Ashwin Khubchandani – What Does it Take to Become a Successful Street Photographer?
Street photography is a sub-category of travel photography that captures people’s daily lives in urban environments. Professionals specializing in this branch of photography aspire to create realistic images of the mundane lives of ordinary people in public settings. The experts’ focus is to document the lives of these individuals and how they behave in public at poignant moments. The objective of the photographers is to arouse feelings, intrigue, ideas, and questions in their audience’s minds. To do so, they need to be patient, diligent, brave, and excellent observers. Otherwise, they will not approach strangers and capture their images on the camera.
Ashwin Khubchandani is leading full-time professional travel photography from the United States with years of valuable industry-based experience under his belt. His ardent clients pay him to travel and take stunning pictures of exotic destinations worldwide. It also allows him to learn about new cultures and meet many interesting people. However, he loves visiting Hong Kong, which he regards as his second home. He considers himself to be fortunate enough to be earning a living by following his childhood passion.
According to him, street photography fascinates many youngsters from around the world. Most of them even take up this form of photography as a hobby and aspire to become a profession. However, they need to have the following traits to achieve their dreams of becoming successful street photographers:
- Ability to mingle with the crowd
Youngers aspiring to take street photography as a career first need to mingle with the crowd. They need to understand most people are self-conscious of strangers taking pictures of them. They should wear clothes and carry their equipment in a manner which hardly attracts any attention. Moreover, they should prefer to go to urban places with plenty of people. The dwellers of these areas are less likely to identify them as professional photographers.
- Always remain alert
Aspiring professional street photographers need to remember that it takes a split-second to decide whether a picture is worth taking. They have to remain alert and ready to take out their cameras instantly to do so. Moreover, they should rely on their instincts to anticipate an exciting or memorable moment and take snaps of it. It is a skill they can only develop over time by taking more street photographs.
- Remain discreet when taking pictures
After taking a picture, many photographers subconsciously examine their cameras’ liquid crystal displays (LCDs). Those who specialize in street photography should refrain from taking this step. Otherwise, they will not pay attention to what is happening around them and inadvertently lose a promising photo opportunity. Moreover, the photographers will demonstrate that they took a picture to other people in the vicinity.
According to Ashwin Khubchandani, street photography can be an exciting and lucrative career option for many youngsters. They can search online for creditable photography associations, and universities teach visual arts in their curriculum. Then, they learn under the supervision of a qualified and experienced mentor. However, they can only develop and master the necessary skills over time.
