Street photography is a genre of photography that captures candid moments of people and places in public spaces. It is a challenging but rewarding form of art that requires patience, creativity and courage.

One of the things that makes street photography so fascinating is its truthfulness. Unlike staged photos, street photos show reality as the photographer is seeing it, with minimal manipulation, if any. This contrasts with the recent trend of AI-generated images that can create realistic but fake portraits of people who do not exist. While these images are more impressive each day in their technical quality, they lack the soul and authenticity of street photos.

Here are some of the things I learned from practicing street photography:

1. Seeing the light. Light is the most important element in photography, and street photography is no exception. Learning how to use natural light to create different effects, such as shadows, silhouettes, reflections and flares, can make a huge difference in the quality and mood of your photos.
   Seing light
2. Understanding contrast and mood. Contrast is the difference between light and dark areas in an image, and it can be used to create drama, tension and interest. Contrast can also affect the mood of your photos, as high-contrast images tend to be more dramatic and low-contrast images tend to be more subtle and soft.
   Contrast and Mood
3. What gives life to an image. Street photography is not just about capturing people, but also their interactions, emotions and stories. Learning how to capture the decisive moment, the gesture, the expression and the context that give life to an image can make your photos more engaging and meaningful.
   What brings life to an image
4. Ability to see patterns, leading lines and visual attraction. Composition is the arrangement of elements in an image, and it can make or break a photo. Learning how to use patterns, leading lines and visual attraction to guide the viewer’s eye and create a sense of harmony and balance can make your photos more appealing and effective.
   Pattern and balance and contrasts
5. To recognize and learn the value of expression and mood. Expression and mood are the feelings and emotions that are conveyed by the subject or the scene in a photo. Learning how to recognize and capture expression and mood can make your photos more expressive and powerful.
   Expression and Mood
6. To use pictures to tell a story. Street photography is not just about taking snapshots, but about telling stories with your images. Learning how to use pictures to tell a story can make your photos more interesting and compelling.
   An image can tell a story by itself
7. To not be shy, without being intrusive. Street photography requires a certain level of confidence and courage to approach strangers and photograph them without their permission or awareness. Learning how to overcome your fear of rejection, confrontation or awkwardness can help you get closer to your subjects and take better photos. However, you also need to respect their privacy and dignity, and avoid being rude or intrusive.
   Not to be shy
8. To embrace simplicity. Street photography is not about using fancy equipment or techniques, but about finding beauty in the ordinary and mundane. Learning how to embrace simplicity and focus on the essentials can help you avoid distractions and clutter in your photos, and make them more clear and impactful.
   Embrace simplicity
9. And to be ready when the opportunity arises. Street photography is unpredictable and spontaneous, and you never know when you will encounter a great photo opportunity. Learning how to be ready when the opportunity arises by always carrying your camera with you, being observant and alert, and being quick to react can help you capture more memorable moments.
   Be ready

Street photography is a rewarding form of art that can teach you a lot about yourself and the world around you, that is all about capturing the "soul" of the moment. By practicing these 9 things I learned from street photography, I believe I became a better portrait and headshot photographer.

What do you think about street photography? Do you have any tips or experiences to share?  Let me know in the comments below!