Photo by Vanguard ambassador Rick Horn
Let’s face it: being an urban photographer sounds cooler than it actually is. From the outside, it looks like you're on some kind of neo-noir mission—creeping through alleyways, capturing fleeting moments of life, and making manholes look mysteriously cinematic. But from the inside? You're one broken shoelace away from a minor existential crisis and a pigeon ambush.
Let me break it down for you.
1. The Outfit: Tactical Hipster Edition
Every urban photographer has a uniform. For the seasoned vet, it’s a combination of neutral tones, rugged boots, and a camera strap that cost more than your actual camera. Functionality? Maybe. Aesthetic? Always. You want to blend in with your environment—except your environment is mostly people staring at you like “Why is that guy taking a picture of a wet trash bag?”
Answer: because the composition is SICK, Chad.
2. The Gear: Heavy is the Head that Wears the Lens Cap
Urban photographers carry gear like they're prepping for a tiny war against bad lighting. One camera body. Three lenses. A tripod. Maybe a drone. And then there’s the camera bag, which is basically Mary Poppins’ bag but with more SD cards and less whimsy.
Also, don’t forget the one accessory you’ll never actually use: the ND filter you swore would change your life.
3. The Hunt for Grit
Urban photography thrives on grit. Rust, shadows, neon lights reflecting off puddles—these are your love languages. You want that “abandoned but charming” vibe. But sometimes, all you get is actually abandoned and kind of terrifying. There’s a fine line between a moody shot and a tetanus infection.
Pro tip: if the ground squishes and it didn’t just rain, maybe don’t take the photo.
4. The Locals: Confused but Supportive (Sometimes)
Taking photos in the city is a social experiment. Half the people will ignore you. A quarter will assume you're famous. And the remaining quarter will either ask you to take their picture, or accuse you of working for the government.
A friend told me about a guy that gave him a full dissertation on how pigeons are surveillance drones. He ended by saying “tell your camera I said what’s up.” I still think about that story.
5. The Edit Spiral: Darkness is Your Muse
After the shoot, you go home, dump 400 photos into Lightroom, and begin The Spiral™. One moment you’re boosting contrast, the next you’re contemplating whether shadows are a metaphor for your emotional state.
Eventually, you land on a black-and-white photo of a parking meter and think, “Yeah. This is it. This is art.”
6. Instagram: Where Edgy Photos Go to Die
You post it. Caption: “Concrete jungle vibes 🌆 #UrbanDecay #Wanderlust #ShotOnCanon #IDontSleepICreate”
You get 37 likes.
Three of them are bots.
One is your mom.
Still counts.
Final Thoughts:
Urban photography isn’t about perfection. It’s about seeing beauty where most people see inconvenience. It’s about dodging traffic for that perfect angle. It’s about crouching in the rain to get a reflection shot of a deli window.
And, most importantly, it’s about pretending you’re in a gritty Netflix drama when really you’re just trying to avoid stepping in gum.
Stay gritty, friends. 📷