Every photograph is a fragment of time, carved out of infinity. What gives it meaning is not what stands before the lens, but the intent of the one who chose this moment. For nothing in this world exists without its decisive moment.

Intentionality and originality are two of the most important pillars of artistic photography. Why do you photograph this moment, and not that one? Originality doesn’t mean nobody has ever taken a picture like it before. It’s born from intentionality — the decision to capture a fraction of a second, sometimes for reasons even unknown to the photographer.

To make great street photographs requires true presence. It’s not about looking, but about seeing. That act of seeing is inseparable from our consciousness. It’s difficult to explain, and some may never understand it. It takes years, energy, and effort. But it’s also what gives pictures meaning. Every photo tells a story, and the strength of that story comes from how we perceive the world.

The reason street photography receives so much hatred is because the principle I described above should be the core premise of street photography. I’m not saying every street photographer has mastered it or even practices it. Street however, is one of the hardest genres out there, and many people can’t do it no matter how hard they try. They are only looking.

Street photography is often criticized, even hated, because this principle — the necessity of seeing — is its core. Not everyone can practice it, no matter how hard they try. It is easier to dismiss street photography as intrusive or immoral than to understand it. Hate unites people, after all.

But seeing is invaluable. In street photography, it is everything. Without it, the result is just another obvious shot.