by Galina Bakinova
Street photography may often look luck, but there are a number of ways to stack the odd in your favour to help you come back with a ‘keeper‘
Matt Stuart
“Think Like a Street Photographer”
This photo of Banksy’s artwork was all over the internet in early September 2025. And it wasn’t the artist’s work that caught my attention. It was the frame itself that first caught my attention. Just look at how perfectly you captured the moment. The artist’s work was drawn on the wall of the Royal Courts of Justice in London and references freedom of speech. This is unsurprising: the work is entirely consistent with the artist’s style, spirit, and conceptual direction. It was destroyed by London authorities, which was entirely expected. But it was the photograph of the artwork that struck me. The photograph depicts a judge in a distinctive wig, talking on the phone, practically running, against the backdrop of Banksy’s artwork.
How to get a lucky shot?
I wondered how this shot was taken. It certainly wasn’t a chance capture of a fortunate moment. It would be foolish to think the photographer simply turned and quickly snapped a picture of the hurrying judge, who happened to be passing at precisely the right angle. The photographer (I assume it was Banksy himself) clearly arrived at the location well in advance, chose a good spot, and began biding his time. I wouldn’t be surprised if the wait for the perfect shot lasted for days. Perhaps the artist returned several times before being satisfied with the result.
The photo of one’s artwork is often more significant than the work itself. During the time this street artwork has been on the wall, only a few hundred people were able to see it; some might not have attached any significance to it at all. But by publishing a photograph of the artwork, the artist is able to capture not only the work but also the ironic context.
I was inspired to think like this by Matt Stewart’s book, “Think Like a Street Photographer”. The author is a street photographer, and his works truly inspire me. The book provides a vivid example of how the author ‘hunted’ for the perfect shot. Author recounts a story, he found a striking poster in the subway. The poster depicted a girl with her thumb over her lips, as if saying “shhhhh”. The author immediately came up with a subject for his future photograph. He rode the subway for two weeks to finally capture the perfect moment when someone accidentally fell asleep under this poster. Admittedly, it’s not the most straightforward way to get a great shot. Finally, after two weeks, the photographer managed to capture the perfect shot.
It’s precisely because of this example that I I conclude that the shot featured on Banksy’s Instagram is more than just ‘lucky’. In my opinion, such a shot is the result of a precisely calibrated, pre-planned moment. Although, perhaps not. Unfortunately, Banksy doesn’t explain how he photographs his works or whether he actually works as a photographer. If I were interviewing Banksy, I would definitely ask him about how he photographs his work.
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