Interview with Nancy Lehrer

Not only is Nancy Lehrer a fantastic photographer, she is a top-notch teacher, which is why we know you are going to love this interview. Photography was always a part of Nancy’s multi-faceted life, which also includes time spent as a musician and music teacher and currently, a job in the IT field. As a child, her father encouraged her to take pictures of people and that early start made photography feel natural to Nancy, even later in life as an adult.

Nancy has been practicing street photography for some time now and she believes teaching is a great way to continue learning, since it makes you think through your process, camera settings and the like. As an experienced photographer and teacher, she had some real gems to share with us. For example, we spent some time talking about the role of storytelling in street photography. Nancy encouraged photographers to ask themselves, “Is this a good set of pixels or is this a good story?” An excellent question to ask, since a good set of pixels is only half of the equation if you want to create powerful images. And what about creating “visual poems” in street photography? Nancy shared some thoughts on learning to see the relationship between objects, being able to understand and find juxtapositions.

We also discussed taking your composition to the next level. Nancy has some wonderful blog posts on the matter (highly recommended reading material, folks). She mentions a few basic rules, but says that’s not enough. Listen in to learn how to think outside of standard composition rules, while still respecting the basic principles.

Do you have trouble recognizing a great scene? Nancy explains how taking a inventory of what you see can help you develop an eye for interesting shots. You’ll learn how to practice with a purpose to improve your images by capturing people, gestures and context.

This was truly one of our favorite interviews to date. If you’re ready to get several tips that can help you take your photography to the next level, listen in to our conversation with Nancy by clicking the audio player below. And don’t forget to visit her blog and download her book as well. You’ll find the links to both at the end of this article.