Confront Your Fears

The single biggest limiter in street photography is not technical. It is fear.

Fear of rejection. Fear of confrontation. Fear of looking foolish. Fear of taking a bad picture. Fear of offending someone. These fears are not irrational — they have real causes — but they are almost always disproportionate to what actually happens.

In ten years of street photography, the outcomes of being noticed break down roughly like this: 80% of people do not care at all. 15% look at you, register the camera, and look away. 4% give you a look or move away. 1% say something — usually curious, occasionally annoyed, rarely hostile.