Why Street Photography Matters.

Lately I find myself with a growing interest in street photography. I‘ve been venturing off into the big city more often these days, whether that be Boston, New York, or my recent Seattle trip. I even signed myself up for a class in documentary photography in an effort to learn more about the ethics of photographing on the streets as well as to get some practice taking pictures of people I don’t know. 

Someone in my class recently asked me why I’m interested in street photography. It was a simple question, but it made me think. My answer was something to the effect of…

So many people are in search of epic scenery: grand vistas, incredible weather, out of this world photographs. But I am not chasing the same thing as those people. Instead, I like to focus on small moments. 

Maybe it’s a person waiting at a crosswalk. Maybe it’s someone drinking their coffee. Or the endless traffic that passes by. Or the way the light reflects off a skyscraper window.

I’m interested in these little moments, these small and seemingly insignificant parts of the day. I want to document stillness in a busy place, or movements that happen in an instant. Often I try to capture the space in between that stillness and motion. 

I want to celebrate these small moments, because they’re so much more important (to me) than the grand ones. It’s a celebration of everyday life. While so many people are off in their own worlds, I want to open their eyes to wonder and beauty. It’s all around us, all the time. 

The person walking in front of you, hands clasped behind their back: what work have those hands done? Where has that person been?

The person carrying something, on a mission: where are they going? What’s the story?

The person drinking their coffee at a streetside cafe table: what are they taking a break from? 

Every one of us has a story. I want to try to capture part of that story in a fraction of a second. I want to reconnect with that inquisitive nature we all have within us, but often lose sight of. Street photography is visual storytelling. It captures a sense of place. It shows us the people who inhabit these spaces, each with something different to say. It makes us question the world around us. 

“It’s a celebration of every day life.
Wonder and beauty are all around us, all the time.”

And hopefully, it helps us to take notice of these instants in time. Because life is just a series of small moments, and if we miss them, then one day we wake up and wonder where the time went.

This is true of all of the photographic work I create: it is to show that each moment is worth capturing, even the normal, everyday happenings in these lives we all think are so uninteresting.

Trust me, they are all full of awe.