Why I Keep My Camera On and Ready When I’m Shooting Street Photography
Image by Craig Boehman
I see a lot of crazy shit in Mumbai and if I’m packing one of my cameras, the chances are that I’m going to capture the moment even if the image isn’t technically immaculate. My definition of crazy shit may differ from yours, but for the sake of argument, let’s just say that crazy shit is a good thing and not necessarily a bad thing and hence desirable to capture. It could crossover into Bresson’s decisive moment territory, and I don’t see why it wouldn’t ever be the case. Crazy shit is memorable. Crazy shit tends to stir up conversation. And Crazy shit can be epic. I’m always on the lookout for crazy shit in my street photography.
I consider the above image that I took from a speeding auto-rickshaw to be crazy shit. A guard trying to awaken a passed-out man on the sidewalk by pouring water over his head using a pant watering can? That works out to be a couple scoops of crazy shit in my books. And while the image, technically-speaking, is far from perfect due to the lateral motion of the auto-rickshaw and the autofocus failing to latch on to any of the individuals or anything for that matter in the foreground, I’m happy with the image all the same for the rarity of the scene and because of the fairly decent composition, blurriness aside.
The point of this post, apart from sharing some crazy shit with you, is to highlight the fact that luck favors the prepared mind, to quote Louis Pasteur, who was also famous for getting lucky with capturing some crazy shit albeit of the microscopic variety. Maybe the quote isn’t a perfect fit. Luck favors the photographer with a powered-on camera in hand would be more accurate.
Image by Craig Boehman
On the same ride home, not more than 10 minutes after I photographed the man receiving a good watering, another unfortunate gentleman had a more dangerous fate in store for him and took a spill on his motorcycle right in front of me. I barely had time to wrap my head around what was happening but I still managed to get the shot. And it was in focus this time. It’s time for the message.
Streetphotographers Keep Your Cameras On and Ready in Your Hand(s)
Whenever I’m shooting street photography, my camera is always on and I’m always holding it, either around at waist level or close to my chest as I walk. If I’m ever using a camera strap, it’s to climb ladders or for temporary hanging until my hands are free again to take up the camera. Now, I’m not suggesting that you keep your camera on and ready to capture the kinds of things I do, but I’m sure that if you’re shooting street photography then there must be times when speed, or being prepared, is a must. And I guarantee that I wouldn’t have had time to capture both of these scenes if I hadn’t had my camera powered on and ready in my hand. I say hand because I’ve been working with my new Sony ZV-1, and shooting with this camera has been a joy so far using just one hand.
If you want to capture more crazy shit in your street photography, keep your camera on and ready. If you’re taking the time to go out in the streets and photograph people, who may or may not be your main subjects, there’s no preparation like being the military equivalent of locked and loaded. Don’t leave the camera hanging around your neck like a tourist (unless you’re pretending to be one to get some shots!) and risk fumbling with it whenever something captures your eyes. You must be ready. You must be fast. Sometimes, crazy shit waits for nobody.
