How to Trust Your Creative Instincts on the Streets

Street Photography Instinct:

Some would say either you have it or you don’t. I believe it is something you develop, taking time to learn and then a little more time to trust your creative instincts. The latter is often more important than the former, as we all have different starting points when it comes to any new knowledge base. Trust comes down to choice; although it is difficult to follow one's heart, it is a choice.

I spend each day in Tokyo, largely without a plan. Plans often fall through, change, or fail to work as intended. The only choice I make at home is where to shoot and which lens to take. I often take two lenses: the one I plan to shoot with and a security blanket lens. This lens is usually the opposite focal length of what I intend to shoot with. For example, I have a 35mm lens to shoot with for the day and a 105mm lens as the security blanket.

When I fail with the 35mm, my whole mindset must change. I must trust my creative instincts with the 105mm lens. I know that I have taken many fantastic images with it, and I can see this environment through it, and I will find the picture I am meant to capture. The other choices are to go home empty-handed or struggle through it.

Struggling through it is always a better choice than returning home with nothing to show for it. Even in struggle, there is an opportunity to gain experience. Struggle is also a choice. A choice to trust the process. A choice that, if you keep shooting, everything will soon make sense. It will, but soon, is not always guaranteed.

My Recent Struggles:

There are many days when I come home with a lot of okay images. Some could be shared, some may fit into an ongoing project, and most are deleted. Fortunately, these days are separated by good ones, occasionally a great one, which makes it all worthwhile. Recently, I had several consecutive bad days. I was at a loss for what to do. Luckily, it rained very hard and I spent the day on the computer writing and drinking too much coffee. This break from shooting gave me fresh eyes. What I saw was that I had fallen into the trap of trying to meet others' expectations.

My way was simple: one camera, one lens and Tokyo as the canvas. I chose the venerable Leica Q2 Monochrom. At 28mm, it forced me into the action; its fixed focal length lens meant that no security backup was available. Its black-and-white sensor brought me back to basics: light and shadow.

(If you don’t have such a camera, take a single lens and set your camera to the preferred colour profile. Shoot until things make sense again.

Despite having a super camera, I still struggled. I missed opportunities, I overthought everything, and the results were not good. Until they suddenly were, it wasn’t a miracle shot; it was just okay, and more and more okay images followed that. The image quality wasn't important; it was the thought that went into each one. I began to trust myself; I could see each image in my mind before it happened. The click became intentional.

After a fury of shooting, I stopped for coffee. I was more than a little exhausted. Creatively, I was spent and decided to call it a day. There was nothing spectacular on the LCD, but I knew that I had achieved something significant. I was ready to move forward and shoot for myself. I finished the coffee, tucked my camera in the bag and hopped on the train.

That is when it happened. I looked from my seat and saw this older man. Normally, I would stand and offer him my seat, but he was somewhere else. This was my moment, and I took it.

Conclusion:

Fight for your art. It is part of you, it is your tangible thought. Struggle is part of the game, and there is no shame in the feelings of failure that struggle can produce. It is precisely in that moment that inspiration will occur. If you are fighting, then you will have a chance to capitalize on it.

Is my picture an award winner? Not at all, but I am pleased to take these photos. Moreover, I am proud to have positioned myself in the right place to capture them.

As always, I would love to hear your story in the comments below. If you feel so inclined, share a coffee with me. I am a flat white kind of guy. Happy shooting, everyone.