Pics And The City

You can take the boy out of the city, but you can't take the city out of the boy. I come from a fairly large city (New York), and relocated many years ago to the relatively small and quiet (comparatively speaking), area of Lancaster County in Central Pennsylvania. I don't miss the craziness and traffic of New York, but there's no denying that there's a vibe and constantly changing look generated by almost any city that makes photo forays into that environment a must for me. City shooting generally offers a wide range of locations that have their own unique "flavor", from ethnic neighborhoods and eateries, to historic attractions, to office workers, to city dwellers, to street artists and musicians, to the poor and needy, to churches, to amusements centers. A city will cover that whole spectrum...sometimes in the space of only a few blocks.



There's also a risk in some cities of becoming a crime statistic as you walk around wide-eyed with possibly thousands of dollars of shiny cameras and lenses temptingly close by. My advice? Ditch the wide eyes. Part-an important part-of city living and survival is attitude and "street smarts.". You don't necessarily or particularly need an attitude, just the ability to look like you belong and you're not a country bumpkin wandering around looking at all the tall buildings. This bleeds in to the area of "street smarts" that dictate you don't go into a strange, or unknown, or even possibly dangerous section of the city without some thought and a game plan.



You should always be aware of what's going on around you. That not only helps with picture taking, but with safety to your equipment and your body. Don't leave your camera bag at your feet then wander off a few feet, then a few more to take an interesting shot. You may notice that cities have pawn shops. You may also notice gear very similar to yours in the windows of those shops. Put two and two together and keep your gear in your grasp.



While it's important to know what's going on, that doesn't mean nervously looking around. That can mark you as a potential victim. Attitude. You belong there, you're confident, you can handle yourself. Most importantly, if you sense you're in a dangerous spot...get out of there. Look for a location where there are a lot of people, have a plan in mind if you're confronted, and although a cell phone can be a potential theft target, walking confidently away while you're talking on your phone might dissuade someone from a attempt to confront you. I would not, however, wave around an I-Phone or Blackberry unless I was really unhappy with them and wouldn't miss them a bit.



A city offers the best and worst that we can imagine. Personally, I'd rather have a day of shooting in any city than two in a so-called idyllic location. If that's also your idea of a fun day, just be sure to pack your attitude, street smarts, and best walk-around lens.