As you know I am now putting a new effort on improving my street photography technique. While I have collected enough thoughts to write a new post about how to create street photography (which I will write sooner than later), the truth is that street photography in its core is about people. Street photography without people is urban photography or architecture, but cannot be considered street. People is what makes the connection with the viewer and closer they are, the more powerful the photo will be. So, if I want to improve my street photography, I need to get comfortable when it’s time to approach strangers. How do I do it? Well for me it’s starting to get simple: when I see something I want to take a photo of, the photographer impulse prevails over the initial fear to talk to someone unknown.

Last Saturday I saw this bloke, sitting on its own, on an isolated path, playing with his dogs. Well I didn’t think twice, it was time to prove I could introduce myself and talk to someone while taking photos. I didn’t stay more than 10 minutes, but to be honest wasn’t about the photos this time, was about testing me.

Stu is a man of the streets, he probably had a rough past, but I didn’t want to investigate much. He had two lovely and well groomed dogs, one of them was very shy, so shy I couldn’t even take a picture of him, but the other one was very playful and nice. I asked Stu to pose while playing with them and between shots he was telling me about the life in Portsmouth and how anyway he loves the city. Was a nice experience and I am glad I am starting this new adventure!