Are You Facing Your Fears in Photography?

The case for getting lost as a photographer

Mar 03, 2024

Bangalore was a city that didn’t speak to me at first. It’s a tech and finance hub that’s overflowing with traffic. But late last year I had some time to myself and decided to reach out to some friends, get recommendations, and—the topic for this week’s post—get lost.

It’s a rare thing to see a new city for the first time and with that in mind, I wanted to make an effort to identify some obscure points of interest to go a little deeper. Where are the true locals? Where are the grassroots commerce taking place? Armed with some destinations, I ventured off to see this city from a different perspective.

The Image

This image was shot with the Leica M11 and my Summicron 28mm lens. The aperture was locked at F11, the shutter speed and ISO landed at 1/320 and 80 respectively.

There’s a chaos in modern Indian life that I love trying to capture and this is a photo I’ve grown quite fond of. There’s this convergence of people, vehicles, and colours that capture a bit of that chaotic feeling. The more you look at it, the more you pick up.

At least, that’s what I think.

The Details

We have this innate desire to resist the feeling of being lost. The ancient recesses of our brain are conditioned to keep us alive and the feeling of being lost is seen as a threat against our survival. As a result, we may perceive moments of being astray or unaware as life-threatening, ushering in a chemical response to seek safety. This is a system that we must fight against as artists.

Here’s the thing, you can’t find yourself if you’ve never been lost. You have to make an effort to face your fears in photography and for many of us, getting lost is one of them. It’s something that prevents us from experiencing real growth and getting closer to who we are as artists. Those moments where you get off the beaten path can really open up your senses to see the world through new eyes. If you can silence the noise, the world around can present itself in a new way, where you can start to hone in on interesting frames with your camera. Frames that otherwise may go unnoticed.

The older you get, the harder it gets to see the world through new eyes. Facing our fears and getting lost is an easy way to be a newbie again.

There are still moments where I get a sinking, terrifying feeling when going out with my camera. Even when there aren’t any real dangers ahead. But each time I just take a beat to step back, stop the rumination, and just ask myself, “Is there a story worth telling ahead of me?” If the answer is yes, well, that’s all I need to quiet the noise and move ahead. And yes, there are times where I’m asking myself this question multiple times during a single walk.

Look, I understand that I’m making this case from a place of privilege. As a well-travelled, brown man this market isn’t exactly enemy territory. But keep in mind, it doesn’t have to be this market for you. It could be the unmapped exploration of your hometown. It could be going door-to-door of small businesses to profile people you’ve never met. Hell, it could even be mustering the courage to be front row at your kid’s recital. What I implore you to do is move into places that might make you feel lost. Places that might induce a little discomfort. And in those places, be the photographer. Look around with your photographer eyes and capture what you’re feeling.

February Contest Winner…

Congratulations to the winner of a one-year license to Capture One Pro:

Richard A.

You’ll receive and email from me directly on claiming your prize.

New March Contest!

Each month, I run a contest for the Church & Street Foto Club and try to feature something that I believe people will appreciate.

For March, I’ll be giving away the Long Weekend Beacon Tote Bag and Everyday Zip Pouch. Sometimes you just want a durable bag to throw your stuff in and head out the door. This bag from the Moment team is something that does that and is built to last. And it doesn’t hurt to have a bonus pouch to organize some essentials.

How am I picking the winner? All you have to do is be a member of this community and leave a comment on this post. As with every contest, I’ll be randomly picking one person, confirming they meet the requirements and then contacting them directly before announcing the winner publicly.

Once again, this contest is void where prohibited by law. Good luck!

My thanks to the team at Moment! Not only for this contest but for being the longest supporter of my work online. They’re a lean team of passionate creators that truly believe in supporting other creatives on their journey. Whether it’s a new camera, lens, workshop, or just some great articles, visit ShopMoment.com today.

Reader Question: When are you dropping the next episode of the Church & Street show?

My hope was to drop at least one episode every 12 months and I’m officially a few months behind the last deadline. Well, I can now share that the next episode will feature the city of Kolkata and drop in early April. There were some unexpected delays with the production of this episode but I’m really happy with the how the story came out. I’ll make sure to share some more updates as we get closer to the launch.

What’s Next?

I got a bonus post dropping later this week. My apologies for hitting your inbox again but this one was something that I think many of you will enjoy reading about. And if you don’t, well at least you’ll see some pretty pictures.

Anyway, that’s enough for this week. See ya next time!