THE FEAR IS WHAT MAKES THE PHOTOGRAPH.

A reflective piece on how fear shows up in your street photography—the moment before you click, the hesitation, the shyness, how you push through it, and why it matters.

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Sanjith Kalpat

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I see my subject. He’s right there. The moment is perfect. But people are around. People are watching. People everywhere. The chaos is still there, and my heart is racing. Should I shoot? Should I? Oh wait, let me check my settings first. No, forget the settings, just shoot. 

This internal battle happens more often than I’d like to admit when it comes to street photography. 

My fear isn’t far-fetched and dramatic. It’s actually quite simple and embarrassingly human. My fear is getting too close and being seen. My fear is stepping into someone’s life, an unknown territory, without permission. It’s a fear of taking up space. A fear that maybe I’m not really supposed to be here. 

But here’s the conflict. The scenes that carry the very same tension that scares me the most are the ones I’m most drawn to. There is just something special and almost “mystical” about that tension and that split second where instinct takes over and pulls the trigger. That is what makes me feel awake. 

Fear keeps me unmistakably honest. It sharpens my eyes. It is the constant reminder to be present. Maybe that’s why these types of photographs—driven by this unnerving force—are so special: I’m not numb when I take them. 

Numbness kills. Both physically and metaphorically. It dulls the sharpness of vigor and life until everything feels flat and muted. Fear, at least, reminds me I’m still in the world, and that my eyes are still searching for something worth noticing. 

A flower delicately juxtaposed with his reflection. It’s perfect. 

Last month, I saw a man’s reflection sitting in a barbershop store in downtown Boston. People rushed past. But he sat motionless in the chair, and that was when I saw the white flower. I wanted the shot, desperately, but fear rose like a wall. It was too personal. Too perfect.

Still, I lifted the camera. Slowly. Carefully. He glanced at me for half a second. Then he went back to his normalcy. That tiny exchange felt like permission to take the photo. 

And so I did.

Disconnected Reflections © Sanjith Kalpat

Moments like that taught me something. Fear can be a guide. It let me approach people with openness. It keeps me humble enough to notice the small and fragile details of everything around me. It forces me to let go of control and trust the impulse felt within the moment. 

Maybe the point was never to become fearless, but to keep shooting anyway.