I’d like to talk again about my worst negative thoughts when I’m out doing street photography. I wrote about this in the past, but the topic is so crucial that I feel a strong need to revisit it over and over. These are three of the main negative thoughts that arise in my mind as I walk the streets with a camera in my hands. They’re not the only negative thoughts I experience, but they’re probably the most recurring and disabling ones. Sometimes, these negative thoughts can drain my energy and motivation. They represent my deepest fear. It’s always the fault of the left brain, the judgmental, thinking part, that feels the constant need to give everything a meaning, to find someone to blame. Let’s start to analyse one by one my three worst mental problems and weaknesses.
1. Atychiphobia
First one, atychiphobia, that is in simpler words Fear of failure (FOF). Sometimes i’m stupidly obsessed with the results: doing something in order to get good results. This happens probably because I’ve dedicated so much time in street photography, and unfortunatly usually I don’t like my shots, I’m so dissatisfied with my results. I know that the process and the experience should matter more than everything. Probably I have to think that even a failed photo session is actually productive because I can learn more from mistakes than from successes. Analyzing my failures I can get something good. But mistakes weigh heavily on me, they’re hard to analyze and judge; I often prefer to look for triumphs, it’s more rewarding. I think that this works in the same way also for other people.
Most of the time, when I go out in the streets of Rome, I don’t come back with shots I’m happy with. The fear of revisiting the photos I’ve taken (again fear of failure) has made me accumulate and accumulate files in my hard disk and then review them years later, to detach myself emotionally, judging them with less fear. An example, currently we are in 2025, and I’m still editing shots from 2022-2023, crazy. I’m afraid of going out without taking interesting/beautiful pictures, wasting my time and energies for nothing.
But I have to say that sometimes simply nothing interesting happens around me in the streets (no good photos to take). I’m not a strong supporter of those pictures in which photographer must study and construct composition, scene, lighting… I prefer spontaneity, naturalness, and sudden moments. Just candid shots. I love the act of walking and taking impulsively photos, avoiding the so called “fishing technique” and, more generally, the preconceived construction of an image.
But regardless of everything, is it my fault if sometimes I go out and simply nothing happens around me? And i’m a good observer, I have to say that! Other times, however, within an hour, everything happens from exciting to surreal situations, or other rare and unique opportunities. In these street sessions I take a lot of interesting pictures. So the question is: in these moments am I a better street photographer? Absolutely not, I’m just luckier. Sometimes luck is everything. I agree 100% with Woody Allen’s theory in Match Point. Obsessione is over talent, but fortune is over everything.
But there are also those days when walking on the streets I realize to have an interesting scene in front of me but I can’t take the photo i wanted in my mind, probably because of my own mistakes (camera settings) or bad luck (someone walking in front of my lens), or maybe my constant fear of shooting strangers. When this happens I start blaming and reprimanding myself. Suddenly I get depressed, I think back to the missed opportunity, over and over. In these cases my photo session, unless something unexpected happens, is over and I get so frustrated.
Fear of failure has grown constantly with years and personal experience in street photography, probably because I become more and more critical of myself. To resolve this I try to focus more on the process and experience instead of the result (90% bad results).
2. Fear of photographing strangers
Probably the more difficult thing in street photography for me. Basically i’m shy, usually I don’t like interactions with other people. I like Bruce Gilden’s works but I can’t shoot as Bruce Gilden, I’m a different type of person, my pictures must reflect my soul. I prefer to approach in a more discrete way, like Gary Winongrand who pretended to photograph something else or test the camera, this work better for me, I’m more confident with this more discrete approach. I hate to be an aggressive street photographer.
Rarely I use flash to photograph people, very rarely. As i said before sometimes this kind of fear paralize me. If i overthink about consequence it’s over, I never will shoot that photo.
Again it is essentially a problem becoming from rationality, my left brain, the speaking one, the part of brain that judge you. Have you ever felt intimidated on the streets? Sometimes you take great photos and that really helps to boost your mood and perspective. It happens to me all the time when I shot good pictures (or simply what could be good for me). I might start feeling down and discouraged right at the beginning of a session (thinking about the number one problem in this post), but after taking a series of good photos (or also just one) suddenly I gain confidence, I start seeing decent photos everywhere. My right brain begin to work, while the left one is suppressed. This transforms my street photography session and makes my day.
The problem is, once again, that I’m dependent on the results because if the good (or good ones) photo don’t come through, I’m left with my problems and my fear/shyness about photographing strangers. I have to quit my left brain when I’m in the streets. Do not think on the results and on what people could think about your street photography, do not overthink. Just shoot, do not judge. Live the moment.
3. The fear of getting bored
The last one is probably the worst fear, a kind of chimera for me. I know this paragraph might seem strange or even controversial. My fear is both general and specific, and it applies to everything I do in my life: work, passion, hobbies. For sure, sometimes I get bored on the streets; sometimes I go out and I have to push myself, find the desire to do again what I do. If I only went out to do street photography when I felt like it, I probably would have already quit this passion. But I think that desire is like appetite, it grows as you go.
So I can go out reluctantly but end up taking amazing photos I never would have captured if I stayed home. I know it sounds a bit controverted, but I assure you that after 15 years of photography, there have been many and many moments of boredom. Just like having so many interests, I often feel like dedicating myself to something else, or maybe just resting at home, in my bed or sofa, watching TV, sleeping… What help me in those moments is inspiration from other street photographers. That is my solution, i admire the works of other great past and contemporary photographers. This really motivates me helping me to have also the right inspiration.
3+1 The fear of taking the same photos of everyone
I hope to have a personal style, i hope that you can recognize one of my photo among hundred. It’s not by chance that I love those street photographers with a particular and personal style. I hope not to photograph the same things of other street photographers! Looking at Instagram i see a lot of repetitive patterns. It’s so difficult try to be myself expressing my unique soul through my street photography.
CONCLUSIONS
It starts as a curiosity, but year after year my street photography has become a passion, an art, a way to express myself, something bigger than me. It takes time, energy so i think that it’s normal to have these mental weaknesses. I have to work on it!
Feel free to share with me your mental issues in street photography.
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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