Documentary photography is an exercise in the art of observation: paying attention to the spontaneous theater of the streets and capturing moments that tell stories. In this presentation from B&H’s 2017 Optic Conference, Steve Simon shares the wisdom he has gleaned from a lifetime of wandering the streets and urban spaces with his camera.
Using examples from his own career, as well as the work of other photographers, Simon elaborates on his shooting philosophy, while discussing gear choices and shooting techniques to help you raise your game. Featured among the advice he shares are ways to improve your response time, tips for approaching strangers to make street portraits, as well as options for maximizing image sharpness and nailing the shot.
As Simon points out, a photographic style is not something you create, it’s something that’s revealed in the volume of pictures you make over time. During this lecture, he offers you the encouragement to try new things by getting out of your comfort zone, inspiring you to capture lyrical, poetic and decisive moments that communicate the energy around you.