Street& Documentary

Gavin Mills walks the streets with an intuitive approach to framing

Gavin admits he doesn’t have a very technical approach to composition. “I just see things, and I don’t really know what I like until I see it. I work very visually. I have read about the rule of thirds, verticals and horizontals, leading lines and so on, but to me it’s more about capturing feeling; seeing something I like, and shooting it. “This image of the cyclist was taken at the famous Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo. I love the air of decay. Sadly, it’s being moved to a different location, so go there while you still can.”

Gavin explains how he walked around the historic fish market until something caught his eye. “I immediately noticed the entrance: I knew that if I could get the right subject coming across the frame, it would make a strong picture. So there were these porters pushing carts, and I must have waited 20 minutes or so for one of them to cross the doorway in the right way. All of a sudden this guy rode across, and made the picture.”

Gavin knew he would only get a second to take the shot, so he had

pre-focused to roughly the right area, halfway between where he was standing and the doorway. “Since changing to a Leica from Nikon SLRs a few years ago, I have become a lot quicker with manual focusing,” he says. “It’s like learning how to drive a beautifully engineered car. It takes time, but the results are worth it.”

As well as careful focusing and quick reactions, Gavin stresses the importance of patience in good street and documentary photography. “I see a scene I like, like a bridge or a market, and this is my stage. I’m waiting for the actors to turn up. In other words, you either see a subject and find a way to frame them, or you find the frame and wait for the subject.”

When it comes to more general tips for street photography, Gavin explains that he often shoots using a wide aperture to isolate the subject (a common theme among the photographers we spoke to for this feature). “Some other good tips are to use the leading lines of buildings to draw in the eye, and to carefully think about what and what not to include in the shot. Don’t try to get too much in the frame, because it starts to get confusing, and the viewer is not sure what the subject is.”