Why did I decide to join a Street Photography course

Apr 28, 2018

I was in the US on an L1-B visa for the last 5 months working as a Software Engineer. When I decided to resign from my job, a few people suggested making the best use of my time left in the US by learning something on the side. So, I started looking for oil-painting classes in Seattle and that is when I stumbled on Seattle Community College website. Sadly, I could not find many painting courses that were ending before my last day in Seattle, but luckily I found the Street Photography course that was ending just 2 days before the last day. I had recently bought a camera, and Street Photography aptly fell in place in terms of both timing and learning.

My experience as a Street Photographer

Street Photography classes were not for learning the camera basics – there is a separate Camera Basics course for the same. Instead, I learned a lot about carefully observing my surroundings and the little actions of the people around me. A very normal action of two persons standing and talking can be related to a situation by simply observing their expressions.

Street photography is not only about taking pictures of unaware people from a distance but sometimes you need to get closer to the subject to capture its true emotions. Being a newbie, I needed a lot of courage and motivation to talk to people, make them comfortable, and take their permission to capture their picture 🙂

In this blog, I’ll be doing less talking and let the pictures speak for themselves. There are a thousand shots, but I have picked the best ones and divided them into categories. Enjoy!

These pictures were captured in Capitol Hill on a walking tour with the class

It was such a teasing session with these guys.🙈

This is how the conversation went:
Me: Can I take your picture please, it is for an assignment
One of them: No, are you going to report us
Me: No it is just for a photography assignment
One of them: Stop trying to disguise, you are working with CBI, what is the assignment?
Me: 😬
One of them: We are just kidding, go ahead 🤣

These were captured in Cal Anderson Park, Capitol Hill, again on a walking tour with the class.

A series of reflections

Places I wouldn’t have otherwise noticed

Street Musicians of Seattle

Smoke from different locations near Pike Place