One of the anecdotal tales of ‘hit rates’ that stuck with me was Robert Frank’s seminal street photography work “The Americans” where he took 27 THOUSAND photographs for the project and whittled them down to just 83 for the book, and this was during the film days where you really had to work hard to take 27,000 shots.

There are some good observations here but my advice is even simpler. Don't overthink anything. Many of the finest photographers like Eggleston, Shore, Leiter, Haas, Herzog and Gruyaert produced masterpieces that never went beyond one or two layers of interest (by layers I'm not referring to composition) and they weren't really seeking out anything beyond this. It was an approach closer to pop art than documentary photography. I suppose this is why they couldn't really be categorized as street photographers today. If your goal is just to document beauty in the everyday world then there's nothing wrong with that. If you have higher aspirations then that's OK too. Just don't worry about "hit rates", "bangers" and "keepers". None of those things are important in the long run. Oh, and never, ever be concerned about having your work described as "boring". That shouldn't be a concern. Maybe call your photographs "austere" instead.

Sean, you said "I hope this is help" This is BEYOND helpful. This is the stuff that makes me follow your channel for years. This is priceless information and I learn a lot just by watching this video.

Love how well you explained the layers. It has really made me look at my images much more critically. Instagram is loaded with single layer images so when I come across a photo that has 3-4 layers it’s amazing. Really inspires me to level up the skills I have by increasing my scrutiny of them.

Mastering layering in Street Photography is like mastering gourmet cuisine in cooking. Great video as always Sean! Very insightful.

This was the single best explanation of street photography I have ever heard. I have often been mystified by the dozens of photos posted in FB street photography groups because I can see no reason why they were shot in the first place. Now I can at least try to articulate what I see as a good street photo and perhaps understand where to start in learning the genre for myself.

This is probably one of the best videos I have seen on KZfaq. It simplifies what a great photograph is and how we can try to get something which maybe one day be considered to be a great picture.

I wish someone had told me this 10/15 years ago! I might have stuck to photography more consistently, and not given up on it so many times because I kept producing so many boring images without knowing why. I've instinctively thought all this to myself but never felt it was valid. I'm getting too old now to make full use of this wisdom. If you are young enough to make a photographic life then this is a great mantra to follow.

Very well explained and laid out. Street photography as I have observed it, is very diverse and varies in style. For me, it's not easy to say what a great street photographs looks like. I think it more subjective than objective. "In 1757, British sceptic and essayist David Hume wrote, 'Beauty is no quality in things themselves: It exists merely in the mind which contemplates them; and each mind perceives a different beauty' (Essay XXXII, Of the Standard of Taste)". [from Writing Explained]

This is such a great way of thinking about the practice of photography and what makes a great image 🙏👏 reminds me of Randall Jarrell’s line about poetry: “A good poet is someone who manages, in a lifetime of standing out in thunderstorms, to be struck by lightning five or six times; a dozen or two dozen times and he is great.”

Thank you for your compassion for us. You are the real Inspiration for Beginner- and Hobbyphotographer. (Sorry if my English is not 100% correct) Best wishes from Germany🙂

I always enjoy your videos Sean and get so much out of them. Much of what you say matches my own beliefs, but sometimes you just need that voice from the outside to act as a reminder or affirmation that we should be comfortable with who we are.

Right now for me it's the best channel about photography. Sean is not only an extremely good photographer but he explains things in such a good way. Thanks a lot!

As a street photog of 50 years, this hits the bullseye. These are the way i rate my images when editing .

Hi, Sean. This is a very strong video. A video we can all learn from. I want to start street photography but without the people. Actually, I want to photograph the mundane and abstract subjects on the street. I have been photographing for almost 35 years, so I have the basics reasonably under control. In the photography I did for this I had a rate of 9 out of 10. But there I had everything under control, the subject, the light, and the emotion. I photographed black and white still lifes. But now that I've started shooting on the street, I've found out how difficult it is to take a good photo. I have just started but I hope, I am now 63 years old, that I can make one booklet with good photos. But I don't put pressure on myself and see that I improve every time I go out. I'm not there yet but as long as I see improvement I will keep going. Thank you for this nice video that I really enjoyed watching. A warm greeting from the Netherlands, Antoine.

I can’t tell you how helpful this was. This is why street photography is a spiritual practice!

Fabulous guide to street photography, short, easy to remember and setting realistic expectations, thanks so much for this Sean!

The Master Class..... You explain things so eloquently.... & what a great opportunity to go to TUSCANY & create powerful images with good food and wonderful people....

Love it. This is a great framework for thinking about photos. I would also add another aspect to the alchemy layer that I don’t think you mentioned. That would be a sequence or some thread tying a group of images together. I don’t remember the photographer but there was a series of pictures of people who were walking at a certain in NYC taken years apart. Individually the images were unspectacular having just 1 or 2 of layers you’ve described here. But as a series they were all elevated and really brought up interesting thoughts on human habits and routines.

I think you can work it in backwards direction. If secret sauce equals to emotion (which for me it does) then concentrete just on that and if you are lucky other aspects might click from time to time. Because the other way around it will be much more rare to click. And also - emotional image with shitty colors and light is still miles more interesting that technically perfect image about nothing.

Superb. One of the best imo. Your own photography has really kicked up to another level imo.

Your content and approach is so spot on. What a photographer (amateur or professional) needs to hear or maybe has forgot along the way. Congrats and keep creating such great videos 👏🏻

One thing about street photography to keep in mind, is it’s hard enough just to get a visual moment. You can look all day and maybe find one particular subject, lighting, and background that synchronizes into something magical! The serendipity moment. But you have to be out there shooting in order to achieve it!

When I shoot street images, I feel as if I’m trying to make a mini movie for whoever sees it. I want them to have this quick flash of a life and world they don’t know.

I love how you've captured the essence of street photography in this video. This was well articulated and thought out in explaining what compelling street photography can be.

Oh man this helped so much. I am not a street photographer but I am a landscape photographer and the layers you are talking can totally be applied to that genre as well. The biggest key that I took away is the hit rate. I am lucky if I get 3 great images a year but man I have lots of good to ok ones lol

You really explained perfectly what a great photo is. In my opinion, social media has conditioned us to stick to „one layer“ photos. I‘ve noticed that all the (IG) photographers whose work I really admire have transcended that cage and it is truly what sets them apart.

Gosh, this is so interesting! 16 minutes, but obviously so much thought behind this. This video is a brilliant reference for self-assessment with enough objectivity built in to dodge the spectre of self doubt.

It’s amazing how you articulate whats in my mind and I can’t express it. The layers concept has always been in my mind including the magical sauce at the end. I just couldn’t express it into words like how you do.

I could watch Sean everyday. Nobody is more philosophical about photography.

This is probably the most enlightening video I’ve watched about street photography. I needed this

This video was very informative and beautifully crafted. As you stated, i definitely experienced and feeling of relief after receiving what you had to say. It does help me think deeper and more freely about street photography. So thank you much for this amazing video!

Been a street photographer for 6 years and this may be the most important photography video ive ever watched. It's exactly what I need right now unlock my creativity. I have adopted any one or two of those layers more or less consciously at various times and of course have instinctively found that alchemy over the years. But seeing it all broken down like this feels like an epiphany. I look forward to putting all this un practice! While I will always be guided by instinct, I think proceeding with more intentionality based on these layers will bake that practice into my instincts, the way you train for anything until it becomes second nature. So, huge thanks!

This might be the greatest vieo EVER about what we do as photographers. Thanks for hitting it out of the park and allowing to catch it.

Saul Leiter used reflections, condensation and raindrops on a window as layers, or even negative space. Some of my favorites he shot from inside a car to get at least one layer already by default.

Wow! By far, this is the video where I learnt the most about photography!

Best explanation of “hit rate” and layering in street photography to be found anywhere!!! Much appreciated🙏.

Recently bought a camera for street photography, and this video really has given me a goal to strive towards. Thank you, Sean

Heard you today on the fujilove podcast. Thank you for what you’re doing for photography, sure, but for mankind even more.

Sean, eloquently articulated - thank you.

❤ Love the contents Sean. Thanks for sharing idea to us.

The photo from Joel M. is outstanding, it’s one of my fav from all photographers. So much elements resonate together to build a painting picture. Touches of colors with the dresses, the steel chain with entry of the underground make the triangle, the people and expressions/body language, the design of the clothes and the cars, the colors of the clothes and the cars, the bus, everything is just crazy !

There’s so many photography channels around but none are as fantastically well thought out and thought provoking as yours!

Thanks for this valuable lesson. Slightly off-topic: I am grateful that there are still videos out there that don’t smash you in your face with constant jump cuts 🙏🙂

Another great video that inspires me to go slow, focus on my craft, and ignore the noise. Thank you 🙏🏾

As another commenter put it, the layers concept is "a great framework for thinking about photography" and is nicely explained and illustrated here -and as such contrasts with the work of your typical KZfaq bloviator with a British accent. All that plus encouraging words and the "hit rate" stats! Thanks ...

The Alchemy Layer… that’s when the Photo Gods have looked down upon you and given you something special 😉📷

this was one of the most straightforward and patient lesson on street photography i've ever seen. Thank you very much. I really appreciate you sharing your experience.

Well put Sean, great advice for any photographer, seasoned or newcomer, street or studio. Also, I love seeing how you keep making changes to how you produce your videos, both the content and the production quality are top level, really well done.

Thanks, Sean, for another really helpful video! I also sensed relief at your insistence that it's not realistic to expect to make a "great" image every time we hit the streets. I appreciate your encouragement in the creative process.

Thank you. I think I often see social media pages suffering from the Dunning Krugar effect, and they can giving a feeling a inferiority. Your video reflects the real world and a good insight to layers of street photography. I’ve recently appreciated how using reels on instagram with 5 or so images helps to tell a street story. When I review my photos after a day, one photo just doesn’t convey what I saw or felt, or the atmosphere, noise of the scene. But putting a mini story together works. This I think is a modern development, in the past it has been the single image. We might be looking back in 20 years or so critiquing instagram reels….. who knows.

Thank you, hope it helps me!

Love this. Applies to more than photography. Keep sharing your wisdom Sean.

For me the best video since years. How you explain it, is just excellent.

Thanks for unraveling the wooly thoughts in my mind. Starting to finally transcend the pre- occupation with technique and gear , having a guiding concept like the one you so simply set out, will be very useful. And will be an effective antidote to impostor syndrome.

I really appreciate your way of thinking photography through and giving it a kind of philosophical side. I cannot understand when people don't want to improve their skills or "get to the core of it" and instead just want quick success and some "nice" pictures. Your words are truly inspiring and a great source of passion for the art behind it. Thank you!

Thanks so much for this video, Sean! It’s kind of obvious in hindsight that you can’t produce masterpieces every day. But calling this out the way you did helped me to put less pressure on myself when posting these “visual notes” on social media. Thank you!

What a great perspective. I’ve just subscribed and so had not heard your visual notebook description. Thanks!

Thanks for producing a video that is worth reviewing once a week for 10 consecutive weeks, or until the concept is completely internalized. The great image will never be captured if it is not recognized. Thanks again!

"The harder I practise, the luckier I get" - Gary Player. A high percentage of my favourite Street photos have a luck element to them. The right people came into shot at the right time. An unusual character did something unusual while I was ready with my camera. It's a lot like fishing (and golf) though. You need to be out there fishing if you want to to get lucky and catch a fish. You never get a lucky photograph sat at home watching TV.

This is probably one of the best videos about street photography that I've watched! Thank you for this Sean!

Thank you for this! Not for allowing me to be more patient with my results, but for pointing out clear concepts that I should be more mindful of. Extremely helpful!

This metaphorical approach to' layering' is really novel and useful. Very helpful to organize the jumbled thought processing trying to assess the shot

Very compelling and thoughtful. I’ve photographed for over 50 years and have come to realize most of us are like blind squirrels. Even blind squirrels find an acorn sometime. Exceptional artists like Henri Cartier-Bresson however, produce an abundance of lifetime images.

Sean, a wonderfully inspiring and instructive talk, both in focus at the same moment.

This video couldn't have come in a better time for me. Cheers!

Great video Sean. I think you’ve articulated what I think about when I see a great street photograph but couldn’t say what makes it so good. When it comes to the “alchemy” you mention, I think that alchemy is curiosity. All the examples of the alchemy you gave make me ask myself “what was going on there?”.

This is an amazing video, real street photography wisdom. Thank you!

I learned that I’m a huntress when it comes to street photography. :-) I tend to focus most on subject and moment layers.

visual notes - i like that

Thank You, I learned a lot from this episode. I can’t wait to start applying these ideas to my photography. Travis

Single best video on photography I've seen in a few years

Clouds parted, and I saw the light! Thank you ❤

Thank you so much for talking about the activity you love the most!

Hey Sean, great vlog, as always! Your insights on hit rate in street photography really resonate with me. It's fascinating how the distinction between capturing and creating an image can impact how we approach photography across genres. As you rightly point out, street photography's essence lies in its raw authenticity. It's the art of freezing those spontaneous moments, those fragments of life that are often missed in the hustle and bustle. Learning to see beyond the obvious, use all our senses, and truly immerse ourselves in the scene - that's where the magic happens. It's like training our minds to be in tune with the world, so we can translate its stories into visual poetry. I think of William Albert Allard's work as someone with an incredible hit rate compared to the other mortals. His mastery of capturing the genuine essence of his subjects and surroundings is a testament to this concept. Those who excel in this art, like Allard, can anticipate and capture life's nuances as they naturally unfold, resulting in that higher hit rate you're talking about. But it's not just limited to street photography. Even in other realms, like advertising or staged photography, those who excel often have a keen eye for visual cues that they've honed from their observation of the world. They might be creating scenes, but the inspiration and understanding of what works visually stem from their connection with the reality around them. Your vlogs are like a visual and philosophical journey, Sean, and they consistently remind us to be more mindful of the world we inhabit. Thank you for sharing your perspectives, insights, and experiences. They're a trustworthy source of inspiration and a reminder to all photographers - whether on the streets or in studios - to embrace the art of seeing and feeling deeply. Keep up the fantastic work! 📷🌟

Great video - as an addicted (for the moment) one to these street Photography videos I have to say : 2 or maybe even 3 layers for this video !

Agreed, but I’d also say that thinking of your hit rate as ‘good photos’ / ‘trip’ is using the wrong denominator. What matters is how many you get that you’re happy with over a much longer period, as the ups and downs day-to-day are huge. It’s the body of work over a decade, a lifetime, that matters.

such a wonderfully explained everything about layering.... cheers

Thank you, Sean.

Have Parable vol. 1. Just ordered vol.2!

I thought this was an excellent and thoughtful/insightful presentation, and after considering it, I think one could safely delete the word "street" from the title (ie, so that it is simply "What makes a great photograph?), and most of the considerations would then apply to almost any genre of photography. It never was just about the technical elements. Even a landscape has to somehow connect with us emotionally, and, in effect, transport us so that we are somehow experiencing the vista personally. Aesthetics - Subject - Moment - Alchemy.

Love these styles of videos Sean. Talking about things no one else does from your heart. ❤

Thanks for sharing, next time I will grab my camera I will think about these layers!

I feel like this perfectly articulates a distillation of all the things I've been slowly learning and thinking about street photography over the last few years since I started doing it. Really fantastic work, Sean.

This is just what I wanted to see and hear about street photography, so true and interesting. The Hit rate and the layers are so learn full. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and expertise

Absolutely fantastic definition and explanation. Thank you

thanx for the advice, I always thought some of my images were bland now I know what to look for

Thank you for that Sean!😊

This is a very thoughtful and informative analysis.

I always get so excited when i see a new video from you showing up. Thank you so much.

Clearly explained, very useful and supportive, thanks x

Thanks for the deliberate way you went through the layers. This really helped me take a critical eye to my own photos and to plan for my next excursion. Your approach to teaching is spectacular.

Thanks it was always inspiring and rewarding to view your video. They are refreshing and always learn something new.

Thank you, Sean ✨

This certainly helped declutter my mind.. thanks for sharing 🙏🏽

I like the tap the shoulder moment approach

Very interesting approach to categorizing your photography! Nevertheless, I am not very sure if I really agree with your idea of an alchemy layer. If I understood it correctly, the alchemy layer corresponds almost to what Roland Barthes calls the "punctum" in his essay "La Chambre claire": a detail or a vibe from a photograph that draws the viewer's attention to the photo. He separates that from the "studium", the composition of a photograph. Thus, the punctum is a subjective category and not really something in the photographer's power; it isn't even the same for every viewer. I feel like there is a same thing going on with the alchemy layer: the image by Jill Freedman you shared doesn't really do a lot for me; I don't feel the "alchemy". And last but not least I really don't think that the four layers are necessary for a photographer to go down in history. This is a whole other story because it very much exclusively depends on market logics and not at all on quality or talent. Maybe the photographers just got the right agent, maybe there was that one edition of Life or something featuring their work. Don't get me wrong, the photographic masterpieces we know today don't lack composition or even if you want alchemy, but they are mostly known for reasons that have little to do with the image quality and very much what the cultural field just wants. Just look at Vivian Maier you're citing here: nobody cared for her until 2008 - and that's not only because we just now rightfully recognize her talent, but maybe more because street photography gained a lot of traction in the 21st century and because of clever marketing. No alchemy, no other layers are relevant in this case. Your Meyerowitz example shows it to some degree too: you said yourself actually it's not a really great photograph. And you can be sure there are thousands of people who have such a photo some place in their photo library. The difference: they are not Joel Meyerowitz.

Happy to notice you wear colour shirt 😊 So intersting the way to make streetphotography 😊

Very good information as usual. I like to remind myself that Photography is a journey, not a destination. To me, what makes a great street photograph depends on who is looking at it. What makes a great record, or rap album is the same. Musicians or rock bands, do not make records for other musicians. They don't even make them for all people!… they make them for those specific people who follow them, and love to listen to their music, and think that it is great. Mozart isn't for everyone!… Keep on keeping on regardless… I know you will. 🙏🏿

Stunning articulate session