Why Candid?

By Tony Van Le

Street photography encapsulates a wide variety of aesthetics and approaches. It can range from candid human interactions to posed portraits of strangers. It can be an urban landscape or an architectural shot where people take up just a tiny percentage of the frame. Even photos of found objects can be considered street photography if they leave enough of a human imprint. As with any art, there is no right way to do it. 

So why limit myself to just candid moments?

It is because candid moments are authentic. The people are in their genuine state, expressing real emotions and behaviors. This unscripted spontaneity can reveal a unique and genuine perspective that tells an engaging and meaningful story about the human experience. When I can observe and document without interference and let the scene unfold organically, I am freezing a moment in time. These fleeting expressions, interactions, and atmospheres aren’t reproducible in posed or staged situations. Reflecting the reality of the world in this way results in photographs that are more wondrous and dynamic than I ever could have imagined on my own or created using an AI image generator.

Whenever I go out to take candid photos on the streets, I try to be a blank slate. My goal is to quiet my mind so that I can be as present as possible. I want to loosen the grip of what my ego wants so that I can be open enough to see what the world has to offer me at that moment. When it finally happens, there is a jolt of recognition that lets me know that there is photographic potential. I try to capture a frame that fully expresses that potential. In this process, I am trying to be in the background of my awareness. The goal is to melt away so that the observer and the observed become one.

There is a magic and mystery to photographing in this way. It requires faith that the universe will provide raw material that is compelling enough to make for an interesting picture. When I successfully capture that authentic moment of real life, it is a collaboration between myself and the universe.

This is why I only pursue candid moments.

There’s a conversation occurring, and the only way I know how to understand what’s being said is to interfere with the scene as little as possible.