5 Tips for getting over photography anxiety in public places

I have anxiety. Well, many anxieties, and one of them is what will happen if I go out and shoot at night. I’ve been inspired as of late by the works of Todd Hido and Willem Verbeeck to capture the stillness of late nights around my city, but, I’m still afraid to go shooting in public, regardless of the number of people present. I get in my head really quickly, which is why I rarely shoot at night. My mind goes through a flurry of worried questions and half-assed resolutions to nonexistent situations.

The color of this truck was always so enticing

“What if someone sees me and thinks I’m taking their picture?” “What will I do if they confront me?” “Oh god no they won’t confront me, will they?” “Do I just show them the photo and delete it if they don’t like it?” “Do I need them to sign something?” “Do I even have a pen or paper?” and a buzz of other questions flood my mind. So, you can imagine that this is amplified tenfold when I’m shooting at night. People sitting comfortably in their own home, and then happen to catch the silhouette of a person standing ominously outside of their house, completely silent, shrouded in the darkness. It’d freak me out too if I’m honest.

One of my favorite things to capture, and I think a lot of photo people will agree, is an ephemeral moment in time. One transient piece of this dimension that, despite our best wishes, marches ever-forward. It’s like snagging a piece of it and having the chance to keep it forever, if I so choose. The time that many of us don’t really have the chance to experience it, because of, ya know, a normal sleep schedule (I know, I don’t have one either). So, if I can, through my own artistic eye, capture a part of it to show to others, or just render a scene because I want to, I try to take the opportunity.

With all that being said, I know you’re here for the tips and tricks. Hence why I try to keep my life story short, so you can get on with your day, and hopefully make use of some of the advice here.

Literally just do it

Yeah, I know, this is probably the most obvious, but, if you sit at your desk sifting through possible situations, moments are passing by, and you might be missing something really cool. Take the next tip into consideration with this one, or the last one. Sometimes diving head first is the only way for us to get over our anxieties. My first shoot at night was terrifying when I was getting ready to go out, but about 20 steps out of my front door, I started seeing framing for images and the anxiety was replaced with excitement.

Try somewhere familiar to you

It’s easier to start in your own neighborhood, or a friend’s neighborhood for that matter. If you’re familiar with your surroundings, they might be familiar with you. Neighbors may have seen your face before, they might know you’re a photographer, and plus if someone random guy walking his dog at 2 AM asks you what you’re doing, you can tell him you’re just practicing some photography skills you’ve learned recently.

I started practicing on my own house, since, well, it’s the easiest thing to do. I’ll leave certain lights on, angle them in the rooms to cast certain shadows, overexpose, underexpose, crank my ISO, change aperture to my heart’s content, etc. Plus, I have the opportunity to see it in every season. It’s a great place to practice, so you can hone your skills, get to know your gear (and eye) better, and the only people you might upset don’t really have any reason to be upset.

There are tons of stories in your neighborhood if you look around

Go with a friend

Life’s easier when someone’s going through it with you. Sometimes it’ll allow you to get a bit more out of your comfort zone and try for some images you maybe hadn’t thought of before. Typically inspiration begets inspiration as well. You might see your comrade catch a cool angle of something, and you think to yourself “damn, I wanna do that.” Meanwhile they’re thinking the same thing about a shot you just got.

Be upfront and cordial

If, on the off-chance, you’re confronted by someone, be honest about what you’re doing. Hell, pull up your Instagram page if you have some other night photos to show. What you’re capturing is innocuous and nothing to be concerned about, and if people are able to see examples of what you do, they’ll most likely be far more at ease. I keep a few of my business cards on me at all times just in case someone wants to know more. A lot of the time, people are just curious about what you’re doing.

Of course, there are always the stuck up folks (rich neighborhoods are rife with them, I had a guy call the cops on me because I was eating my lunch in my car in the back of a really quiet, rich, neighborhood once) that will make demands and throw tantrums about what you’re doing. It’s easier to not make a fuss: apologize, and make your way back to your car. Plus, neighborhoods can be big. Just go somewhere else there and keep on going.

Porch lights and glowing windows are my favorite

Try a more public place first

I started in my old apartment complex initially. Some of the folks around there knew me and knew I’m a photographer, so it was a bit easier. But, if your city happens to have some more public places, like an “urban” town center, a downtown area, or something similar, that’ll give you a chance to practice. Plus the lighting is brighter so you won’t have to stand for obscenely long amounts of time just to make one image. 14 seconds feels a lot longer when you’re waiting for your shutter to close. Trust me.

I’m still learning and changing my methods for night-time photography, but these things have helped me quite a lot when trying to shoot at night. I haven’t been confronted yet, so I’m doing okay for now. I’m still learning and experimenting, so if you have tips or tricks of your own, I’d love to hear them. If you want to talk more about night photography, have questions, or just want to chat, feel free to drop me a line either via email or DM me on Instagram.