Take Photo

I'm breaking the rules with this interview. I normally feature photographers who use only an iPhone or other mobile device, but I wanted some advice on street photography, so I asked Omar Robles if he'd share a few pointers and he was happy to help me out. All of the advice he has shared could easily be applied to iPhone photography.

Omar:  Omar Z. Robles and I currently live in New York City.

Omar:  Long story short, when I went back to college to finish my Bachelor's in Communication and Visual Arts, I had to take a photography class. The professor really liked my work and encouraged me to pursue it further. Shortly after, my brother was working as a journalist for a lifestyle magazine called Metro San Juan. At the same time, they were hiring photographers and my brother took the initiative to submit some of my work to the editors. The editors liked my work and I started working for them first covering social events and little by little I moved up to shoot portraits for featured stories. By the end of the year, I was promoted to shoot their fashion editorials. 

Omar:  I am currently shooting mostly with a Fujifilm X100S.

Omar:  Mime theatre requires the ability to capture and evoke emotions and stories without the use of verbal communication. Photography was just a natural follow-up. Now what I think sets my work apart is specially when I direct a shoot, I use my knowledge of body language to help my subjects bring out those visual cues from within.

Omar:  I just ask them if I can take a second of their time for a quick portrait. I usually try to be as fast as possible taking the photo in order to let them continue with their day organically.

Omar:  In most cases they are, that's what really encouraged me to continue asking more people.

Omar:  Learn your camera settings, experiment and go out and shoot every day if you can. 

Omar:  I go out and see what's out there. Sometimes I just shoot a precise moment that is happening. Other times, I will see something that I like and then I just stay there and wait for that moment at that particular place.

Omar:  For most of the stuff on IG, I usually do a combo of iPhoto for exposure adjustment (mobile app) and Snapseed for details (only sometimes) plus VSCO filters (with some fine tuning of my own).

Omar:  Be patient and don't get frustrated. Street photography is a really hard discipline and art form. It requires the ability to stay calm but also to be able to make spur of the moment choices, where sometimes the right choice is actually to not take the photo. The most important thing is to take the photo before actually pressing the shutter.

Omar:  Yes, I have had a few exhibitions in Puerto Rico and Chicago.

Omar:  Yes, you can order prints of my work visiting shop.omarrobles.com

Omar:  Thanks for considering me for this interview. I really love sharing and teaching about photography in general.