MPB Meets: Street Photographer Nick Leuze

City streets are the real runways. For street-style photographer, Nick Leuze fashion has always been a part of his life.  In this interview, we speak with Nick about his kit, fashion and street style. Over to you Nick.

MPB: How did you get started in the industry as a professional street-style photographer?

NL:  I had already developed a lot of interest in fashion and streetwear in my youth and accordingly consumed a lot of street-style content back then. I found this whole genre and the photographers behind it so interesting that I started photographing people and their outfits on the street myself, wherever I was. But it didn't really start until after I finished school.  I went to Paris for Fashion Week as part of a PR internship. Ever since that time, I have been enthusiastic about fashion week. And in my spare time, I tried to travel to the fashion weeks and take street-style pictures. 

MPB: How has street-style photography changed over the decades?

NL: The genre has become much more commercial. While, in the beginning, the editors, buyers and stylists attending the shows were the focus of the style reports, today it's mainly influencers and celebrities. The goal of the medium has changed in many facets, from showing interesting clothing styles and moments to posed ‘lookbooks’ that are meant to sell a product. Of course, there are still photographers who manage to find a good compromise, but the stylistic change can still be observed.

MPB: What is your preferred gear for fashion week?

NL: I shoot most of my street-style work on a Canon EOS R5 with a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L USM.

MPB: How do you decide on your photo locations?

NL: Especially with street style, you often don't have free choice and control over your location. In my opinion, it is important to make sure that the background is not too turbulent. By this, I mean especially open spaces with lots of people and movement, many different colours or patterns. This can easily lead to it being distracting from the subject, and the image looks inconsistent.

MPB: What and who are your biggest inspirations?

NL: I was initially inspired by street style by photographers like Adam Katz Sinding, Jonathan Daniel Pryce and Julien Boudet. They had managed to give a modern highly stylised touch to a genre that was previously interesting in its content, but often photographically rather ‘flat’ and reportorial. Today, I also draw a lot of inspiration from documentary photographers like Tom Brenner, Kuba Dabrowski and Mustafah Abdulaziz.

MPB: How much emphasis do you put on colour elements in your images? And how do you coordinate it with the outfits?

NL: Of course, it's always nice when colour elements in pictures and especially in outfits are coherent, but personally I don't intervene too much. In my Fashion Week work, my approach and goal at the end of the day is still documentary, so the amount of ‘direction’ I give to the people I photograph is rather limited. 

MPB: What are the most important close-up motifs to consider in street-style photography?

NL: Especially in high fashion, many garments have small details and special features that help define the piece. Of course, this is always great to show because you can do a bit of storytelling.

Accessories and jewelry are usually responsible for properly rounding off and holding together an outfit. I would try to always pay special attention to that. It can also be nice to show patterns and textures in a close-up to bring the viewer closer to the feeling and behavior of the materials.

MPB: What advice would you give to an aspiring street-style photographer?

NL: Shoot a lot. At the end of the day, street style is relatively ‘mechanical’. Certain angles, settings and poses just work particularly well. This creates a kind of ‘formula’ that you can use to practice. And, once you understand this, you can start to consciously break through this formula to find your unique selling point.

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.