Since I came back from Vietnam, almost 3 months ago, I haven’t been very assiduous about street photography. I’ve had a lot of things to sort out and taking photos wasn’t really high on my list of priorities. As is often the case, the less I do, the less I want to do. Didn’t I miss it? Yes, a little, but as on my trip to Thailand, Vietnam was such a photographic orgy that I was still full of it, even weeks after our return to Reunion Island. I’ve only shown you a tiny part of what I did there. Between the purely street photos and the ‘family’ photos, I really photographed until I was sick of it. Which probably explains the diet I subconsciously imposed on myself when I got home.
But once this episode was over, you won’t believe it, but I bought a new camera! No, you’re not dreaming! I bought a second-hand Fujifilm X-E3. What could be better than reawakening a passion that’s a bit dormant? Let’s buy some gear! It’s well known that with a new camera you can unleash the frustrated photographer in you, rekindle the flame by blowing on the embers and everything will take off again. At least, that’s what manufacturers tell us when they urge us to buy ever newer and ever more expensive cameras… This Fujifilm X-E3 isn’t brand new. It’s iteration 4 and the 5 should be out by the end of the year or early 2026. So I’d set my sights on a second-hand camera. I wanted it mainly to use with my 23mm f1.4 and 35mm f0.95 manual lenses. Clearly not for street photography, but if I could get the ball rolling again with a new camera, maybe the rest would follow?
I had a great idea. I bought it at the beginning of February and sold it in mid-April. That was a real coup! At least with the Fujifilm X100F I’d kept the camera for nearly 6 months. No, no, this purchase was clearly compulsive and not at all thought through. Well, a little. I thought my X-E2 was a bit old. And yet it did the job! What more could I ask of it? When I look at the work I did with it in Thailand, it was very stupid to want to change … Furthermore, in my humble opinion, the Fujifilm X-E2 is better than the X-E3. Apart from the number of MP (24 as opposed to 16), the X-E2 has a better EVF (Electronic ViewFinder) and a pop-up flash. So forget the X-E3, which was sold at a loss of just €150. So no, I’m not going to rekindle my photographic flame with new gear. You’re such an idiot, Jeff. Did you really think this thing was going to work?
No, you have to look elsewhere. Reading books? Yes, that’s interesting. Looking at photos and analysing them. Understand what makes them great. I’ve been leafing through the Magnum Agency’s Street Wise and, of course, The Street Philosophy of Garry Winogrand. And wow, it always gives me a slap in the face and reminds me why I do what I do. I’m not comparing myself to these excellent photographers, but reading the texts accompanying the photos helps me to clear my head and to see that there is a vision and a sort of duty to document our times as these photographers have done. I don’t think we photograph selfishly just for ourselves. There’s this desire to show things or simply to capture them to bear witness to an era so that we don’t forget it. Some photographers don’t think like that and see Street Photography as a sporting activity where performance takes precedence over everything else. These are very good photographers who seek recognition for their photographic achievements in competitions or other awards. I’m not one of them. I may not have their talent, but that’s not what I’m looking for in Street Photography. So the books helped me to remember why I was doing Street Photography.
But how do I get back on track? Going on a trip to an exotic country seemed like a good idea, but my banker put the brakes on. Besides, it’s not the solution. It’s more like a headlong rush. The best work I can do is at home, not looking for exoticism elsewhere… I’ve already explained to you that the streets of Saint-Denis are not teeming with people. They’re not deserted, but they’re not the ideal place for someone in search of a thrill. I know full well that these are just excuses and that it’s all in your head. It’s a bit like everything else. When your head’s right, everything’s right.
I decide to go to certain events where I know there will be people. Up until now I’ve never done this. But now, because I’m desperate for photography, I’m looking at upcoming cultural or religious events to see if I can attend them. I need to regain a bit of confidence and have some material to take photos with: in other words, people!
My first target is the Tamil festival of lights to celebrate the arrival of the new year. On the 3 days of festivities, I work all 3 days … Finally on the last day, I finish my shift at 4pm and a Holi is scheduled for late afternoon. By the time I got there, the festivities had already started. I even passed some colourful people on their way home. I tell myself that the intention was good, but that in the end my plan fell through. Nevertheless, I pull over to take a few photos. It’s the end of the day and the light is beautiful, but it’s also getting dark. In short, I don’t have much time. I try to be careful with the dust because I’ve already dismantled my Ricoh GR3 and I don’t want to get into it again (it’ll be a waste of time… After this outing, I’ll have to dismantle it again because my sensor will be full of dust spots…). I protect my camera as best I can and take up position next to a watering hole where young people come to clean themselves after having been copiously coloured during this festival of colours. There are lots of families and children having fun. It’s a real mess with a festive atmosphere. The youngsters are hanging out in groups, the mums are keeping a close eye on the younger ones and Jeff is taking photos, trying not to get his face coloured! I don’t stay long. As I said, it was late afternoon and at this time of year the days are getting shorter. The light starts to fail.
It’s a real pleasure to see that my eyes are still sharp and that my brain is working to try and find solutions for composing in the midst of this joyous chaos. That’s what I find so exhilarating about Street Photography. It’s not about coming across an interesting situation, it’s about photographing it. Solving the equation that is presented to us. I was going to tell you about my second outing to a Manga/Pop culture event, but I realise that this Blog is already long enough. So I’ll talk more about it soon. One thing’s for sure, though, and that’s that these kinds of outings can rekindle the little flame inside you if you’re struggling with your photography, as I was. The act of clicking helps boost your confidence. The next few outings I made in Saint-Denis I found less boring. I don’t think the streets had changed, but my state of mind wasn’t the same. I’ll say it again, when your head’s right, everything’s right!
All the photos were taken with the Ricoh GR3 | Crop 35 mm.
It’s all in the head. Most lone wolf occupations involve a little psychology. Sports, for example Golf or Tennis . All those professionals know how to swing a club or make a serve. It’s only those with the right mental attitude who win or stick with it when they’re loosing. Incidentally the club or racket they use is almost irrelevant. Photography involves a desire to create, you have to really want to do it and, as you made the salient point, to problem solve composition. Another great point you made here is the reason you do it. That’s why street is a bit of a fad, people get into it for the wrong reasons, they want to be hip and trendy, looking for validation. They’re not doing it for very long, they get bored because they’re not getting the applause, most importantly though is that’s it’s extremely difficult and requires maximum commitment and that needs a head that is right.
I need sometimes to remind to myself why I ‘m doing this. It sounds silly but sometimes I just got lost and shooting becomes just a routine. In a sense not a bad thing at all when your consider that street photography is just about routine. But when I’ m struggling with my photography, it’s a good thing to remember why I’m doing this.
You’re right about people doing it for the wrong reasons. We will watch them passing by…
Hey Jeff! Just dropping by to say hello …sorry to get here so late, but Gmail has been dumping your newsletter in the spam! Wonderful to see your photography mojo is alive and well in these shots. I’ve got The Street Philosophy of Garry Winogrand too … Geoff Dyer is always an interesting read. I think the bottom line is that as street photographers we need to bury our egos and, as you say, find compositional order in the chaos to authentically document what we see. Only then will be in service to the photograph itself.