Street Photography is Cheaper than Therapy!
Last week we moved out of the house we moved into just six months ago. We are undertaking a major renovation to transform this house into our forever home. This move is the fourth one in six years for us! For the next month, we are camping out at my sister’s. Then we will move again into a small apartment for the remainder of the construction, which is likely to take another five months. So needless to say, between the packing, design decisions, general chaos, and this on top of starting up my own photography business, I have felt stressed and at times extremely overwhelmed. Thank goodness street photography is cheaper than therapy!
It Doesn’t Take Much
Street photography requires very little gear. A small camera, an extra battery, a bus pass, and a good pair of shoes are all I need. I don’t need to wait for the blue hour or get up at the crack of dawn to capture images. And best of all, travel plans to exotic destinations are not needed. An hour or so anywhere anytime is enough to soothe my soul! I took three of the six images in this post just ten minutes away from my neighbourhood.
When I’m out shooting in the streets, I can put aside all that has been complicating my day. I slow down and appreciate the subtle little things that others often walk right by. I might see a smile from a stranger, a shadow against an interestingly textured backdrop, a colour that calls to me, or the juxtaposition of a subject and background. These things make me smile. They are beautiful and help put into perspective the $h!t that causes my anxiety!
X-T2+XF56mmF1.2 R @ 56 mm, ƒ / 8.0, ¹⁄₂₈₀ sec, ISO 200
X-T2+XF56mmF1.2 R @ 56 mm, ƒ / 2.8, ¹⁄₂₈₀ sec, ISO 200
X-T2+XF50mmF2 R WR @ 50 mm, ƒ / 2.8, ¹⁄₇₅₀₀ sec, ISO 1250
Booking an Appointment
So when I feel like my world is getting too complicated, and I feel swamped by the reality of life, I make an appointment with my camera to get out and do a little street photography. My Fujifilm XT-2 is never overbooked, always on time, and doesn’t charge more if I run overtime during our session! And if I need extra help to work through my problems, my Fuji X100F steps up to the plate. And I don’t need to pay more for a second therapist!
X-T2+XF35mmF2 R WR @ 35 mm, ƒ / 5.6, ¹⁄₂₅ sec, ISO 400
X-T2+XF50mmF2 R WR @ 50 mm, ƒ / 7.1, ¹⁄₃₀₀₀ sec, ISO 1250
X-T2+XF50mmF2 R WR @ 50 mm, ƒ / 2.8, ¹⁄₁₀₀₀ sec, ISO 1250
Cheaper than Therapy
I may not always end up with an SD card full of spectacular images. However, I invariably come home feeling rejuvenated and ready to tackle what life decides to throw at me. So make sure you book an appointment with your camera. As I said earlier, a date doing some well-deserved street photography is a lot less expensive than an hour with a therapist!
Thanks for dropping by and cheers until next week.