How to do Street photography in NOWHERE 【Photography Tutorial】

Today we learn how to shoot photographs on the street, when nothing is happening. I photograph the streets of Tokyo, using the Leica Q for this video.
Patreon page: / ulyssesaoki
From now on, videos will be uploaded on Wednesday and Saturday, AM for U.S. time, PM for Japan time. (So Europe will be somewhere around noon...?)
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[@UlyssesAokiPhoto]

Pollen season is real in the Japanese countryside... my house is near a river so it's brutal. Mixed with my chronic rhinitis, it's bad. Sorry. Cheers everyone.

[@patpaw]

I've lived in that mindstate of "nothing to shoot here" for a very long time. I've recently started shooting whatever i feel like, instead of looking for specific scenes. I think my mindstate and my photographs have improved since. Overthinking is the worst mistake you can make. Great vid!

[@iseeyoubeautifulphotograph8700]

Too many times, people think they've got to go someplace "cool" or interesting, to make good pictures. And I fall into that category at times too. This is a good reminder that interesting is all around us!!

[@Azertyvo]

I See You Beautiful Photography Especially when "interesting" leads to another batch of sunset pictures, or photographs of places everybody in the world has already photographed before. Just google "sunset pictures" and you'll see the subject has been more than covered.

[@markchan5516]

You can always return to a same spot and get different photos with a different perspective. That’s what wonderful about photography!

[@AlexOnStreets]

New Aoki video! Full screen up. Drink filled. Headphones on. Pants down. Rets Go. I also did this "shooting nowhere" a lot in the previous month. What I found was yes, even some scenes with the absence of people actually made the photo better. Especially at night.. Love this video. Pants up.

[@UlyssesAokiPhoto]

Hey Alex comment! Pants down. Read the comment. Box of tissues. Pants back up. Glad that you loved watching this video, especially at night.

[@unoclam]

After watching this vid I got my lazy ass of the couch and had a 2 hour walk in suburbia getting some nice shots. Thx for giving me the inspiration! Also, love the beautiful photo at 1:18

[@UlyssesAokiPhoto]

That’s great to know!! Glad to hear that you actually took some action, that’s so cool.

[@FTezner]

I watch a lot of KZbin videos giving photography advice. This one is worth about 1,000 of the ones you typically see on KZbin. This is really some fairly deep thinking about photography that is worth coming back to regularly. Keep it up!

[@UlyssesAokiPhoto]

wow, thank you man that means a lot to me. I feel the same way sometimes about YT and photography vids though. 😅

[@erick-gd7wo]

You just discuss the topic which iszso relatable to most of us. I too am caught many times at thu situation where I see mostly same things day in day out. Thank you for your tips

[@SamiPaju]

Amazing video! It’s extremely rare that I take notes but this time I took tons!

[@duaneswaby622]

I love what you had to say about abstract scenes. I used to feel hesitant to explore a scene that caught my eye because there wasn't a subject in there or something. I've realized now by exploring these sort of "empty" frames that I'm much more interested in colour, light, shadow, silhouette etc than shooting random people in interesting locations. As I'm exploring this more I find myself going more and more telephoto so it's also given more direction to my lens collection.

[@UlyssesAokiPhoto]

Duane, that's very... relatable. :) I'm glad you're finding your own thing, it's really hard to do that nowadays when people are telling you to do this and that, and seeing all these impactful subjects in photos.

[@ChritsianBucic]

Very interesting topic and approach of photo composition! Keep the push to our creative outside the box!

[@anywhichway4182]

I totally relate to this video! I live in a smaller town about 30 minutes outside of downtown Chicago. I take morning walks before starting my work-from-home for the day and not much happens during those walks with people. It's usually me taking photos of the buildings, homes, trains, some cars.

[@crazykenbei]

I just love your analytical brain of your process and how you see and go about things. Keep it up!

[@UlyssesAokiPhoto]

thank you!!

[@paulm8157]

Useful advice. Good photos are everywhere, as are bad ones. It takes a trained and experienced perspective to sort them out. Talented photo “makers” are also skilled at capturing potential pics or parts of images for creative editing and compositing.

[@UlyssesAokiPhoto]

Do you mean, in this video...?

[@hamANDmeat]

Great video! A topic that isn't discussed enough!

[@cronufc]

Just stumbled upon your channel and very much enjoying your work

[@martinryan2073]

Enjoyable and inspiring. Thanks.

[@maxnits9556]

This is a strong message and I believe a popular question for many. Great video, What I wanted to see more is more "action" - photos taken, different places, twice as many! Show rather than tell. I thin ka good narration line like Sean Tucker does or Jamie Windsor and then a good bunch of photo examples from the street is the best format for the viewer.

[@UlyssesAokiPhoto]

Max- thanks for the comment. I do try to make my videos more about photography, and good photography. I even think I post too many photos- I believe I have a responsibility to take AND show good photos on KZbin. I don't want an audience thinking shit photos are good because someone on KZbin took them. In reality I might have 1 decent photo from a day, but because of the nature of YT I force myself to show more from the day. I'll try to make my vids better, but I hope you understand my point of view as well... Thank you for the feedback.

[@ohstanley3058]

great video and relevant topic Ulysses. I really like the first two shots, great reflection and composition with the trees. For me, this direction seems more personal and have more style than the standard street snaps that you see over and over... You touched on an important point when shooting in ‘boring’ location, just keep shooting! Winogrand said (paraphrasing here) that he shot things just to see what they looked like as a picture.

[@ianbutler5262]

What a really interesting video, you definetly think outside the box! Excuse the pun! Thankyou 👍

[@1DSlayer]

Nice video mate, love it, you shuld consider make some pov while shooting, and explain at the same time.

[@UlyssesAokiPhoto]

I have some past videos where I did that, but yes planning on doing another one!

[@robertgorden8066]

Good work. It will inspire me for tomorrow's shoot

[@T-Prime848]

Very Interesting Video Thank You So Much For These Tips...

[@TomKaszuba]

An important and motivational video. Thank you.

[@januardoardadesartpanggabe8064]

Hi there! Really glad to see this video because i really liked the idea of doing street photography in the middle of “nowhere”. There’s something unique rather than doing the photo hunt at the hotspot for tourism. Been doing street photography with this mindset for my 3 trips to Japan and now i am addicted with the idea!

[@Liberty0x]

The Meshuggah edit is me every time I'm walking through a quiet park taking pictures of flowers.

[@UlyssesAokiPhoto]

same here 😂 best bgm.

[@wendyforsey7451]

Thanks for this very timely and wise video. It is too easy to get stuck in the "familiar is boring" mindset. I'm off to explore my neighbourhood with open mind and eyes!

[@UlyssesAokiPhoto]

Great mindset Wendy. I will learn from your enthusiasm too. Cheers!

[@diegomayafotografia8856]

Good advices! I've been struggling with my photos lately, so i'll try some of your suggestions.

[@Iklelele]

Same here. It's so hard to take photos where I live. It's really agonizing.

[@UlyssesAokiPhoto]

Agreed with both of you... sometimes it really is agonizing, which made me want to make this video. I'm sure everyone's circumstances are different, but hope some of these can function as hints!

[@tarrah662]

I just started being more active with photography, but live in a small town. I've experiemented a bit with just going out and seeing what's there, and doing so has helped me to see things a bit differently. Like you mentioned, looking at the angles of poles, wires, shadows, etc. in ways that I haven't before. I hadn't thought about the color thing, so I will try that as well. This is very helpful, thank you!

[@maximerica]

Very interesting video ! I also live in a small village ( a few hundred people only) in Switzerland. Definitely more cows than inhabitants ! During the confinement I was forced to shoot more around my neighbourhood, which I practically never did. It was fun to document but also use different technics to make the pictures compelling (abstract, black and white, negative space...)

[@UlyssesAokiPhoto]

that sounds so cool! and I'd love to take pictures of cows!! But you're right, I'd probably get tired of it soon 😅 Great to know that you decided to document it

[@x100ed]

Great video, so clever and informative. Stumbled across it by mistake, but really loved it. I recently picked up a copy of Stephen Shore's "Uncommon Places" which is a whole book of photos from nowhere. There is something that just draws you in!

[@nastynate838]

quite easily by top 5 photography KZbin channels . straight to the point and simply good shit all the way around . cheers

[@UlyssesAokiPhoto]

Thanks for the amazing complement! Hope to keep on making useful videos.

[@RCBladeKing]

I think this is a pretty good concept. One thing I have to remind myself is that even if it's familiar to me that it may not be familiar to whoever views my photo. If anything, I can attach the memory of the walk with the photo.

[@JayGrapherTh]

very cool video and really motivate people to be more open minded to experiment and learn the art of photography themselves.

[@UlyssesAokiPhoto]

Hey Jay, thanks man!

[@scual760]

Thanks for getting the creative juices going!!

[@UlyssesAokiPhoto]

I need to pep myself up too... 😁

[@sukangawur]

Wow I just find this channel on my suggestion, I watch it and I really like it.. Keep it up!! Greeting from Indonesia 🇮🇩

[@sedo5155]

Thank you Ulysse for sharing this video. I love going out with no purpose but just shooting a few pictures. And there is always something that will draw my attention. There is no such “bad place” for enjoying photography. It is more a question of mood rather than a location. I love some of your pictures in this video. I have a question for you. What do you do with all the pictures you take? Do you sort and delete some before saving them in your computer? That could be a topic for one of your next video. Thanks again Ulysse. Cédric here.

[@freshphylix]

Thanks Ulysses, really loved it!

[@cedrikDGAF]

i live in a fly-over region of usa, i get of from work at 5:00 am. not the i deal time nor i have drive to want to take pictures. i had all my event and e-sport gigs cancelled because of covid, i was really depressed. it took a bulging disk in my back, from doing nothing, for me to start walking around my town and start taking more photos. now i'm excited almost everyday to get outside to shoot in this mundane town and almost every 2-3 days i learn something new about my camera.

[@UlyssesAokiPhoto]

hey I really feel you here. sorry that times have sucked for you. I've had the same, all my gigs were cancelled, jobless for a few months. can't go outside, just utter nothingness. this vid was also an attempt to get myself together and back into the right mindset. Happy that you're out again.

[@filiplenrick5858]

There is a Facebook group on this subject called "Small town and village street photography". Everyone is encouraged to join and charge their thoughts and images on the subject.

[@Birdie0858]

I like your content and and what you are saying here. I believe there are a lot of people who get caught in the trap of only shooting spectacular images and miss many very good shots and learning opportunities. I suspect some who are interested in photography even give-up or don't even start. Simply because they feel limited by the area they live in and their opportunities and time to get to where they feel they could get really great photos.

[@raddyxx]

Der Ulysses, thank you for these great advice. I live in a rural place in Germany that has attracted painters for 130 years, but I found nothing here for my photography since I moved from Hamburg. From today I am going to walk around with a different view I guess. Thank you for your great videos. Doumo arigatou gozaimashita. Doitsu yori, Ralf

[@robinleevel6591]

when we allow our eyes to become playful we can create compositions with any thing in now here. We just have to follow the light and the beauty of colors. Nice video man, thanks for sharing!

[@UlyssesAokiPhoto]

Robin, great point! Thanks man

[@philhasacamera]

loving the recent content keep it up!

[@TonyEbikemeJr]

Thanks for doing this video, Ulysses. Definitely what I needed to see today. Thanks :)

[@UlyssesAokiPhoto]

Hello! Thank you for watching ❤️👍

[@zombne]

Meshuggah reference and good tips on great photos. Subbed

[@jjonestowne]

This's all great advice. Thanks.

[@CharlieLiuPhotography]

Thanks for this creative video. I'm going to give this a try!

[@nojarhead]

Hey Ulysses, I loved the theme of video. I find myself falling into the mental trap/excuse that you mentioned before and remembering of this will get me off my ass more! I thank the algorithm gods (well, Samuel too) for bringing me to your channel. You’ve got yourself a well deserved sub.

[@joegirty6609]

very inspiring. great video.

[@SivertAlmvik]

I live in the largest city in Norway, but I think it's very boring and I often dream of going to a large city to do street photography. But, if I always think like that, I'll almost won't take any pictures. And that's a bad thing, because I need to practice and challenge my self. So I force my self to go outside and take photos almost every day. In norwegian we have a word I haven't yet seen in english, or know of a good english translation for. It is called "dørstokkmila". People who run or do any other sorts of physical training knows this feeling well. Directly translation is "the doorstep mile", and it is the feeling you get when you have to do something that you know is good for you, but you try to make up excuses to stay at home. But after you finally overcome "dørstokkmila", you really enjoy yourself and you're happy.

[@UlyssesAokiPhoto]

I'll try to learn how to pronounce the word, that's such a great term to have. And it's so true, it applies to most things in life and what we all have to fight every single day.

[@tabrizihussin4784]

Thank you for this video Brother...

[@EwokHunterz]

Mannn awesome video. These tips are more relevant than ever right now. Also the shot at 3:17 is soooo so good

[@UlyssesAokiPhoto]

Hey! Thanks for the comment, and glad that it’s helping people!

[@andgainingspeed]

Although I like some of the still scenes with the nice color and compositional balance, it's the shot at 3:16 that stood out for me. The white car that is almost perfectly horizontal in the frame, at odds with the road's perspective and the green building, somehow gives it a unique/weird sense of motion. 👍

[@imseeno]

Great video! Idk where you live in Japan, but I live in Tochigi prefecture. I'd love to shoot with you and learn some tips some time.

[@KimSamejima]

Tks man! Not really shooting outdoors these days, but definitely will try some of these tricks soon!

[@dennisvanmierlo]

Thank you for this video! The things I know are still good to hear them again from some else to keep my motivation up. I love watching your videos and I really like your photos 😊👌. Lot’s of greetings, Dennis 🇳🇱

[@UlyssesAokiPhoto]

Thanks Dennis!!!

[@ertugcsayin]

Hey Ulysses, following you in a long time and would like to thanks for your advices. I'm living in a small town and always complaining about those kind of stuff and it turned into the laziness/excuses. Love your works and videos, keep it up.

[@UlyssesAokiPhoto]

Hello! And thank you for following my work :) Really glad I'm helping in some form... I'm guilty of that too. Hope we can all overcome it... cheers.

[@zobongsar]

it's crazy how relatable with video is to so many people, especially with the current state of the world.

[@UlyssesAokiPhoto]

Zo, thanks for the comment (always!). Noticed even amazing photographers are having trouble today with the situation, so I thought I might attempt to tackle it.

[@zobongsar]

@@UlyssesAokiPhoto and you did a great job 👍

[@nicolaemorozov4304]

Wish you powers to create content for your next theme videos, about this kind of stuff like you say about framing and de-humanising scenes, like it + and off course subscribed)

[@hauntedfilmco.8731]

I love this topic. I particularly like the advice about keeping abstract compositions in mind. I think we’re all dealing with shooting in non-ideal situations, so that was good to hear.

[@gerikmd]

Thank you for the video.. great content and tips specially in these difficult times.. keep up the good work 👍

[@sayhellomonster4302]

Thank you for the advice. Also I hope you’re able to figure out what works best for you but I’ve really enjoyed your recent videos.

[@Emberro]

Yeah! It is great and inspiring to be honest. I live in a small town where NOTHING but ABSOLUTELY NOTHING happens 99% of time. Only thing when you can catch people is city market 2 days a week, from which i'm getting thrown out quite a bit (people dont like photos..), but I'm coming back every week or so. UsualyI'm going to two bigger cities around but now, from time to time I will try some of yours ideas. Well see! :)

[@UlyssesAokiPhoto]

Emberro Feels bad man. The only thing we can do is keep trying. Good luck man 👍

[@jontymitchell6288]

This was cool man, some of the later photos in the video reminded me of Matt Stuarts recent nothing from nowhere industrial work. Do more videos like this! I think it’s a great way to naturally improve street photography compositions

[@UlyssesAokiPhoto]

thank you! yeah Matt's new stuff is looking like a new interesting series.

[@youtube1sm]

hey, there's something about the white car and the teal color building., it feels 80's. Liked and subscribed.

[@carlkim2577]

Your photos are excellent. From a fellow photog

[@RM.TokyoPhotographer]

whats interesting although I live in Tokyo too...I try to go to the remote place as possible :D thanks for a great video

[@cheapshotphotography5828]

Wow that does look a quite place to live. This is always something to shoot, great video and advise Best wishes Tim

[@aboutphotography]

Great video!

[@errenmorgau935]

We need more videos like this! :) It's inspiring to watch all these cool street-photography videos from Tokyo and NY, but when you go outside and have to wait for minutes to face at least someone to take a picture of him in front of boring wall... it quickly becomes frustrating :)

[@UlyssesAokiPhoto]

Haha I know right? Thought portraying some reality on YT might be good too. Not only the busy bustling streets of mega-cities. Cheers.

[@truffles]

i've lived in small towns my whole life and since i've picked up photography my style has had nearly 0 life in all of my pictures (not in emotion, i mean actual living things!) i hope i can step out of my comfort zone and start shooting with people or animals or something soon! just wanted to share some of my story, loved this video, can't wait to watch more!

[@UlyssesAokiPhoto]

thank you! interesting that you shoot still life as a majority, and you're getting into people and animals. I'm sure you'll find a creative way to portray it. Thank you!

[@axelkeuchel5728]

Hey Ulysses, thanks for this inspiring video! Although I live in a rather big town, quite often I am struggling to find “good” scenes to take a picture of. So, probably I should go out with a little bit more open mind attitude. Ah, and one more thing: I am living in Europe, but whenever I have the opportunity I travel to Japan. One of the reasons is, that Japan is a paradise for photographers - either in the bigger or smaller cities or in the deepest countryside. I never had the impression of “Uh, here’s nothing worth photographing.” But anyway - thanks a lot for your video😉👍👋!

[@petersmitham8273]

Enjoyed the photos.....the haircut isn’t bad either!...👍🌈😎🇬🇧

[@baylin95]

One of the very few photographers on youtube who is talking about this approach to photography... excellent, direct, concise work, without distraction!! Thank you, very well done!!! one_rolleiflex

[@UlyssesAokiPhoto]

Hey, thanks for the comment... Just trying to create content that I wished I had access to a while back

[@baylin95]

@@UlyssesAokiPhoto I can relate to this way of working as I have been doing it for many years... not much going on around me where I live... If you're interested, check out my instagram at one_rolleiflex.. Thanks!

[@jimwallar8920]

Thanks, that was inspiring.

[@anthonyperez9802]

You take photos wherever you are if your passionate and creative with your craft. I shoot more film than digital. I still like hard copies and darkroom action. Take care

[@erikatzen9216]

What are you on about! These places you take us to are filled with nice things to shoot, not to mention the colours!! You should see my town, compared yours is paradice. Do you think you're a little spoiled in this way? Thanks for the stir, appreciated.

[@UlyssesAokiPhoto]

That's because I walked 4 miles to see something that might be interesting. We all suffer from this "my hometown sucks" disease.

[@fp5302]

Very good vidéo. Are your images straight from your caméra or do you édit them in lightroom? Thanks

[@UlyssesAokiPhoto]

I shoot raw

[@fp5302]

so that are straight put the caméra? Because they look so good

[@silencenhikes6692]

I like your style. Original, i like unusual or mysterious places where you just wonder what is going on here? What do people do for a living in these parts?

[@francisjordan309]

Hi Ulysses, I just discovered you channel today and found this vid very inspirational. I'm a streetog and shoot a Canon 5D Mk III. However, I recently got a Leica Q mostly because I wanted a compact camera, so I got the best. My question is this. When I shoot the Leica Q in fully automatic the photos come out razor sharp but the histogram is telling me that either the highlights or lowlights are blown out and I can't understand this. I was wondering if you have any ideas about this.

[@peskymacaw9033]

Well imo all the streets are actually quite interesting and photogenic in Japan.

[@tallaganda83]

They are for us not from there but after a while living there it would get boring like anywhere else. I worked and lived in France for 3 months, at first I thought everything looked so cool but by the end its all same same and couldn't wait to get back to Australia where I'm from. I love Japan though I would love to live there for a while too its probably my favourite country but for me for example I would take pictures of Japanese writing on the road, but to a Japanese viewer that would be as interesting as us photographing a give way sign etc, of for me seeing a photo of sign with a picture of a Kangaroo warning cars of the dangers of a collision, where I drive past 500 of these a day.

[@dbugatto]

Nice one , esp liked the image at 4:16 . Cheers, Dom

[@UlyssesAokiPhoto]

thanks Dom!

[@dbugatto]

@@UlyssesAokiPhoto Anytime , I see a lot of simpatico in what we shoot . My IG @dbugatto

[@xrasputanxx]

Awesome. Keep posting.

[@ximenajimenez7887]

Hi, I am thinking about getting a new camera. Which is the one you used on this video?

[@JayMacroPhotos]

Great video

[@smashexentertainment676]

You're kidding? Japan has something awesome to offer regardless of where you go)) In my country tho, I have to be extremely creative with all the limitations.

[@UlyssesAokiPhoto]

you clearly didn't understand the whole point of the video

[@smashexentertainment676]

@@UlyssesAokiPhoto yes I did. I just pointed out that it's not a suitable topic to cover in Japan, coz there's no real challenge in it. IMO.

[@joeycovington4681]

Thanks!

[@maciejdadelewski6045]

You can tell me about creating your own zine. It can be valuable knowledge. Especially that the desire to create your own design and publish it in the form of zine can be a great motivation to take pictures everywhere.

[@scottag0]

Nice message. Good ideas here. *sniff* ;-)

[@the6millionpman424]

I've been doing this a lot recently as I've had more time to just go walk for a while on a regular daily basis and just shoot what i see. If they work they work, if they don't.....well I've learned it didn't work that time around.

[@DanteNostalgicFiction]

you live no where? Man tokyo, at least for the rest of the world, it's awesome

[@nickfanzo]

I live in new Fairfield Connecticut, there’s nothing. But you gotta find something and make it something too. We don’t all live in Manhattan . That’d be too easy lol Joel meyerowitz had it easy

[@konmorse]

Great points - sometimes you have to make the best with your surroundings. Also, just as a video critique the constant sniffling was a bit distracting..

[@UlyssesAokiPhoto]

thanks. lots of pollen and allergies.

[@Bloodywasher]

Guys make sure you rip a fat rail before your nowhere photoshoot ****SNIIIIFFFFF****

[@genghis2510]

This is where photography goes in the new era - nowhere.

[@UlyssesAokiPhoto]

agreed.

[@phargofilms]

You can see a lot just looking around.

[@brettdavidg9371]

Shirt is fire 🔥

[@skwirl828]

where did you get that shirt?

[@UlyssesAokiPhoto]

One of fav brands, kolor

[@DavidLeicamFotografia]

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