05 Capture stillness in the city
Freeze occasional moments of stillness amid the mayhem
There’s no doubt that the metropolis can be a hectic and stressful place. Even in the middle of all the hustle and bustle, though, you can capture moments of stillness and serenity with your photography. It’s a great way of adding a new depth to your street work, and is a technique that has worked well for Jake Burge, a British documentary photographer based in Japan. As with most street photography, however, it takes patience.
“The environment the people are standing in is just as important as the subject itself,” Jake explains. “I tend to wait till I find a visually interesting spot before I take a photo. It takes much more patience to find the right place with a lone person and a lot of exploring, but it’s worth it.” For his project ‘Private Thoughts in Public Places,’ Jake went for a candid approach, but also wanted the images to ‘feel’ as if they could be staged. It’s fine to make slightly ambiguous images that ask questions.
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* Approach this kind of imagery in a calm and persevering way. Spend time in a place so you can step back from the more usual street scenes and become aware of subtle moments that can be easily overlooked. * While Jake always tries to work candidly, he isn’t too worried if somebody spots him photographing them. “Just smile and say hello – it usually works.” * Try to avoid messy backgrounds or other visual clutter that distract attention from your main subject, but do try to capture interesting urban environments.