Kids, 2016
‘For me, street photography is it. It's what I want to do. It's almost impossible to run out of subjects as something different happens on the same street every day. London is full of surprises.’
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Street photographer Becky Frances has been living in London for the past five years – and capturing its citizens long before that. Below, she shares her work and some of her tips
‘For me, street photography is it. It's what I want to do. It's almost impossible to run out of subjects as something different happens on the same street every day. London is full of surprises.’
‘I started off using a Canon 450D and a long lens (50-200mm). It took me a while to build up enough confidence to ditch the lens and use a regular 18-55mm, getting closer to the people I wanted to photograph.’
‘I’m fine with waiting for a person to notice me and photographing their reaction, but I'm not into the intrusive kind of street portraiture practiced by Bruce Gilden, which to me is all about sticking your camera right in someone's face – I wouldn't do that!’
‘Two of my favourite street photographers are Martin Parr and Joel Meyerowitz. I could see from their work that street photography is not just about photographing people walking down the street.’
‘As a city, London is fairly friendly to photographers. Most people I come across are very happy to have their photo taken – if they even see me doing it.
I've had a couple of instances where people have been very angry. The first time it happened it really put me off going out shooting and it took a while to go out on my own again.’
‘If I were to give advice to aspiring street photographers, I would say practice, practice, practice. Getting out as regularly as you can builds your confidence and sharpens your eye.’
‘And London is full of characters that are waiting to share their stories – and people who are less happy when you catch them doing something they shouldn't be! It's a fantastic city full of colour and diversity and I hope I'm shooting it for a long time yet.’
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