Body Language and Intention in Street Photography (feat. Joshua K. Jackson) 

My approach is the total opposite from Joshua's. I set up a large format 5x7 camera on a tripod, and I'm sitting in a wheelchair beside that setup (I can stand or go for a max of approx 10-15 minutes before succumbing to excruciating pain). When people ask me what I'm doing, I tell them that I take portraits from people walking past, and if they have an interesting face, I ask them if I can take a portrait. But that's not the street photography part. All the time I'm sitting in the wheelchair, I have one of my TLRs in my hands and look around for street photography opportunities happen around me. If I see one, I look down into the viewfinder, compose and press the shutter. People simply don't see or realize what i'm doing, since they are much more focused on the large format camera on the tripod beside me or me sitting in a wheelchair. It's like hiding in plain sight. And if they do, they mostly are equally fascinated by the old twin-lens camera I use and rather ask what that is than ask what I'm doing with it.

This is the most important and essential video for street photographers. Since the pandemic I experience terrible social anxiety while out and I indeed display closed off body language like Josh described (hands in coat pocket, grim face, walking fast and uncomfortable). I often try to photograph after work but when finally leaving the office I'm full of negative emotions that I can't get into the right mindset and or even enjoy the process of photography. Thank you Sean, thank you Josh, this video is pure gold for me! I've learned a lot.

What I truly appreciate with Seans videos, is that they take me an a mental journey. He never fails on delivering that.

I love the fact early on in the video a bus goes by with an ad saying “what’s your gut feeling?” on the side, then later on Josh talks about gut feeling…it’s almost as if the bus was under direction :) Great video and gave me lots to think about as I experiment with street photography.

Hi Sean, as a documentary style travel photographer, I greatly appreciated Joshua's insight and technique as it relates to body language and intention for street photography. His images are not only gorgeous but evocative as well. I very much like his philosophy of embracing life with a camera and photography. Outstanding film making Sean. I love these documentary style videos. Thanks so much for the great content.

Josh’s comments on body language and how you move through a location are spot on. Too often I’ve found myself lurking and looking furtive (thus drawing attention) while waiting for the right moment to get the photo. It’s not what I intended but in trying to get a photo the focused intensity of my waiting and surveillance of a location becomes obvious. I recognised this long ago and tried to get better at being less conspicuous by moving around rather than lurking but at the same time if you are a white, Euro looking Australian like I am then you’re more than a little conspicuous in a remote African town or East Asian village market far from home!

Street photography as 'photojournalism of everyday life' -- lovely. Great video.

Anyone learning street photography needs to watch this video. After watching this went out on Sunday, tried to adopt a more open body language and kept moving around the location I was in. I found myself waking up and down a busy street in Wembley a number of times. I still have anxiety about taking close up photos of strangers but am working on it. Great video, Sean and Josh. Lots of lessons to take away from this.

It baffles me how easy it is to do street photography when I travel, but how closed off I can be if I photograph in my own town. I find that social anxiety can be crippling. When I'm a tourist, I tend to move around more and take pictures of all kinds of things (not just people) - just like Joshua described in his video. Sometimes when I'm closing off, I'll head into a back alley and take scenes without people, or I'll take pictures of buildings, or I'll even put my camera away and observe what is going on around me. Once I'm back in the 'zone', I'll start including people again.

The colours of Joshua's photos 👌 (insert your chef's kiss favourite Gif here)

The first time I ever shot street was on a workshop with Josh and Sean. I wanted to overcome the fear of being punched in the face if I got caught taking street photos by someone who didn't like it! Within the first 10 minutes of the workshop Josh taught a technique for blending in and it worked like magic. Sean and Josh both saw things instantly on that workshop, taking in complex scenes and compositional possibilities so fast it was breathtaking. Sadly, I don't think Josh has time to do workshops these days and I'm not sure Sean does many either. Such a pity since they're both super talented. If they ever do workshops again I'll be among the first to sign up!

Most of this resonates a lot with what I’ve learned (the hard way) over the past few years. However, I do still think there’s value in standing still sometimes. While we might feel being in one spot for a while is drawing more attention, the people passing through have no idea how long you’ve been there if you’re body language is saying “I’m just chilling here”. Anyways, I don’t mean to sound critical. Thanks for making the video. I always enjoy videos with Joshua in them ✌️

There is always something to learn from your films, thank you so much!

Excellent stuff !!! Everything Josh said resonated with me, and was very encouraging. Thanks so much for having Josh share his insights and thoughts.

Great video Sean, I do love Joshua’s photos ( yours too ) and his whole way of thinking around Street Photography.

Thanks Josh and Sean. This is a terrific lesson. I use the LCD screen because I can SEE the image. A one-eyed squint doesn't do it for me. Terrific video, thankyou. This also reminded me that I haven't seen Josh's pics on instagram for a while. Lots of random stuff. Damned logarithms. I shall seek him out!

Thank you both for this video! Even after years, I keep dealing with these fears. Open body language, a friendly smile (which I wear anyway because I'm doing something that I enjoy a lot) and not wanting to hide anything, I think I succeed quite well. I also shoot with a digital M and only recently found myself using the LCD display almost exclusively. I wanted to break the habit again, but now I'm rethinking my plan. If Josh does it, so can I. Thanks for sharing that with us too. I will now always think of your words when I'm out with my cam. 😊 Greetings from Germany, Nadja.

Excellent vid! I'm glad that street photography fears is actually a thing, and it's not just me! I've been trying to build myself up to step out of my comfort zone with street photography. I'm wondering, as a woman, if there might be a little less apprehension from the public than men with cameras? Either way, these tips are very inspiring to get out there and try it!

This guy really is a master piece of Photography, art and knowledge. Years after this video came up and watched for the first time, i have so much more to tell about this masterpiece video. Thank u both. Cheers from Chile

Such a great interview! Thanks both of you.

One of rare videos, when you watch from start to finish and listen to every advice. Deeply and interesting. By the way, Joshua seems to be a great speaker! Thank you!

Many thanks Sean for this video. Joshua’s advise is very insightful, respectful and humanistic. Really enjoyed viewing this and will then view again. Great work.

Excellent. Love these interviews.

Thanks so much for your awesome videos and all the effort, that you consinstently put in your in your content. Joshua is great and I love his photos and his approach. Inspiring!

Results matter. Never apologize for your own preferences in how to engage in street photography if you get the results you are happy with. What helps me: always realize as a street photographer, you are not “stealing souls”, you are not breaking the law (at least in almost every country with sensible laws and civil liberties), you are not doing anything immoral. The public space is what the name implies. It’s public. In a public space, the expectation of privacy is an illusion. Joel Meyerowitz has a few good talking points on this. Easy to find if you google for it or if you’ve listened to a bunch of interviews he did over the years. Great video, Sean.

Thank you both. That was generous, informative, and interesting.

Very well made and helpul video ( as always!) When I started “Street” or documentary type photography I worked out what I would say if someone challenged me… it was along the lines of... I am in an amateur photography group or photography is a hobby and I am just trying to take some useful photos for a project ( all of which is true!) However several years on ..and..…no one has ever challenged me or anything! But I certainly think all of Josh’s advice is great….Many thanks!

Thanks Sean & Joshua for sharing these ideas. Really useful stuff for an introvert. 😊

Great stuff once again, and then the music!

Thanks for this. I was going to go out and do some street today but I found excuses to stay home and not face my anxiety. I follow you both on Instagram and your street photography is beautiful and inspiring.

Well what a great video ! Like all information sources ,with RU-vid you have to sift a lot of chaff to get to the kernel . This really educated, informed and inspired. Thanks for interviewing one of my inspirations Joshua Jackson !

I thoroughly enjoyed this. More of these please Sean.

Wonderful video Sean!!

Excellent, thank you both.

This is the complete mental checklist I go through when I photograph especially street photography. Project openness and don’t be sneaky and odd as not to be questioned of my intentions.

Great video again sean and joshua. I’m glad that i took the time to watch this and not somewhere in a rush. Keep it up!

Thank you so much for your perspective. It’s nice to hear other ways of doing the street..

Thanks sean, I do struggle with street photography too. Thanks to our guest I know some tips too. It's just great to be a part of your community

Jackson is awesome, your first video about him is my all-time favourite of yours. I see a lot of Saul Leiter in many of his photos. Is that someone he mentions as one of his inspirations?

Thank you for another outstanding video! I’ve always been interested with street photography but struggle to capture any great moments because of the fear/anxiety I get from it. Thanks to the insight provided by Josh I think I’ll give it another go soon.

Brilliant video!

Yes this is a good video. I am new to street photography, and went out to London yesterday on my own. I did find that I didn't take as many pictures, than I did the week before, when I was with a friend who goes London each weekend. I sure have picked up some tips from josh.

That same music is back from the other Josh video which I regularly watch. Fantastic stuff!

Loved the insight. Definitely a cool approach to street photography

Wow this footage of him on the street was amazing. Also everything he said was truth. Bravo Sean and Joshua!

Great advice, thank you very much for sharing. I hadn’t really considered the effect of body language on people as much, the idea of ‘bruising the scene’ is quite illuminating too. I’m living in a foreign country at the moment and have a very poor grip of the language (Chinese is hard), it makes getting close up to people quite daunting at times as I lack the language skills to explain myself and defuse any potential unpleasantness.

thank you Sean for this! I am more inspired to take more photos

Sincerely. Thank you.

Love this, great insights.

Great video and advice

Perfect! Sage and welcomed advice.

That thing he said using the lcd is so true, I've noticed it as well people doesn't give a crap if you're using the lcd back rather than the viewfinder

Such good advice. I realize that I walk around with closed body language.

I have been shooting street for almost 22 years now - which is longer than some of the viewers here 😉. I hardly comment on the videos but felt really compelled to do so today. The kind of advice given here is unparalleled. Thanks Joshua for all the crucial tips. I echo the sentiments across the board. I especially agree with the process of "keep moving". I know "bruising the scene" is a longstanding practice but it has never felt right to me. I let the images come to me now and choose not to chase them. Brilliant video, Sean - thank you!

What a lesson! Thanks!

Excellent. Great info, thanks.

To waste less time, I watch RU-vid videos almost exclusively at 1.25x or 1.5x speed, but yours are an exception. Your b-roll is so beautiful that I can't not watch it at normal speed. Great video and interview, as always. Like many of us, street photography is something I'd like to practice and improve, but I struggle so much with it that when I'm in a city I usually stick to buildings, or crowds, but not people at close range. Good lessons to apply here.

Great video - I think almost all street photographers are nervous or worried about taking certain shots and this interview really does help to get a feel of what to do. It gets better with time and any help is welcome. I love that clip with the two ladies smoking outside their workplace and would have liked to see the still in the final shots

A complete enchantment from start to finish.

Wow … how did I miss the notification…. Watching now… hope all is well with you Sean…. Always enjoy your videos….

I just came from three days in London staying near Trafalgar Square. I also wandered to Chinatown and Piccadilly. I noticed people paying little attention to others as they were focused on themselves or friends. That made it easier but I still suffer some at photographing others without permission but I am getting better. Thanks for the advice.

Interesting insights from the experience of using the LCD screen as part of shooting. Thanks for letting us sit in on the conversation you had together. I've really appreciated it.

Thank you Sean for having another conversation with Joshua K. Jackson. I loved your previous conversation with Joshua and tried to purchase his monograph “Sleepless In Soho”. At 150 L plus shipping & handling that is too rich for my wallet. I do watch that video a lot. I wonder if Joshua has been influenced by Saul Leiter. Some of his images are Leiter like. I am a street photographer.I mostly see in B&W. I am seeking to tell a story in an image. I look for interesting looking people of people doing something interesting. Sometimes the light is doing something I like.Sometimes I need to switch the color setting on to capture some interesting color interactions. I have to be receptive to whatever the street is giving me. Thank you for sharing Joshua’s images at the end of the video. He has a great eye for color. Joshua K. Jackson is inspiring and sometimes when I am walking around Seattle I imagine I am JKJ. I imagine I can see the way he does and create images in his style. Obviously I can’t makes images like him as I’m not JKJ. I am me and bring my experience and sensibility with ne. I would be so happy to embrace and steal a little of JKJ’s style and sensibility within mine. Mask On Nurse Marty

Great video and tips, very helpful! I’m trying to overcome my hesitation when it comes to street portraiture. I guess I’ll have to take the plunge and just ask, worst case scenario they will refuse.

Two of my favorite photographers

Thank you.

Joshua had some great things to say but can we talk about that B roll of him walking about? Some gorgeous shots! That one with flare with the two girls smoking, back lit? (Chefs kiss!)

The best advice is to look like you belong there. You can go to extremes and bring a tripod and wear a high-vis vest and people will think you're a surveyor or some kind of professional. Or you can pretend you're a tourist that's happy to be there capturing the city. Either way it shows in your body language. Think about the photographers you see when you're outside and how you respond to them. You can always tell the ones who are trying to hide the fact they're taking photos. But the ones that act relaxed and purposeful about taking photos are accepted as belonging in the space.

Sean, we are so privileged to get such an education in photography from you!

I’ve been a wilderness photographer for a long time. But, living around cities, I like to take my camera. 28mm f1.4 lens has been my fav for this. I agree completely, even standing in the street and taking architectural photos I’ve found people to be and large wonderful. I have had several people stop and show me around the architecture in the area. One time in Vancouver it was the city architect. I’m still always nervous in the city, especially when shooting on the streets, but you are spot on, look casual, look purposeful, look like you are taking photos, and people will almost always step up.

I'm a street photographer, but I also can be very shy in the streets to look through the viewfinder. Most of the time I just pretend like I'm not shooting anything by not looking directly on the screen of my Ricoh GR3 or the viewfinder of Leica M6. This video made me want to challenge myself to don't get too scared. Thank you for an amazing video as always.

Thank you. I think I would want to try it more, besides nature photography that I enjoy doing.

It doesn't work for everyone, but another thing to consider is shooting with someone else or in a group. I guess that links in nicely with having open body language, as this will come naturally when out shooting with others.

Love Josh. He probably won’t remember but he gave me twenty minutes of his time one day when I bumped into him on Shaftsbury Avenue. Super cool thing to do.

Big thanks to Josh for sharing his thoughts and big thanks to Sean for taking the time to put together this video!

Wow, 'life will present a new opportunity every time you come around'

Very nice video indeed. I'd like so much to know what camera strap Joshua has on his camera? It looks so nice, soft and simple so wrap around the hand.

Those are great tips and very very important ones. Looking relaxed, happy, and acting like you belong to the place and not doing something dodgy/bad, definitely helps a lot when doing street photography. Another trick I learned in my early days doing street photography is to never dress or use anything that gives an impression of 'tough guy/girl' or 'military looking'. People will wary of other people who dress like some kind of authority or strong figure and combined with a camera, it definitely will raise a flag for some people. Dressing like people around you or dressing like a tourist, and most importantly, dressing comfortably is really helpful for me when doing street photography in my city. Also, never, ever try to take a photo of people in a vulnerable pose (or indecent photo), no matter how tempting that is. Because, if even just a single indecent image is there in the camera when I got questioned by someone (or authorities, like a security guard, or worse, police), there is absolutely no room to negotiate.

A few years ago I took a workshop with Josh. I loved his focus on body language and intention as opposed to deception or gear. This video is a wonderful reminder of that day. I hate to be a downer with what I’m about to say, but since then I’ve since photographed in a number of different contexts and advise caution in certain areas. From the perspective of someone from the USA that’s: - Places where illegal or gang activity may be going on - Places where tensions are high due to gentrification - Places where you stick out as a racial minority - Gated communities (or similar) where really rich people live - Places where rates of gun ownership are high Unless your work specifically requires taking photos in those locations, it might be better not to. The 6th sense you’ve developed to identify a good scene should serve you well in determining where you’re more at risk of confrontation or violence. This sucks. Photography was accepted everywhere. YOU should be accepted everywhere. Sadly the dynamics of social isolation, tribal distrust, income inequality, political division, and 2nd amendment extremism (if you’re in the USA) are powerful and important to keep in mind.

Phenomenal guy!

I have made a fun project a few years ago: I installed my phone on a selfie stick, and walked on the streets, continously telling funny things "into my camera" - but actually I took pictures of the reactions of my monologue with the back side camera. Loved it. :-)

Great video,but I don't think enough was made of the power of a simple smile. Smile as you shoot, we're supposed to be having fun after all - and smile if you're 'busted'. Both tell people around you that you're not doing anything you shouldn't be and that human connection is massively disarming

I could hear you two talk forever. You should make a podcast Sean! :)

Good advice, even though I never got into street photography. Some people look at my camera as if it's a loaded gun. South Florida is surprisingly cameraphobic. I had some angry girl yelling at me if I was taking a picture of her the other day but she was so far away I could barely hear her calling out to me. She was even inside of a car that I couldn't see into and my lens was a 50mm. Some people on the other hand try posing for the camera as if I'm filming a video when I'm just messing with the settings.

Yes Sean. It has been a part of photography that I have kept away from. Every feeling that you have experienced has a negative effect and it’s damn hard to overcome. I’ve succeeded only once during a Christmas shoot by keeping a very low profile and even kept myself and gear in the dark. Crazy I know, but it’s Human nature to a degree. Stupid to feel that way but it’s just my own feelings. I’m probably totally wrong.

Love the "keep moving" advice. Adjust your settings and review photos while walking around. Don't just stand there. Not sure there is much you can do when he walked right up to the couple against the wall. Maybe some sort of friendly interaction might help, whatever they are receptive to?

Great video Joshua! I'm uncomfortable photographing people without asking. I only started street photography since the pandemic because of my limited ability to get out of cities. I'm quite paranoid of my camera being stolen so it's always two hands on.

Thank you for the video. I think it has a lot of helpful information. I tend to get anxiety when photographing people in public places. I live in the US and some of it may be socially acceptable behavior or the perception that we in US tend to have trust issues in public places. I often feel like I may be perceived as a "creepy guy with a camera". I was thinking if it make more sense to wear clothing that has photography stuff on it so people feel more inclined to take it as "art" vs some dude that is later using the photos for some other purpose. I almost want to wear a shirt that says "press" lol. I think looking like a tourist is the safest bet. Maybe I am overthinking it.

Uploaded 38min ago, I feel special 🥰

I hops Joshua can speak more about his photography in others video he is so talented!!

Very helpful advice. Interesting comment about not using hip shots. I notice Joshua makes no attempt to minimalize his camera. Thank you.

One of my absolute favourite street photographers … 😊

The amount of times he said “body language” is legendary

Sean, can I buy some of your books here in Brazil perhaps?

A lot of this is second nature to me, body language is very important. So is the use of the screen and not the viewfinder. Being natural on the street is key. I manage all of this most of the time. I recently took a photo of a quad-biker on a country track, near where I live in South Yorkshire. The biker stopped and shouted at me and asked me what I was videoing. I went into my plan A, in these situations, enthusiasm, and I explained I had taken a photo not a video and I showed the photo to the biker - he's giving me\the camera, the finger - and he was so disarmed, he said nice one and rode off. I was open and honest and pleased for him as well as me. Involve the subject in the process, when challenged I do have anxiety when I am on the street, but I weigh that against what I'm on the street for, why I have a camera in my hand. I generally take photos on the street every day, it's like practice, it's like - well is- therapy for me. It gets me over my very introverted personality.

When he walks past the two women smoking, and he allows the camera to just keep pointing forward as he passes. those little things.

I use a 8.1 megapixel Ricoh gr digital. So tjiny no one notices. I shoot from the hip on the move. 800 iso set to snap shot black and white.

"If you have good intent you shouldn't have anything to fear"

Please come to Qatar, and conduct your photography class. I'm interested to attend.

I'm interested if anyone bothers to carry around a few prints of their photos with them in case someone stops them (not that mine are especially good). The only time I've ever been challenged is by security staff, at Canary Wharf of all places (which has a terrible reputation for that sort of thing) - but not until after I'd got some interesting photos.