Pete Wands, street photographer and his creative process.

I have been following Pete on instagram for a while, and I feel inspired by his work.I reached out to him and asked if he would like to help me with this part of the course(his creative process, and how he worked)and he was only to happy to help out(actually a bit surprised that someone was interested in him and his work).What comes next are his words

On returning to Edinburgh after a decade away from Scotland's capital,I found myself with a fresh perspective and new appreciation for this historic city.I try to see the city with the curiosity my son and daughter do as they keenly observe, point out details and ask questions as we wander the streets, which I too often took for granted growing up.

As I try my best to teach them in their early years of life,I am aware that they enrich my own everyday experiences and I am learning from them as well, I try to come up with the answers to their many questions!

Over the past few years I have felt connected to the city through photography.When out with my camera the world continues at its own paces I slow down and perceive it with openness, curiosity and imagination as fleeting moments of beauty come and go in front of my lens like scenes in a movie, awaiting the click of the shutter. Expressions ,gestures, reflections, characters, textures, silhouettes, shadows and details often missed amongst the chaos of fast paced modern life become significant and beautiful.

The tension of life's responsibilities and stresses melt away from my brain and body, as the previously mundane streets seem to come alive with possibilities around each corner.With patience and anticipation ,every so often and image is captured which comes together to portray my vision of the city.There are many more failures than successes in street photography and there are of course days where this doesn't happen.I enjoy the walk regardless, knowing my favourite photo is the one I'm going to take tomorrow and having the pleasure of experiencing the streets through child-like eyes.

I don't tend to go out with a plan.I like really just walking and approaching the streets with an open receptive mind, and see what happens.I find I get my best shots when I feel present and thing's just flow.Setting a specific task like colours/reflections/gestures is an idea if things aren't working on the day.For night shooting, its almost always hand held(my camera that is, and the camera I use is a Fuji xt2 with a 56mm f1.2 and 35mm f2.I just accquired a Fuji x100v which is a fixed lens 23mm f2 ),aperture wide open and iso upto 3200 max.Shutter speed can be as low as 1/60.Occasionally I try shots with a slower shutter speed down to 1/15 to pan and capture movement.