About this episode
What makes a street photograph truly stand out? Is it the decisive moment, the composition, or the story it tells? In today’s episode, our guest David Herman and I explore these questions and more. David brings a unique perspective shaped by his background as a former professional photographer and his instinctive understanding of human interaction.
David shares insights on how he finds connections in everyday scenes. As a top-level competitive tennis player, he reflexively anticipates moments before they happen to create powerful, storytelling images.
David is drawn to street photography by the uniqueness of each shot. “Every picture I take, nobody else is ever going to take that picture,” he says. Unlike landscapes, where countless photographers capture similar scenes, street photography offers the thrill of capturing a truly original moment.
He embraces the unpredictable nature of wandering the streets, free from the linear, rational structure of his professional life as an investment banker. This freedom allows him to see and capture the unexpected interactions that make street photography so compelling.
David describes his signature style as capturing “linkage” between subjects and their surroundings. He seeks to connect seemingly unrelated elements within a single frame. This could be the interaction between two people, or the relationship between a subject and a billboard or background element.
He’s not interested in simple portraits. Instead, he prefers the complex interplay of elements that create a story within the image. It’s about those fleeting moments of connection that most of us overlook.
Despite David’s claim of not knowing what he’s going to shoot, his work reveals a disciplined approach. He explains that his experience as a tennis player has honed his ability to anticipate. In tennis, you have to anticipate your opponent’s moves. You have to predict where the ball will go and prepare your response in a split
