Capturing the Moment - The Art of Street Photography Anticipation

Anticipation play significant role in street photography. Photo editor Olivier Laurent described it well in an interview with Lensculture, where he said what’s special for him in street photography:

“There’s something poetic about street photography. It’s not just about being there-it’s about imagination, it’s about seeing the future. And by that, I mean being able to anticipate where different elements of a photograph-the street, the signs, the people-will align to make the perfect picture. There are many street photographers out there, but the great ones are poets and, like in any other field of photography, there are just a few of them.”

To better understand this poetic nature, let’s explore a set of images and the process behind capturing them. We’ll walk through the steps and thought processes involved, highlighting the anticipation and imagination required in street photography. I’m going to show you a series of pictures I took in Vienna in December 2017.

1. Observation and Patience

I was walking near Schwarzenbergplatz, where I noticed a nice coffee shop illuminated by the morning light. There was a reflection in the windows decorated with red Christmas flowers, a Christmas tree and people enjoying hot drinks. So I started to work out the scene and this is how it turned out.

xmas in vienna

2. Anticipation of Movement

I felt I could make a nice shot. I got closer to a window as I anticipated some interesting situation could ensue. For me it’s kind of a gut feeling, and when I have it usually what I anticipate really happens. A waiter appeared in a frame to clean a table. There was a mirror inside that reflected also beautiful chandeliers (first image shows that what’s further in a background is just a reflection)

Move around the photo until you are happy with a perspective. We want one flower to stand out in the final composition so keep that in mind.

reflection

3. Imagination in Composition

He spent just a few seconds there but that was enough time for me to capture several photos and come up with a composition I liked. Later when I reviewed all photos I decided to edit top right photo (displayed below) as he stretches closer to window. Captivating red flowers, nice light, his expression, reflection of the interior, all of these things came together nicely, but it wouldn’t happen if I hadn’t anticipated it.

sequence

And here is a final edited photo.

final edit

Henry Carroll in his book ‘Read this if you want to take great photographs of people’ puts it this way:

“You always have to be one step ahead, analyzing and anticipating the world as it unfolds around you. Travel light: no tripod and no bulky kit bag. Train your eye: see people ‘within’ the context of the foreground, middle distance and background. Be agile: when you spot something, seize the moment like your life depends on it.”

Cartier-Bresson

Henri Cartier-Bresson SPAIN. Madrid. 1933.

If you go to shoot next time, observe your surroundings, have an open mind and be prepared to react quickly. Situations in the streets are changing and often you need to anticipate them in order to capture a so called ‘decisive moment’.