“Why I Love Street Photography” by Alex Coghe

Eric’s Note: This guest blog post is by Alex Coghe, a passionate street photographer from Mexico City. I had the great pleasure of meeting Alex in Los Angeles for the ThinkTank Gallery “YOU ARE HERE” street photography event sponsored by Leica. See this post why he loves street photography, and see how it echoes with you too! 

Alex: Street Photography for me is all about the photography. There are so many genres of art, but street photography is the most powerful to me.

Street photography is one of the biggest passions in my life. My mind is always on street photography. I spend a large amount of time either shooting on the streets, blogging about street photography, networking with street photography, and thinking about street photography.

Street Photography has changed my life: because it’s an attitude, a mindset, a way of seeing the world. Street Photography has changed my life because now I’m working with photography.

I’m giving street photography workshops for italians, via skype, and here in Mexico City.

In Mexico City I want to open a street photography school in 2012. It will be a school but also a cultural center, an exhibition space, a real headquarters of street photography.

Shooting in the streets is thinking different. Shooting the streets is like a lottery,you can’t know the result never before.You can’t control the light, you can’t plan a shot, you never know how a scene can change within a second. And the search for the decisive moment is a challenge with yourself.

Street Photography is in some sense as a solitary sport: the only players are you and the camera, but at the same time you must be in close contact with people.

People are the essential element in street photography. You must love people, you can not think of staying distant to take pictures, and naturally I’m not only talking about physical distance.

Street Photography is also therapeutic.I relax myself when I shoot the street, and so many times is euphoria the emotional condition pervading me.

I enjoy interacting with people, many times I stop to talk with people. Some photographers or people who see me in action ask me if I’m not afraid to get close to people so much to take a picture of them.

I always answer that I am conscious of not doing anything wrong, and a positive attitude helps a lot in this job.

Because this is reflected on my body language, and in my being in harmony in the streets with the people.

More photos by Alex

Alex Coghe

Alex Coghe

Alex Coghe

Alex Coghe

Alex Coghe

Alex Coghe

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 Share why you love street photography as well in the comments below! Also let us know what you think of Alex’s photographs!