What Christians Can Learn from Street Photography

English: An example of Street Photography (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I love photography. I follow several photography blogs in addition to the lengthy list of folks who are “also thinking about church.” So you can imagine that I sometimes run the two topics together.

On a recent blog at Strobist, I watched a video about a young French photographer who dreamed up a whole new way to do “ambush portraiture.” Usually you just walk up to someone and ask to take their photo. You hope you have the angles right and your flash adjusted properly, and you snap off a few shots.

But not this fellow. Take a look.

[youtube e0iKoJZx27w]

The first thing I thought is that this is how we should be treating people in our lives. And here’s why:

1. The photographer noticed the person. We spend way too much time walking past people and barely noting their existence. The young French photographer was looking for something in the faces of the people passing by. He saw line and interest and culture. We should be looking for Christ, for the hungry, for the thirsty, for the sad, and for the lonely.

2. The photographer engaged the person. He stepped into the path and created an encounter. He asked questions and explained himself. He was firm but not overbearing. And he was confident that his goal was reasonable, though just a little bit crazy.

3. There was a whole team of people involved. When the subject expressed a modicum of interest, the photog turned to his people who were waiting just out of sight, and they sprang into action.

4. Everyone was ready. The subject didn’t have to wait for someone to get his or her act together. The lights were in place in seconds. The photog already had his camera in hand. The wardrobe was simple and ready to go. And a whole new background was ready to drop in place.

5. The experience was enjoyable. Look at the smiles on everyone’s faces. They knew why they were there. They enjoyed the work they were doing. And the subject walked away feeling that they had been a part of something special.

I wonder how it changed the subjects’ lives. I wonder how we would change lives if we behaved like this.

How can you apply this to the way you live? Comments are open. Share your thoughts!