Everywhere is within walking distance if you have the time – Steven Wright
Walking people
Before I took up street photography to any serious level, I just loved being out on the streets. Sitting for hours in public, watching passersby, gives me hours of pleasure. I’m fascinated with watching people get on with their lives.
There may be a myriad of reasons for this, like me being an introvert or that I grew up on a farm. Who knows? It’ just something that gives me immense enjoyment and it’s certainly helped with the novels which I’ve written. Many character descriptions can be traced back to someone I’ve seen walking past me or sitting having a drink somewhere.
Wildlife will always be my passion, but I also have an affinity for photographing the clothed ape. Creatures who wander our concrete pavements and drink liquids made from roasted beans.
Street Photography
Being out and about in the diverse aspects of any major city, I find myself gravitating to the more gritty and rustic of urbanscapes. Having said that, I’ll always want to see it in colour contrasts rather than the black-and-white images that many street photographers tend to produce.
I’ve always loved colour more than black-and-white because I naturally see in colour. Don’t get me wrong, shooting for monochrome is a phenomenal art form. I just choose not to produce it as the end product all the time. Decay, poverty and decline are just as harrowing in colour as they are in monochrome.
The Project
The walk-on-by project evolved from my photography on London Streets, and then was expanded through my global travels. The key ingredient is always finding the background first. It should fill the image, whether taken in a portrait or landscape orientation. Then you stand back and wait for someone to walk through the image.
A few people will see you waiting and will watch you as they pass. Or they may stop and wait for you to get your photo. I let them go because you’re interested in the person who is lost in their thoughts.
Below are a few images from the project so please click on the link to see the rest of the Walk-on-by Project
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