work and street photography specifically, I like to explore the beauty and subtleties of daily life and the world around us. I tend to search for a combination of interesting light, vibrant colors, nice compositions, and a human element to try to create a mood or feeling in my photos. My images tend to be candid, clean and graphic, and I am a sucker for shadows.

9. What is your dream assignment/project?

Good question. I think this answer could take many different paths depending on the day and my mood. What comes to mind now is any assignment that would involve travel to somewhere with lots of interesting light and colors to play with, and just the freedom to document it as I see it.  I’m drawn to the aesthetics of places like Iceland, Greenland, Antarctica, etc…so those would be interesting places to go to for assignments. But really, so many things could be a dream assignment. Anything that just allows me to get out and experience things that I might not get to otherwise.

10. Where can people keep up with your work?

My website (www.BrettZieglerPhotography.com) or the rare instagram post (@bziegler) is currently the best way to see new work.

1. Hi Ivan, please introduce yourself?
   
   My name is Ivan, I’m a street photographer from Hong Kong who’s currently living in Toronto, Canada.
   
2. How did you get started in street photography?
   
   Growing up, I was fascinated by the work of photojournalists and documentary photographers. I would flip through magazines like National Geographic and just get blown away by the stunning images that told different stories from around the world. 

I knew very early on that I would never have the courage or be able to make the necessary sacrifices to put myself in the same positions as these photographers, so I turned to documenting the streets instead. It was the easier, more comfortable version of photojournalism for me.

3. Your YouTube channel has really grown, what made you decide to start producing YouTube content?
   
   Thanks, it’s still a fairly small channel, but I’m thankful to have a community of people that are always encouraging and appreciative of the videos I’m creating.

I’ve been a fan of Samuel Lin Taro’s YouTube channel for quite some time. I really admire the work that he’s been doing for the street photography community. I wanted to do something similar, but specifically for the scene in Hong Kong. My original plan was to get a channel started, gain some kind of following and then start featuring some of Hong Kong’s street photographers when I had more eyes on the channel. There is so much talent in Hong Kong, but no one is really producing quality content on YouTube to showcase it. Now that I’m in Toronto, it’s going to be a lot harder for me to follow through with that plan. But we’ll see.

4. What advice you would have for people that want to enter the YouTube sphere?
   
   You’re going to give yourself a hundred different reasons not to, but just go for it.
   
   I spent the longest time debating if I should start my own channel. I didn’t want to be labeled as a “YouTuber”, or even worse, a “YouTube photographer”. I’m also an introvert. I hate being in front of the camera and I’m horrible at public speaking. Definitely not YouTube material by any means. But I had a strong passion for street photography and I wanted to share my work and experiences with other like minded people. It was also a perfect way for me to learn how to make videos. So I stepped out of my comfort zone and just went for it.
   
   I’ve been doing this for around a year and I still can’t put three sentences together when I’m speaking in front of a camera. YouTube is not easy, but if you stick with it, you’ll eventually figure out a formula that works for you. Have a plan, be authentic and just do it!
   
5. Has the pandemic changed your shooting style at all. What have you learned?
   
   Without a doubt. I don’t get as close to people these days, for obvious reasons. I also got really bored of photographing people in masks (everyone in Hong Kong wears a mask when they’re out). The reason I got close to people in the first place was to capture raw emotions, it’s just not the same for me when you can’t see their faces. So instead of sticking to my old ways, I made some changes to keep myself interested.

I started studying the work of street photographers who specialized in urban landscapes. I wanted to learn how to make interesting photos without the help of human emotions. One of the photographers I spent a lot of time studying was Mark Power. He’s a magnum photographer who made photographs of empty urban spaces across America. It’s crazy, cause many of his photos actually look like they were shot during a pandemic. I slowly incorporated some of these ideas into my own work and got more comfortable shooting from a distance.

6. Who are some of your favorite street photographers and why?

My favorite street photographer has to be Daido Moriyama. You probably can’t tell from my photos, but he’s my greatest source of inspiration. I think it’s his casual approach to street photography that speaks to me. He keeps it simple, walks the streets everyday and creates art with a little point and shoot camera.

Some other favorites include Alex Webb, Geourgui Pinkhassov, Saul Leiter and Joel Meyerowitz.

If you could have one street photographer document your wedding day who would it be and why?

This is an interesting one! I think it would have to be Alex Webb. His style is perfect for event photography. There’s a lot happening in weddings and he’s a master at layering his photos to tell a story. Also, if you hire Alex Webb, you’ll probably also get Rebecca Norris Webb as a second shooter.

What are some of the positive influences Street Photography has had on you?

Street photography has given me the ability to notice and appreciate the simple things in life that most people often overlook. I spend a lot of time watching people on the streets. I know it sounds creepy, but what I’m seeing are stories of people’s lives. Interactions between strangers, lovers in a quarrel, warm exchanges between parents and their children, the list goes on. These are all things that you’ll never notice if you don’t look. We go about our daily lives worrying about the things that we have to get done and we never stop to just soak in the many beautiful moments that are unfolding around us.

Street photography has also introduced  me to an audience who actually appreciates the art I’m trying to make. My friends and family never understood the type of photography I did, I’m often asked why I take photographs of “nothing”, and honestly, I could never explain it. You either get it or you don’t, and I’m glad I found a group of people who do. This has given me validation and the confidence I need to pursue what I’m passionate about. The other day, someone messaged me and told me that he started street photography again because of one of my videos. That was amazing and it’s really all I need to keep going. 

How do you plan out your YouTube content? Do you have a content calendar and do you shoot everything in one day?

I don’t have a calendar, but I do have a list of video ideas on my iPhone’s notes app. I’ll just pick and choose from the list whenever I feel like the time is right for that video. It’s still kind of messy right now, I should probably work on a calendar and be more organised about it.

I’d say most of my videos are shot within a day, but it depends. Actually a majority of my time is spent on writing, scripting and planning for the shoot. That process alone could take up to a week to get right, the actual video shooting and editing is the easy part for me. That’s why I’m terrible at vlogging, I can’t do “off the cuff” videos, I always need to have a structured plan to work with.

Where can people keep up with your work?

YouTube: Ivan Chow
Instagram: @ivun.street

Website: ivanchow.format.com

I’m quite active on Instagram and will share most of my updates there. I also try to answer all the messages I get on YouTube and Instagram so feel free to get in touch if you have questions about street photography, videos or if you just want to nerd out on camera gear.