Jorge Quinteros

Gracious Vendor

Street portraits has become a much written about subject, particularly surrounding that feeling of awkwardness and shyness that comes with not having pointed a camera to anyone yet but just having had the thought in wanting to do it which usually ends up discouraging us. I don’t claim to be an expert but if people are the type of subjects that mainly entice you about the streets, I’ve found it helpful in attending events where people already expect to be photographed.

During the Lunar New Year Parade, Joel was often surprised how effortless I would stop in my tracks and photograph someone and because I often venture out alone, it dawned on me that not everyone is inherently comfortable with that approach. I wasn’t either but it’s a practice that I learned to become comfortable with after long days of constantly replicating the process. I generally always capture the portrait first and then talk afterwards about it to the person. I’ve noticed that asking first will often ruin the spontaneity of the moment which is the key element I strive to preserve and not scare away.

Coffee + Apple in Brooklyn

I can’t help think how many of those people furiously clicking away on keyboards and scribbling ideas on napkins might be working to create the next big thing. As you’re standing by the counter about to place your order at the local coffee shop next time, take a peek around and you’re likely see what’s pretty much become the standard in coffee shops in terms of who’s there most of the time.

On my way home, I stopped quickly by Barcey’s Coffee Shop in Bushwick for a warm cup of apple cider that I somehow gulped down faster than I should have because I can still feel the sting on my tongue. As I walked out, I didn’t notice the woman on her MacBook but I did catch on while I was driving away and I would had felt guilty had I not turned back to take this shot that had so easily set itself up on its own.

I asked the woman if she didn’t mind if I photographed her as she worked and the tone in her response was as if she knew beforehand that I was a Apple Fanboy and that these type of sights fascinated me. Her exactly words were, “Absolutely not, go ahead.”

People Watching on Bushwick

The majority of tips I’ve read about street photography have generally revolved around overcoming your fear of photographing complete strangers and whether you should do it with or without the subject’s awareness. All great advice but as I marched down the streets of Bushwick today, none of that advice really came to mind. Instead, the matter of respect seemed to be more of a thought.

With this photograph, I could have very easily walked in front of the older gentleman, taken a devaluing shot like this and kept it moving. I’m unaware of whether he was homeless or not but from the angle in which the aforementioned photograph was taken, I could have given the impression that he was because of how I chose to present him.

One of our jobs as photographers is to explore and find different angles in which we can best represent what captivated us to something in the first place, especially if it pertains to a person. I like to think we should treat them with as much photographic reverence as possible. To do anything less would be disrespectful. For this photograph, I felt the only way in which I could illustrated that I wasn’t looking down upon him despite his demeanor was to kneel down as far as possible.

With candid shots like this, one way of being unobtrusive is stay at a specific spot long enough so that people stop paying attention to you. I sat for 15 minutes at an apartment building entrance until he eventually stopped looking my way and continue his activity of people watching.

Dubious Older Gentleman

I may not market myself as a street photographer per say but when you’re not boarding a plane and have no travel plans in sight, the unlimited opportunities street photography offers for learning your gear and developing your eye is second to none. This approach for documenting life has become increasingly popular and deservedly respected as a genre.

Street photography is pretty straightforward in that you all you need is a camera and some good walking sneakers. What they don’t often tell you about is the challenge for being confident enough to photograph anyone and the lack of guarantee that you’ll capture anything you’ll be satisfied with.

The thrill of it comes above all from learning how to observe at what you may have just glance. Maintaining a close evasive strategy and yet still making myself available for questioning in case he did notice me is how this photograph was taken. Haven’t not been able to step outside and go out as comfortably as I use to with the camera, I’ve began taking the D90 with me to work and stepping out on lunch breaks to take a few shots to ease the withdrawal I often get when I haven’t shot anything.

At this point I haven’t even considered investing on a more portable camera because I have this habit of buying and selling them months later. The biggest gift a photographer can ask for is not gear related. I choose time over anything.