Fishing VS Hunting in Street Photography
There are essentially two different approaches to making photos when doing street photography. You can be a hunter or a fisherman. A hunter is always moving and rarely stays in one spot except to work a scene that they found. A fisher on the other hand will pick a spot and time and wait for the moment to develop and then take the shot.
Both approaches work depending on the style of street photography that you prefer to pursue.
Fishing
A fisherman picks a spot and drops a hook with bait on it and lures his target to him. The fishing street photographer does the same. They will find a spot and wait for the light to be just right or wait for the perfect subject to walk into a pre-conceived scene and take the shot.
I spotted the department store display and waited for people to walk through the scene.
Hunting
A hunter is always moving on the prowl for prey and so is the street photographer looking for that special moment to capture. The hunter rarely stays in one spot and if they do it is only for a short moment to work the scene briefly.
I only know how to approach a place by walking. For what does a street photographer do but walk and watch and wait and talk, and then watch and wait some more, trying to remain confident that the unexpected, the unknown, or the secret heat of the known awaits just around the corner.
Hunters scan the streets as they walk and are ready to compose a shot on a moments notice often shooting from the hip. Using zone focusing helps improve the keeper rate as you'll know exactly when your subject will be in focus.
Walking along Toronto harbourfront I spotted this scene and took the shot. I then continued my walk like the hunter that I am.
I am a hunter. When I go out for street photography I have destinations in mind. When I arrive at a destination, for example the Waterfront or Kensington Market in Toronto. I will walk through the area knowing that there is almost always something worth shooting.
A Hybrid approach
Most photographers will lean to one or the other approach, but will from time to time choose the opposite. Most times I am a hunter, but I will park myself in front of a spot a location that I have a vision in my head and wait for the scene to happen.
I don't usually wait long as I don't have the patience to just sit in one spot. However when I do get the shot I am happy I did wait.
The shot on the left is one where I stopped and waited for the right person to come into the frame. I wanted either someone wearing a hat or someone to try on one of the hats.
The shot on the right is a hunting shot that I took while walking through St Lawrence Market in Toronto.
Are you a hunter or a fisher when out doing street photography?