Candid photography is like a box of chocolates #2

“Synchronicity”

Sydney 2013 (3 images)

Candid photography is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.

Which is why when I’m out on the streets, my camera is always on, the lens cap is always off, and the manual focus of my 50mm fixed focal length lens is set at about 3 metres; I usually shoot in the range of 2 – 5 metres. You never know what scene you will encounter, and the scene can change substantially between spotting it and getting ready to get the shot in. And who wants to miss that shot for not being ready or not being close enough…

“The meerkat”

It seems to me that candid street life photography is like an invisible threshold for many. At least it was for me, for the longest time. But one day I crossed that threshold and it’s been a rewarding experience. The capture of that essential and spontaneous moment is what it’s all about. The quote from Robert Capa, war photographer, photojournalist and a founder of Magnum Photos resonates with me:

“If your pictures aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough.”

I believe Capa wasn’t suggesting using a telephoto to clandestinely get in close, but rather he wanted us to get physically closer and be in the moment. In fact most of my candid photos are taken with me walking directly at my subject.

“Lost in her own world”

Last year I used the title Candid photography is like a box of chocolates for a once off post of a small hodge podge of images, unconnected by any theme. Over time, that title has grown on me and my collection of “assorted photos” has grown as well. So I’ve decided to revive the title and turn it into an occasional series of posts. I hope you don’t get bored by it.

By the way, this will be my last post until after Easter. I hope this box of chocolates will suffice until then.