Featured Street Photographer of the Week: Frantisek Simak

What drew you to street photography initially?

I have always been interested in street life, capturing the short stories of random strangers and everything else that happens daily on the streets. That’s what I find so exciting about it, every day brings new moments to capture.

I love this shot:

It really speaks to urban loneliness. Is this a theme you try to capture? Or is that just my interpretation?

This shot is really about the urban loneliness, all of us are sometimes alone and just lost in our thoughts. That’s what I tried to capture with this picture.

You are also a master of contrasts and dramatic lighting. How do you capture those components in a frame?

I search for places with natural dramatic lighting/contrasts, trying to take pictures with plenty of light from angles that will bring out the contrast and light even more.

What are you shooting with mostly? (just curious)

I am shooting mostly with Sony-Nex7 camera and the 16-70 mm zaiss objectiv.

Are there any street photographers out there that are a source of inspiration to you?

I don’t really follow any other street photographers, my inspiration usually comes from old postcards with city and street motives where the photographer is unknown. I draw some inspiration from painters (for example impressionists) as well, how they work with shadows and composition.

What has street photography taught you about people and photography?

Street photography has taught me that every moment is unique and every life is beautiful with its own value, it’s amazing to discover something like that through photography.

See more of Frantisek’s work on his Flickr photostream.