My Street photography demands dedication, obsession, and discipline. It’s note a joke, unfortunatly.
t’s not just a hobby, it’s something that completely drains me day by day. In the latest periods, between work and family, unfortunatly I’ve had less and less time to dedicate to it. Sometimes I haven’t the energy or the will. Other times, I simply want to focus on something else.
That said, I’m constantly taking photos with my phone, wherever I am, 24/7. But more than anything, If i don’t practice on the streets I spend a lot of time studying. In my opinion everything can somehow be traced back to street photography. I don’t just study the classic works of the masters, I dive into art books, films, cinema theory (I’ve got a little gem to share with you soon).
It’s all part of a search for inspiration, a way to understand why I photograph and, more importantly, what I want to photograph. I’ve written before in a blog post about why I often prefer studying painting and cinema over photography itself. These are, of course, personal opinions but they work for me.
Street photography as art and inner voice: an emotional means
What I really want is to elevate my street photography making it deeply emotional, a reflection of everyday life, but without a documentary purpose. It should be my vision, my eye, my way of being. When someone looks at my street photos, I want them to see me. I want them to recognize my work among a hundred other photographers. Only then will I feel satisfied. Only then will I consider myself a true artist.
I’m not trying to prove anything with my photography. I just want to move you, if possible touching your inner soul. There are times when I listen to certain pieces by Ennio Morricone, like the beautiful “Poverty” from Once Upon a Time in America, and I instinctively cry. And I ask myself: Why am I crying? Why do I feel something so powerful from just a few simple notes strung together?
That’s exactly where I want my photography to go. I want it to rise up and strike the heart, to speak to people’s souls, to communicate something, just like when I listen to Morricone, or stand in front of a Van Gogh painting; same process.
About other street photographers
The hardest part, though, is still managing to stand out from the crowd.
We’re constantly bombarded with images of every kind. There are some incredibly talented contemporary street photographers out there, many of whom, in my opinion, have nothing to envy from the great masters of the past.
That said, there’s definitely less originality in terms of style these days. Especially when I think about american street photographers; there’s a clear trend: analog cameras, flash photography, subjects centered in the frame, close, but not too close. In those stunning pcitures you see plenty of surreal, absurd, and totally unexpected situations. Sometimes even scenes of violence. These are powerful, striking images, undeniably beautiful most of the time, but they’re also starting to feel somewhat repetitive across different well-known photographers. There’s a certain overlap in style that makes them feel a bit too similar each other.
Failing: my worse nightmare
I’m often afraid of failing out on the street. That’s my crux and worse weakness.
Sometimes my shyness simply wins over me. Sometimes I run out of energy. Sometimes I just feel drained, my mind isn’t clear, and I don’t feel inspired. I’m so afraid of failing that I rarely even edit my photos. Looking back at what I’ve shot often makes me feel terrible.
For example, I still have unedited shots from 2021 on my hard drive, images I haven’t looked at since I took them. Same goes for my film rolls: I started shooting film in April 2024, and I still haven’t scanned many and many rolls from over a year ago. Part of it is lack of time. But honestly, part of it is lack of motivation beause looking at my own photos often makes me feel sad.
I feel so far from the standards I want to reach that it just feels like failure,like I’m wasting my time.
That’s all folks
Stay well, have always light in your life
Best, F.S.
Here is the link to my personal best pictures: street photography gallery
Read more about street photography, art, cinema
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