Better Street Portraits Begin With This Simple Habit

*Lily / Lashmar Studio - Hackney Wick | ©2016 Lashmar Archives.*

I was going through my archives. There was a time I’d shoot seven or eight portrait sessions every month, and I kept that up for years. The reason I did this isn’t rocket science — it was simply about consistently flexing the creative muscle that helps you improve as a portrait photographer.

There’s no doubt in my mind that the hundreds of hours I’ve spent shooting portraits away from the street — personal concept work, client sessions, even portraits of friends and family — directly feed into the confidence I feel when I’m out making street portraits.

Street portraits are hard to experiment with. Time’s always a factor. You’ve got to move quickly. Having trained myself in a more controlled environment for years absolutely spills over into how I work on the street now.

So here’s what I’d say to anyone who wants to take better street portraits:
Start shooting portraits off the street too. Build the muscle. Practice when the pressure’s lower. It’ll show up in your work when the pressure is on and it matters most.

My archive is pretty huge and I’m always meaning to add a bunch of this type of work back to this newer website. Watch this space.

All images are taken with the Canon 24mm TS II lens.