I was handed a Fuji X-T1 seven years ago, simply to try it for street photography. I fell in love with the system, and I never really looked back — these days I shoot with the X-T3 and the X-H2.
What I do is straight street photography, and it always includes the human element. For me, that is the whole point. Love for humanity is what first pulled me towards the street, and it is what keeps taking me back out. My photography calls for kindness, love, and the improving of humanity — if there is one thing I would want my work to stand for, it is that. The photographers who shaped the way I see include Alex Webb, Abbas, Koudelka, Depardon, and many others.
How I work
When I walk through a city, I am looking for light and shadows, and for composition. I shoot from the hip, with a few tricks of my own. I try never to make eye contact, and I get close to people — close enough to belong to the scene rather than intrude on it. What makes a street photograph last, long after the moment itself has gone, is the magic of composition.
The gear, and what I ask of it
At the heart of my kit is the Fuji X-H2 with a 23mm lens. Over the years I have come to love prime lenses, and that 23mm is the one thing I could not work without. I keep coming back to ACROS with a red filter. I do not edit much — usually just Photoshop — and what I am really after afterwards is a sense of surprise and a magical feel; the rest I leave untouched. I would never switch away from Fuji. I love the ergonomics too much.
If I could pass on a single piece of advice to someone picking up a camera today, it would be this: look at the old oil paintings, shoot alone, and listen to music. Photography has given me great satisfaction, and it has made me more compassionate towards humanity. Right now, I am still out there — shooting the streets, discovering magical moments.
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