Wandering the streets of Glasgow
It was an early morning walk in Glasgow, with a chill and dampness in the air.
In street photography, you sometimes hear the terms “hunting” and “fishing”. Hunting means keeping moving, looking for a photograph as you go. Fishing means finding a promising setting, choosing your position and waiting for something to happen.
On this walk, I found myself doing both.
Under Central Station, in the passage known locally as the Hielanman’s Umbrella, a man was hanging around. I had Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks in mind as I considered the photograph. The cool blue of the station, the pools of warmer light and the solitary figure gave me something to work with.
This was the hunting part of the walk. I’d come across a scene and stopped to make a photograph.
At the mural, my approach changed. The painted woman and her enormous hand suggested a possibility. I found my position and waited for someone to walk through the frame.
A man passed on his way to work. As he moved beneath the painted fingers, the mural and the walker briefly lined up. That was the moment I’d been waiting for.
This was fishing. I had the setting; I needed the person in the right place.
Both approaches have a place in how I photograph. Walking keeps me alert to what might turn up. Staying still gives me time to notice what could happen within a frame.
That morning in Glasgow gave me a photograph from each.
A few things to try
Give both approaches a go.
Keep moving for part of a walk, then spend some time in one promising spot. Notice how each approach changes what you see.
Look for a relationship.
At the mural, it was the alignment between the painted fingers and the passing figure that made the photograph. Consider what a person could bring to the setting you’ve chosen.
Let the light suggest a picture.
Under Central Station, the cool surroundings and warmer pools of light helped shape the frame. Look for those contrasts as you walk.
Do you tend to keep moving with your camera, or find a spot and wait? I’d enjoy hearing how you approach it. Get in touch.