Working The Streets

Finding Serenity and Inspiration Through the Lens: My Journey with Street Photography

Street photography has become more than just a hobby for me — it’s a refuge, a form of therapy, and an ongoing journey of discovery. I believe my comfort with capturing candid moments on the streets stems from my love of city life and an intrinsic connection to the environment around me. Being lost “In the moment,” observing actions, intricate details, colours, smells, shadows, reflections, and patterns offers a meditative experience that nurtures both my mind and body. It’s a positive mindfulness practice, an addiction, and something that still after many years, often surprises me with fresh creative ideas.

My inspiration is rooted in the masters of street photography, such as Henri Cartier-Bresson, Garry Winogrand, and Vivian Maier. I admire their ability to capture stunning imagery from what are perceived as ordinary moments, balancing composition with spontaneity. However, a particular influence that has recently captivated me is Fan Ho, whose evocative images of Hong Kong’s bustling streets and narrow laneways reveal a mastery of light, shadow, and framing that is simply mesmerising. Ho’s ability to harvest natural light and capture everyday life with such poetic precision inspires me to see my surroundings in a different way. While I believe in developing my own style rather than copying others, I do find myself attracted to the harsh light, geometric leading lines and deep shadows of the locations I visit, a strong aspect of Ho’s imagery.

Each city’s streets are a tapestry of geometric shapes, patterns, and textures. These manmade environments, meticulously designed yet constantly changing in the play of light and shadow, create a dynamic stage for visual storytelling. As I navigate these streets, I’m fascinated by how the natural and artificial light skews and dances, transforming ordinary cityscapes into mesmerising, choreographed displays. Sunlight, shadows, reflections, they all collaborate to produce an artistic spectacle that’s unique to each moment and location.

My approach to street photography is to candidly capture people amid this geometric chaos, searching for defined lines, shapes, and patterns that complement or contrast with their surroundings. I look for moments where natural light accentuates details, casting shadows that shape the scene. The scale of human activity on the street tells a story, Who are these people? Where are they headed and why? I aim to emphasise this sense of scale, often employing a minimalist compositional style that makes maximum use of the available light and shadow to evoke emotion and curiosity.

My imagery seeks not just to document but to interpret the vibrant, chaotic, and often overlooked beauty of urban life. Each image is an invitation for you to consider slowing down, pause, reflect, and perhaps take a look around and see the world a little differently, one shadow, one line, one moment at a time. Look for humour, observe the shapes, colours, contrast, varying light and shadows and attempt to capture them in your own way.

Now settled and living in Brisbane, I often rave about the city’s winter light, its beauty and frequency are unlike anything I’ve experienced elsewhere. I sometimes bore friends with my ramblings, but it’s true: Brisbane’s winter sun offers an extraordinary palette of warm, strong light and deep shadows, transforming the streets into a vibrant canvas. Just between us, I’d advise keeping this secret, after all, part of the magic is how special these moments feel, shared only with those who truly appreciate it.