[DanMach]

Hi to everyone. I am a retired photojournalist who is finding photography to be difficult. I have spent a lifetime photographing the dark and ugly strata of life - war, famine, disasters, and chasing assorted low lifers. Now I want to enjoy the joy and beauty of life in front of my lens. The problem is that I cannot break the habit of thinking in terms of 'will this picture sell'.

I have tried the picture postcard and still life routes, but they do not work for me. I like street photography - capturing the fleeting expressions of people in conversation with each other but, because it is not my job, I cannot shake the feeling that I am intruding on other people's lives with no other purpose than the pleasure of making photographs that will most probably never see the light of day.

I will appreciate anybody's thoughts on this.

Go well, Dan

[Dean]

Interesting, Dan, that now you no longer have “press photographer” pinned to your lapel you find it as difficult as the rest of us to take those unsolicited candid shots. I would like to do more street photography so I hope you can share a few tips. For some reason I find it easier to take these shots when abroad on holiday than I do in my own High Street.

[Barbara G.]

Hello and welcome to the forums! Keep pressing in to be able to learn to enjoy photography in a new way. It takes time to build new habits, it takes time to create new thoughts on a regular basis. Time is what you need and when the bad thoughts come, work on replacing them with other thoughts.

Hope this helps and is not too personal, but keep trying. If you have a dream, this will give you some motivation to keep walking the new path and soon you will be able to see things in a different light. Don't give up!

We look forward to seeing some of your work here in the forums (family friendly of course). Maybe it will also help you in your current situation as well.

[DanMach]

Hi, Dean,
Apology for the delay in replying. I use my monitors in portrait mode, and the website seems to have problems with that. As a result, messages have a third missing.

I believe that our preconceptions and attitude play a part in the difficulty one has with street photography. When working abroad we feel that, being unknown to the populace, we become unnoticed, almost invisible; whereas on home territory we are likely to be recognised, and possibly confronted.

If, on looking through the viewfinder, I see someone bearing down on me I step to one side as though I am shooting someone/or thing behind them and that they are now blocking my view of the intended target. Most often I have seen the person then engage in displacement activity as though they had no intention of confronting me in the first place.

Doesn't always work. On several occasions, when photographing crims, I have been involved in a brawl, fighting to hang onto my camera.

These days i am reticent about becoming involved in a fracas with some bystander, filled with righteous indignation. c'est la vie.

I did consider printing card stating my purpose in taking the photo, but I refuse to apologise for having the right to make photos in a public place.

Do you have any tips to pass on?

[DanMach]

Hello Barbara,
Thank you for the welcome. Apart from the odd newspaper cutting, I have kept very few of the thousands of photographs that I took during my working life. I sold them or gave them away to friends, always meaning to keep copies, but there was always another assignment demanding my time. Somewhere I do have a handful of black & white pics that I shot in the days of film. Stuff that I shot for myself. Will have a look for them.

All that I have in the way of recent work are of my dog and my cats. I adopted a rescue dog, a Staffie, and she is a delight. Must get around to editing them.

Hoping to show you something in the near future. cheers, Dante