Recently, street photographer Jesse Marlow, hit the streets of Melbourne with the new Leica Q, a 28mm fixed focal rangefinder, with a twist. Particularly versatile, the camera allows one to switch focal lengths to 35mm and 50mm by cropping into the image.
With well over a decade of professional experience, Marlow shares his top tips for capturing powerful street photography images. It’s his belief that street style photography should raise more questions than it gives answers. “Photos that stop you in your tracks and require a second look are the type of photos I strive to take,” he says. He sees the unpredictability of the genre as one of its strongest elements. “Some days I come home with nothing, while other days I return with pictures that will be with me forever. And that’s the beauty of it.”
Marlow says that he likes to keep things pretty simple with his approach, and he’s only recently moved to shooting digital for his street photography. “I never start the day with preconceived ideas about what I want to shoot,” Marlow says. My work is all about the unknown.”
Top tips
1. Keep It Simple.
I always try to keep things simple and be open to anything when shooting. Keep your kit simple and just carry your camera - no big lenses or camera bags. Those only make you stand out more.
2. Don’t plan, react.
It’s all about capturing what you see in the moment. And that’s why I never leave the house with any pre-conceived ideas about what I’m going to shoot.
3. Quick is key.
Street style is a spontaneous form of photography, so being able to react quickly is fundamental. You need to trust, and be confident in, your own instincts. Shooting with a simple kit and knowing all the capabilities of your camera is also essential.
4. Blend in.
Whenever I’m shooting, I try my best to blend into the crowd. I like to capture people interacting with the urban environment in colourful, graphic and sometimes humorous situations. However, I rarely interact with anyone from the public when I’m out shooting, to ensure my photos are completely candid.
5. Less is more.
Beautiful candid street style photos don’t have to be taken on busy, bustling city streets. Often the best photos are taken in quieter streets, at the beach, on a farm or at home.
About Jesse Marlow
Jesse Marlow is based in Melbourne, Australia. His works are held in public and private collections across Australia. In 2003, he published his first book of photographs, Centre Bounce: Football from Australia’s Heart, (Hardie Grant Books). Images from Centre Bounce have been exhibited and published extensively, both in Australia and internationally. In 2005, he published a book of street photographs, Wounded, (Sling Shot Press). In 2006, he was selected to participate in the World Press Photo Joop Swart Masterclass in Amsterdam. While in 2010, Marlow was one of 45 street photographers from around the world profiled in the book, Street Photography Now (Thames & Hudson). He was awarded the International Street Photographer of the Year Award in 2011, and in 2012, he won the MGA – Bowness Prize. Marlow released his third monograph, Don’t Just Tell Them, Show Them, in 2014. In the same year, he was profiled in the Thames & Hudson book, The World Atlas of Street Photography. He is a member of both the international street photographers’ collective, in-public.com and M.33, Melbourne.