MPB Meets: Street Photographer Simon King

Simon King’s photography is difficult to define - you could call him a landscape photographer just as you could a street photographer.

Unknown to us, we were big fans of Simon prior to speaking with him. He’s a regular features writer for popular photography sites - like PetaPixel - so we’ve shared his articles many times on our social media channels. As well as a photographer and a features writer, he’s also a course tutor at the University of the Arts London.

We spoke to Simon, who shared his insights into photography, teaching and how to take the path of least resistance when choosing kit.

MPB: Hi Simon, thank you for taking the time to talk to us. How did you get started in photography?

SK: Hi guys! Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak with your readers! Like a lot of people, I got into photography as a by-product of other things going on in my life. I was studying for my degree in Advertising at the University of the Arts London and ended up with my first ever camera, a Sony NEX-7, to use to document my projects, and photograph products/concepts. But photography was definitely secondary to the graphic design and typographical aspects of my work.

The camera was so small that I had it with me pretty much all the time, which meant that I was using it to document my university life - usually in low-lit pubs, or the university bar, that sort of thing. I enjoyed what I was creating documenting my friends a lot more than my projects, and I think that aspect is something that's remained the same throughout my work. Photographing the people and places closest to me was quite a positive thing in my own social development, so it makes sense that those themes are now at the forefront of what I try to create today.

MPB: Many photographers have the knowledge to be educators - maybe they lack other aspects. Do you think anybody can teach?

SK: This is a difficult question because I can only speak for myself - I know there are so many fantastic photography and journalistic teachers and tutors around, encompassing so many different styles and approaches and personality types. I think that anyone who has knowledge has the capacity to pass that knowledge on, but sometimes things can get in the way of their lessons being effective.

Sometimes it's actually the best practitioners who make the worst teachers, and not for lack of trying. If someone adapts to something intuitively that can be a very difficult thing to translate to a student, who may understand things on different ‘levels’.

In art or photography, I think the best teachers are the ones who want to inspire their students to create work that is better than their own so that they themselves can be inspired by it. This requires a bit of ego death, which can be difficult for teachers who also need to promote their own work in order to generate an income.

I think as long as a teacher has patience (above other traits) and the student is actively willing to learn and set aside their expectations and preconceptions during the lessons then I think both should come away fulfilled.

MPB: What drives you to want to teach?

SK: This may be a clichéd answer, but I think it makes sense that I've ended up teaching, it's just the kind of person I am. Before I had photography I assumed I'd end up teaching some kind of creative writing or communications subject after retiring from work in that same field. With my discovery and journey within photography it 'fits' that I am now teaching it.

Teaching presents me with unique problems to solve in terms of my own understanding of the concepts I am discussing. Sometimes I need to change the way I frame certain topics in order to help my students better understand and apply them. It’s definitely improved my comprehension in quite a few areas.

I also cherish what teaching offers in terms of the photographic community. It's very valuable to me that I exist in a space with fellow artists - peers and superiors. I'm able to offer something through teaching that really helps me to feel like I not only belong to but am a valuable member of this community.

MPB: What do you find the most challenging aspect of teaching?

SK: Initially I worried that I was going to have an issue with the practical side of teaching, in terms of 'public speaking' as this has never been a strength of mine. However this actually never presented any real issues to me, maybe partly because I designed the course to be discussion-based and democratic rather than just me talking in a lecture hall.

Instead, I think the main challenge I face is balancing out exactly what I'm working on and with whom during any session. Rather than being an academic topic, where you either understand the material or you don't, with street photography, each student has come to learn something different. Maybe that's about overcoming personal difficulties in approaching a subject for a portrait or dealing with steps to take during a confrontation in the aftermath of a candid. Maybe it's camera techniques or body language techniques to help remain subtle, or maybe it's how to curate and choose which image to present after a day of shooting eight hundred frames.

No two students will need the same kind of advice, and I'm very lucky that so far we have been working with smaller groups, which means better one-on-one time.

I also have a teaching partner - David Babaian - which means that we can focus on different subjects within street photography, depending on who the students are with. I don't want any student to feel like they are wasting their time going over things they already know, so at the beginning of the first discussion on day one, we go around and chat to see what exactly each person wants to get from the course.

MPB: With everything that you do, teaching, and writing articles for large publications such as PetaPixel, do you feel like your work has suffered as a consequence of the time devoted to thinking so much about photography? Or is it the contrary, has it improved?

SK: It's funny when you say it like that it sounds like I do a lot, but from my perspective, I don't think it's any different from the work needed for any other job, especially when it's a job requiring a lot of passion. I also think it's funny that you didn't actually mention the photography itself which is what takes up the majority of my time! I don't think I would allow my photography to suffer in favour of any other element of my life. It's meant a few lifestyle changes but I am very much dedicated to this path.

Everything I do in life informs every other aspect, whether that’s in my work, the way I relate to other people, the media I consume, the games I play, the places I travel and so on. The nature of photography leads all of that into taking more photographs, more varied photographs, and gives me opportunities to think about how I could approach future photographs based on those new experiences.

I definitely think my work has improved over time, but it is the act of constantly making images, reviewing, and curating that leads to improvement rather than simply time passing while thinking about the topic. Although there are theoretical aspects to photography it is ultimately a practical pursuit. You can only make any progress by making images.

MPB: Do you see yourself ‘doing a Joel Meyerowitz’ and going towards something radically different from street photography?

SK: I already practice in many genres of photography, but my street photography mentality informs the decisions I make in all of them. Street photography is the ‘answer’ I arrived at in terms of what works best for me after sampling many different types of photography while I was still starting out. One of the first things I shot after graduating from University was a fashion show at London Fashion Week, but even then it was the storytelling potential of the space that resonated with me rather than the fashion/portrait/product images available to me.

Although I want to be known as a street photographer, and ‘perform’ as a street photographer, it's the nature of the industry at the moment that I also need to practice different genres and earn money from them - wedding, food, portrait, commercial, architectural, fashion, journalism.

It's entirely possible that I could explore a different kind of photography in the future, as I don't like restricting myself. Street photography is a very accepting genre, so it is also possible that I could take, for example, a series of portraits, or a landscape, and still consider it to be ‘street’ if it was made with a street photography mentality.

Whatever I'm doing, whether I'm working on productions or fashion shows, or at weddings, or even shooting portraits, if there's a story to tell then I'd consider my methodology to be a street photography approach.

MPB: It would be crazy for us not to ask you for some advice, so - what are five tips you would give anyone embarking on street photography? One of them has to be equipment related.

SK: Haha, this is one of my least favourite questions! It's very difficult to give general advice in any field because there's no one-size-fits-all approach. I'll have to answer as if I'm talking to someone who only just heard about street photography and is looking to try it out...

1. Photograph using whatever camera offers you the least resistance. I often get asked why I use Leica cameras and the answer is that the rangefinder is simply the easiest way for me to focus. If my eyesight weren’t so poor I would use a Fujifilm X-Pro 2 and love it just as much. Don't force yourself to use a 'trendy' camera - but whatever you do use make sure you are deeply literate with the way it operates so that it can disappear. I also recommend starting with only one lens (35/50mm are popular) and sticking with that for at least two months before trying anything else.

2. Street photography is just sociology with a camera. One of the things that improved the way I think about street photography the most is that it is just people watching but you have to find the right angle. There are so many ways to overcomplicate exactly what it is you're looking for while out and about, and this can get in the way of allowing yourself to see people in terms of exactly what they're doing, how they're moving, how they're interacting.

3. Measure your expectations. It takes a long time to produce work that is substantial. Unlike some other genres, you cannot control what happens and when which means that you will miss just as many images as you take. One of the major shortcomings of the way we interact with photography on the internet is the lack of context in terms of the sheer quantity of hours that have been put into people’s portfolios. Often we are looking at a literal 'lifetime' of work, but expect to be able to get it all done now. All it takes is having a camera with you every day, and learning how to notice the details you want to work with. Almost everything after that is attrition.

4. Composition in street photography relies on you. In street photography, you can only control yourself and your exposure. This means exploring your environment and finding the best place to stand, sit, or even lie down in order to align the elements in your frame like pieces of a puzzle before taking the shot. For decisive moment-oriented photography, this still applies, but at a much faster speed. Get used to constantly moving, trying new angles and perspectives, until it 'clicks'.

5. Try everything at least once. I will demand this from my students on day one, and no other piece of advice comes close. Regardless of your fears, your preconceptions, and what you 'want' to do, you must force yourself to try. Even if it turns out that street portraits aren't for you, or precise compositions, at the very least, trying them gives you the tools to incorporate elements of those techniques into the areas you do want to be practising. There are always new things to learn and new knowledge to apply. This will keep your work and your mind fresh.

Looking for more street photography content?

This article is part of the MPB Guide to Street Photography, our comprehensive look at how to create street photography, with camera recommendations, advice and interviews with experts.