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From Amy Touchette’s article “Embracing the Role of Fear in Street Photography” for tuts+:

When you think about making street photography, what fears arise in you? We all have them—even seasoned street photographers. Answering this question is one of the quickest ways to get to the heart of your photography, because it highlights what you care about deep down inside.

But fear is often viewed as a weakness, so it’s not always easy to admit to yourself or to others, and it can be confusing figuring out what’s behind it. Fear is an effect after all, a reaction, so when it arises, what was the cause?

Artists, by definition, are people who are in the habit of overcoming personal challenges in order to create something of their own. For those just starting out, taking those mysterious first steps with a medium can be utterly exhilarating and unbridled; completely free of fear, hesitation, or expectation, there feels to be nothing to lose. But in time, as skills are honed and a desire for reaching new ground manifests, things get more complicated, and there feels to be a lot to lose. Will the process go well? Will the effort be fruitful? Will others think your results are “good”?

View the original article

Browse all of Amy Touchette’s work at ClampArt