Are You A Serious Street Photographer?

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I don't know about you, but sometimes I take my photography so seriously it stresses me out. But isn’t photography supposed to be fun?

So what can we do about it when we lose a bit of the joy and drive that brought us to photography in the first place? Well that’s what this post is all about.

The Joy vs. Growth Paradox

I find there's this weird paradox that happens when something you love and do for fun becomes something you're trying to improve at. I started shooting street photography because it made me see humanity differently – the way people interact with each other, those fleeting moments that make you feel alive and connected. It was just fun and joyful. Which it largely still is, or else I would probably have completely quit by now.

But then there's this other part of my brain that wants to get better. To work a scene properly, to anticipate a great moment or composition, to create images that actually say something, that have meaning and artistry. And that's when the fun can drain right out of it. Suddenly I'm walking the through the world getting frustrated because nothing's happening, or beating myself up because my shots feel lifeless compared to the masters.

When Self-Doubt Creeps In

Then self-doubt creeps in too. Which I’m sure you can relate to – looking through other photographers' work and thinking "I'll never be that good" or "what's even the point?" It's exhausting. You start second-guessing whether to even raise your camera, worried you'll miss the moment or that what you saw wasn't worth capturing anyway.

Sometimes you need a little reminder that you can have fun and try hard at the same time. I came out to Porto for a couple of days over my birthday to have a bit of a breather but also to slowly get back into photography after a long break and try to spark my love for it again. And that’s when I started to find I was beginning to shift my mindset.

A Different Way of Thinking

Before I took a photography break I was getting wrapped up in trying too hard and getting in a tiz taking it so seriously but my friend Simon said something that's helped me think about the practice of photography differently. Instead of taking it seriously, what if I took it sincerely?

It doesn’t sound like much, but it's helped reframe my attitude. Taking something seriously can mean pressure, expectations, and stress – all the things that made me want to leave my camera at home. But taking it sincerely? That means showing up with genuine care and attention. It means spending time thinking about what I want to create and why it matters to me, without all the weight of needing to be great or to try and prove something. Something sincere can still be fun, something serious is well, serious.

Fun First, But Put in the Work

Here's what I'm learning: fun has to come first. If I'm not enjoying it, what's the point? But that doesn't mean not putting in the effort. It's more about being playful with that effort – experimenting with new areas and genres of photography, working on longer projects, trying different ideas but being okay with coming home with nothing or being disappointed with what I got. But at the end of the day you can only photograph what you see.

When I try too hard to force a great photo, it almost never happens. My favourite shots always seem to come when I'm relaxed, present, actually experiencing what’s in front of me rather than hunting desperately for something to photograph. But they also don't come without putting in the hours, trying somewhere new, or walking the same routes again and again even when it feels like nothing's there.

Sometimes you just need to enjoy the place you’re in and the photos will be more likely to come than if you try to force it. 

Resilience Over Perfection

I think what I'm trying to say is: resilience matters more than being perfect. Keep going, but maybe keep it light. It’s more about vibes than concentration. Care about what you’re doing, but try not to let that care turn into self-criticism.

So if you're feeling stressed about your photography, maybe ask yourself – are you taking it too seriously? Or seriously enough, but in the wrong way?

For me, I'm trying to shoot with sincerity instead. To still care about it but with less pressure. To improve without losing the joy that brought me here in the first place. Some days I manage it better than others but I’ve been really trying not to over intellectualise it and instead just enjoy the process which is slowly making me fall back in love with photography again. Also it really helps to dust off the cobwebs when you’re lucky enough to be able to come to somewhere like Porto. 

I’ll leave you with this quote by Saul Leiter:

“I go out to take a walk, I see something, I take a picture. I take photographs. I have avoided profound explanations of what I do."