Undoubtedly, reality provides me with endless inspiration.
I wrote this text on the 12th of July, 2024. It was a day when I was doing street photography in scorching heat. Still, even if I do not like heat waves, I was happy I could stroll among the usual mundane (for many boring) places we call reality. I’ve been doing street photography since October 2015, and it still does not bore me. I suppose it is because reality provides me with endless inspiration. Even if I walk on the same street for the umpteenth time, I usually find something interesting to photograph. For instance, a nondescript alleyway that most people would overlook, I found it to be a treasure trove of textures and shadows.
I cannot explain this phenomenon.
The more I walk and do street photography, the more I want to do it. Undoubtedly, there are no wrong places to take pictures. I love boring places where tourists do not appear. I also walk through the paths and streets which have no name. When I see beautiful images of exotic places on Instagram, the only thing I think is, “These places are beautiful.” Regarding my pictures, I believe we can say much more. For some people, the statement “These places are beautiful” could be wrong. I know my images are specific, and they do not necessarily be described as “beautiful.” I believe most of my pictures represent my state of mind and mood while I am doing them.
Does that mean I have always a lousy mood?
After all, my photos are black and white. I would disagree with such a statement. I take all the images in colors. Only then do I develop them to black and white magic in Lightroom. This process of conversion is not just a technical step but a creative one, allowing me to emphasize certain elements and moods in the image. The core of my photographic activity is to picture reality, which I love, even if I love reading science-fiction books because I often rock in clouds while walking and doing street photography. I do it while stomping firmly on the steady ground of reality.
