Street Portraits are Stressful….. for me!

There, I said it all. No need in fact to continue rambling about this.

For me, Street Portraits are stressful. Period!

I’m already quite ill at ease when making photos in the streets, a least when there’s people in the frame and said people are the main subject. Always shy and fearful of confrontations. That’s me.

So why do I continue, on and off, to make street photos? And Street Portraits?

Well, I like it. When I’m out with a camera, walking the city and I get really into the mojo, start loving the street, loving the people, seeing them interact with others, I can overcome my fear. I confront myself and tell myself: <<Go ahead, that’s what you like to do!>>

And ten there are the real street portraits, those where you simply have to interact with strangers. And that’s a whole different affair.

In all my ‘photography career’ I have only made a handful of those Street Portraits, if I’m honest. And those were made under duress. It was in fact when I was involved in that TV contest last year.

No choice but to comply with the rules and go ahead. Stressful indeed!

But very gratifying at the same time. I went up to interesting people, engaged them in a conversation and just asked them if I could.. And they were mostly willing.

Is this my style of photography? Yes and no.

When I’m in the right mood I love street photography. But there are times when I am not really disposed to like people. That happens… hopefully to more people than me. I don’t want to come over as a hopeless sociopath.

So when the time, the seasons, the weather or whatever is right and I have that silly smile on my face, I love to do street photography and even street portraits.

But other days I prefer to see frames without people. Those days I simply can’t bring myself to raise the camera in certain situations. So no, I’m not a real street photographer. I just dabble in the art, sometimes, rarely.

Most days I see other stuff, I see lines, shadows, light and structures but no people.

Why is this? For me, the best explanation is that I’m hopelessly shy and mosty can’t overcome that barrier unless I get the mojo working as the great Muddy Waters said!

So I guess I’ll dabble on and turn out some acceptable street photography from time to time. Other days will be photography time too, but devoid of humans.

Hope you’ll come back anyways to see some photos here!

Thanks for visiting!