After Lindsey announced our Around Me theme for March, we received the most delightful message from German Photographer Carolin Voelker expressing her interest in the theme and declaring her love to us for street photography. When Christy announced that this month’s theme would be Street Photography, we knew at once that Carolin would be perfect to share her love as our guest. Carolin is a 25-year old, self-taught photographer who has had the priviledge of living on 4 continents over the past 5 years. These travels sparked her interest in photography cultivating a passion for portraiture and street photography in particular. She’s a lover of natural light, bustling cities, farmer’s markets and the ocean. Carolin shoots a mix of both digital and film photography, and you can find her work on Flickr and Facebook.
The first time I ventured out into the streets with the specific intention to photograph people, I felt awkward. Like I was an intruder, a thief breaking into their personal space and lives stealing their image. But the urge to capture those interesting faces, the many different ordinary but remarkable moments, was stronger than my fears. This one step out of my comfort zone became the beginning of my love affair with Street Photography.
What I love most about this style of shooting, are the raw, documentary emotions that street photography can capture. When people don’t know they are being photographed, their emotions are real, unposed, often not pretty but also entertaining and hilarious. I love how shooting on the street allows me to appreciate my surroundings in a new way making me a better observer.
For me, shooting on the street has become something meditative. I completely lose myself in the crowd and only focus on singling out an interesting face. I don’t have to please or position anyone; it’s just me and my camera. Because the moment is not about creating a perfect shot, but about noticing it.
Whenever I’m in a creative rut, by spending just half an hour on the streets, I pull myself out of any inspirational low. There is simply so much waiting to be captured out there!
So this month I challenge you to take the same little step that I took almost year ago. Grab your camera or mobile phone and go out and document this amazing world of ours!
If you need a bit more inspiration before taking the plunge, these are some of my favorite street photographers: Francesc Catala-Roca, Vivian Maier, Craig Semetko, the iPhone street photographer Richard Koci, Janey Kay and Jonathan van Smit.
Thank you Carolin for sharing your amazing street photos with us this month! I love hearing your story and completely relate to your beginnings. I experienced a great deal of photo fear when I first starting shooting street photos too and am sure that many of our readers have felt the same way. ~ Holly
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If you would like to be considered as a future guest muse, please email us at mortalmuses9@gmail.com or contact us here.
Thanks Muses (and Holly in particular) for giving me the opportunity to contribute to this amazing site of yours!
Now, I’m off shooting on the streets… 🙂
So glad you got in touch with us, Carolin. This is a wonderfully inspiring post – thank you!
Fabulous images, Carolin! I’m sure you’ve inspired folks to hit the pavement with their cameras!
My favorite images are London (for its intimate moment captured and design), Quebec (for the dramatic values and gorgeous light), and Porto (for its creative composition). Thanks for sharing!
P.S. the links to your sites aren’t currently working.
Thanks for noticing and telling us, Anna – it’s fixed now 🙂
Carolin, you know how much I love your work! Thank you for musing with us and sharing your beautiful photography and words! You’ve also introduced me to some new street photographers that I’d never heard of before! Thanks! xo
What a perfect fit for this month. This is a big comfort zone pusher for me, but I am totally inspired!
Thanks for sharing.
Carolin, you’ve put together an amazing body of work in such a short time. I admire and look up to you in so many ways, but mostly for the way you continually push yourself. It is, I believe, the mark of a great photographer.
Now I want to go hang out on the street! Tonight is supposed to be nice….
Loved these. So inspiring and beautiful!!
Great shots Carolin. Thank you for sharing them with us, and for reminding us that if you can push past those initial feelings of awkwardness, you can capture street photography images that are beautiful and evocative.
Carolin, these are such amazing shots! I love the way you describe what street photography means to you. I really must give it another go!
Thank you all for your kind words! It was so much fun to put this article together and I hope I inspired you to hit the pavement this month!
Beautiful shots Carolin. I agree, I can get really lost in the moment when I am shooting on the street–meditative for sure!