One photographers love for a not so popular genre

Street photography seems to be one genre of photography that is widely overlooked and a form that many of us are hesitant to try due to lack of interaction between photographer and subject. However, in recent years it has experienced an increase in popularity, largely due to emerging talents like photographer Joe Buxton.  James Sharp caught up with Joe who gave him a glimpse into the world of street photography. 

How did you first get into photography?
"I forget the exact order and importance of these three events but they all kick started my interest and love for photography. So in no particular order an old friend of mine got some pictures published in a national BMX magazine, I brought a photography magazine entitled something like ‘50 ways to become a better photographer' and I discovered that proper digital compacts were absolutely amazing compared to the cheap rubbish I wish I hadn't bought on eBay."

Was it always your dream to be a photographer when you were younger?
"No not at all. I had never taken anything apart from holiday snaps while messing around with my parent's camera as a kid. Just a year or two before I ‘discovered' photography I spent a month in Thailand using those throw away cameras that you could get for £5."

Why Street Photography - what got you interested in this genre?
"It might sound silly but I live in a city. If I lived in the middle of the Peak District I would probably have turned out to be a landscape photographer. I use to try my hand at anything and everything. I started to see a pattern in my shots taken around town. They looked pretty good and so I looked at other street photographers work and fell in love with the genre."

How long have you been doing street photography?
"I have probably been taking street photographs since I started photography a few years ago. Initially I didn't really define it as street photography, it was more about taking the camera along to events in town. Just prior to and while spending a year in America I really got into ‘street photography' and focused on it as my genre and developing my own style."

How would you define this form of Photography?
"This is tough as so much can be included but I think it is all about capturing ‘real life' moments in everyday life. No posing, no cloning out stuff in Photoshop and no setting things up."

What is the key to good quality street photography?
"Firstly I think the key is good light as in any other genre of photography. Get up early and stay out late, shoot during the autumn/spring/winter when the light is nice and the sun stays low in the sky. Secondly you want to capture something different, something special and something that tells a story and grabs your attention."

For a lot of people, shooting people on the street can be a very intimidating experience, so how do you handle approaching people to photograph? Do you interact with them or do you prefer to be ‘invisible'?
"I don't interact with them. If you ask them to pose then its not real street photography and that becomes portraiture in my view. That's not to say I hide away with a telephoto lens, although this works great sometimes. Usually I use my wide angle and get stuck in to the action. My advice is to keep moving, be polite and non confrontational if you do get questioned. I've had plenty of encounters but never any real problems and ultimately it's your right to be there. Those who are worried should check out this video on you tube of Bruce Gilden taking photos in New York, it's amazing. How he doesn't get abused and beaten up when he is out taking pictures is beyond me. It's a real must watch clip."

How do you make yourself invisible?
"Some of my best shots were taken last year on the underground or ‘T' as it is locally known in Boston. In these shots I had my super wide sigma 10-20mm lens and rested the camera on my lap sitting opposite people. I found that if I didn't pay any attention to my camera then people around me didn't either. My top tip was to have the camera out when you got on. If it was in a bag and you got it out everyone would look at you and watch everything you did with it. Have it out people see it and get used to it quickly and stop paying attention - that's when you press the shutter."

What's the most challenging aspect of street photography?
"Timing is everything and definitely the hardest aspect of street photography to master. You need to be constantly aware of what is happening around you and eventually you start to predict and notice things quickly enough to point your camera and get the shot."

How do you describe your photographic style?
"My style is high contrast black and white street photography, that's my speciality and what I like to do."

Why black and white?
"I think it works really well as a medium for street photography, it simplifies things, makes it more gritty and to some extent reflects that grey concrete environment that you are working in. All my photos are shot in colour and converted later. Some definitely work better in colour, but if I keep the image in colour I want the colour to add something special - not just to be for the sake of it."

Can you plan a street photograph?
"No - but planning helps. Street photography is about capturing the ‘moment', which you cannot plan - it just happens and if you're lucky you will capture it as it does. What you can do to give you a better chance of success is plan the light. The light is constantly changing through out the year. If I'm out and about without my camera and see nice light breaking between buildings for example, I will make a mental note of the time and place and come back later that week in the hope that someone or something will be happening in the light to give a great photo. It's by no means fool proof but it's a good place to start."

Who are your greatest photographic influences and why?
"I'm a huge fan of Trent Parke. He works for magnum and takes stunning documentary/street photography. A lot of his work is high contrast black and white. It's great to see a ‘street' photographer who has taken it to the next level. Another photographer who inspires me is Matt Stuart. I don't know how, but he has this incredible ability to capture these genius moments of comedy in the everyday world. I laughed so hard when I looked through his site, it's incredible a definite must see."

Do you have a preference over digital and film cameras and why?
"I'm digital all the way. I have never owned a film camera that wasn't disposable. The flexibility and instant feedback is what got be started in photography in the first place."

What's the best part of being a street photographer?
"You notice so much more. People always rush through the dull urban environment without paying attention and miss all the great moments happening right in front of them. Being a photographer is a privilege as you start to pay attention to those little details that no one else notices, the light, the interaction, the irony and comedy of everyday life."

Where has your photography taken you?
"Last year I managed to spend a year working in Boston. My favourite place (apart from on the underground where you got some great characters), was sitting on the common in the summer after work. I spent many hours chilling out in the sun watching the world go by taking photos of people soaking up the summer sun, chilling out after work and generally enjoying life as I was."

Do you have a photograph/set of photographs that are particularly special to you?
"I have just put a large print up in my living room, which was taken in Boston. It was on the common on a hot summers evening and has the silhouette of a young woman and a tree. It just reminds me of the good times spent there last summer. I also have some of my ‘T' shots up, as that was my lifeline to the city and how I got around."

Have the skills you've developed as a street photographer helped you in other areas of photography?
"Yes. I would say that practice and development in any area of photography would help you in others. All genres have the common elements of light and composition and developing your use of these can then be applied to any form of photography. Specific genres have their own specialist skills and ‘tricks of the trade' but they also have so much in common."

Are there any projects you're currently working on?
"I'm currently putting together a book, self-published using Blurb, to sell on my website. It's a compilation of my street photography from my year spent in Boston and split into three sections: the ‘T', the Common and the Streets. It's looking pretty good but not quite finished."

Finally, what advice would you give to anyone who is interested in trying street photography?
"Get out there and have a go. Street photography is probably one of the most easily accessible forms of photography. There are no excuses, head out at the weekend and photograph the hustle and bustle of all the Christmas shoppers! P.S. Wear something warm."