Unpredictability in street photography is what makes it so captivating and worth exploring.
Today (I wrote this text on the 30th of November, 2025), I will write a few words about the unpredictability in street photography.
Some things that life offers are far more interesting or revealing than anything you can make up.
The above statement is not mine, but it’s taken from Matt Stuart’s book “Think Like a Street Photographer.” When I read this statement, I immediately recalled one of my past posts, “Reality Is Stranger Than Fiction.” Indeed, perhaps it is one of the most fundamental and crucial things that I love about street photography, its unpredictability. When I go out of my home, like I did today, I never know what I will see and experience on my walk. Today, I came out with the rucksack weighing 37.5 kg (83 lbs). Again, like yesterday, I did not take a break while walking with such a heavy burden and while doing street photography (I took over 150 pictures) and took over 10k steps.
Did I encounter something unusual today?
No, I did not. Still, I wrote many times that I don’t expect anything while going out and taking pictures. By saying that, I mean I can encounter many things. Also, I can be killed. We never know what will happen not only during our walks, but also during our whole day. Will we wake up? Will we be able to walk, see, and hear? What mood will we have tomorrow? Unpredictability is an inseparable part of not only street photography, but our whole lives.
And do you know, my Dear Friend?
I love it. I love it that I do not know the future. Living in the moment and seizing the day makes life more vibrant and real. Of course, I can project it somehow, but saying I have limited possibilities is like saying nothing at all. Seize the day, my Dear Friend, because we never know if the current day will be our last.
