Opportunities to create are everywhere. For street and wedding photographer Ari Gurdon, these moments often fall on her doorstep, as she masterfully frames the fleeting moments of life around her. Here, she discusses her forays with the familiar and offers insight into how you can look for new creative compositions – even in your well-trodden haunts
The pull of far-flung reaches to image makers is undeniable. To bear witness to sights unseen, drink deeply of mystifying cultures, then photograph it all is often a creator’s dream. The seizing of any such moment should be encouraged. But there’s also a life to be lived at home, with inspiration everywhere. An abundance of imaging wonder is always around us, if we choose to seek it out.
It often requires looking through, around and within the mundane. And if anyone’s work brilliantly represents a photographer’s local area, it’s Ari Gurdon’s. The London-based creative’s street documentary images are vibrant, multi-layered, and teeming with life.
“Spending so much time in my part of London has made me very comfortable going out there. I’m confident walking around this area. It kind of feels like my turf – like I’m entitled to photograph it,” Ari laughs. “Living here has also given me an in-depth understanding of the area. I know every nook and cranny. Still, it’s human subjects that interest me most, and those change every day.”
Photo 2022 © Ari Gurdon | FUJIFILM X-T10 and XF56mmF1.2 R, 1/50 sec at F2.2, ISO 200
Home-based documentary photography is a best of both worlds situation. It’s not just for those in urban hubs, either. A larger population will undeniably present a greater number of opportunities, but even the smallest neighbourhoods provide dynamic opportunities for exploration.
“You get tourists in large cities, but there are locals anywhere. Just going from one street to the next means finding completely different subjects,” Ari explains. “London has always been the backdrop to my photos, but I’ve never been interested in making Big Ben or Barbican a feature. It’s entirely about the characters I find here.”
Photo 2022 © Ari Gurdon | FUJIFILM X-T10 and XF56mmF1.2 R, 1/1500 sec at F1.2, ISO 640
There’s also convenience to contend with. The wonders of the world are not so available as the streets within a 20-minute walking distance. Just as the best camera is the one we’re prepared to carry, the greatest photographic subject is the one within reach. Opportunities present themselves, through sheer exposure. Ari’s own image-making journey began while walking her newborn daughter, ten years ago. It’s an approach she maintains to this day.
“I very rarely go out to photograph with a specific aesthetic or subject in mind. I always just carry my camera with me. If I walk to the shop before the school run, I have it, and if something catches my eye, I snap it. I’m not someone who has time to stay in one spot, waiting for that precise moment or poignant situation.
“You can also be in the same place, day in and day out, and experience something different each time. Sunshine, rain or fog are all going to work towards very distinct-looking images, which raise different feelings in a viewer,” Ari continues. “I’ve produced a lot of work I’m happy with, just by being out at all times, with camera in hand.”
Photo 2022 © Ari Gurdon | FUJIFILM X-T10 and XF56mmF1.2 R, 1/60 sec at F1.2, ISO 250
When it comes to viewing the world with a pictorial eye, Ari has had more experience than most. Those struggling to pinpoint frames may wish to consider her stripped-back ways.
“I use techniques that facilitate change. People behind glass are some of my favourite subjects. You can focus on an individual, but also have the outside world reflected in the window. I find that very interesting because you get more than one story in a frame. You’re spoilt for choice with everyday detail like that. There are always exciting, new elements like this – even in a place you visit regularly. I don’t think I’d find photography difficult, even if I had only two streets at my disposal.”
When windows run dry, a wealth of composition classics can be narrowed in on, one at a time. Try searching for leading lines, frames within frames, bursts of colour, or subjects grouped in odd numbers. Confinement often sets us free.
Photo 2022 © Ari Gurdon | FUJIFILM X-T10 and XF56mmF1.2 R, 1/1250 sec at F1.2, ISO 400
Perspective, by way of lens, is another element Ari values highly.
“I almost always use my XF56mmF1.2 R – it’s the best thing I’ve ever bought. I do own XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR as well, for my other work, but find it’s difficult to get street photos I love. The zoom lens is brilliant. It’s just about me and my process. The XF56mm perspective is how I see the world of the streets.
“With a prime of this length, I can’t be very close to a person. There has to be a distance, to get a nice frame. That helps because I’m not that brave. Maybe I am a little,” she muses, “but not enough to get in someone’s face with a wide lens. There is a buzz when you make eye contact with someone, certainly – and those can be amazing photos – but I mostly like to be unseen, if possible.
Photo 2022 © Ari Gurdon | FUJIFILM X-T10 and XC50-230mmF4.5-6.7 OIS, 1/125 sec at F5, ISO 400
“Your overall choice of optic dictates how you showcase the world. Go with the lens that benefits your personal approach and illustrates your ideas. I’ve found mine, and it’s not going anywhere soon. You can experiment – I’ve used lots of other options – but I always return home.”
Ari’s unpretentious wisdom is encapsulated by a final moment of jesting self-deprecation.
“Just take your camera with you. Don’t think about it too much. I’m not sure I even know how to!”