Guest Gallery: Thomas Leuthard, Zug, Switzerland

Thomas Leuthard is a Swiss photographer who travels the world to witness and document life on the streets.

While he started with close candid portraits of strangers, Leuthard now looks for leading lines and hard contrasts, combining architectural scenes with the human factor to breathe life into static scenes. His main playgrounds are railway stations around the world, where life meets architecture and technology.

For Leuthard, street photography is a way of escaping his work in information management. He believes that the camera itself is irrelevant, that photography is all about the eye and what you see.

How did you first get started in street photography?

I was at the Olympics in Beijing in the summer of 2008. I was fascinated by the things happening on the street. There was so much to see and there were so many different looking people doing different things. I even started doing a series of photos of bicycles and faces. I was not aware that this was a big change in my life. It even took some months to develop this kind of photography and really start shooting on the streets.

What are some things you look for when shooting on the street?

When I shoot candid portraits with a longer lens (85mm), I look for interesting characters. These are normally older people, as we already see younger people in fashion magazines all the time. When I shoot full scenes with a shorter lens (35mm), I look for people doing ordinary things in interesting ways, or people who may work together with some shapes in the background around them. In these cases, I have to look for much more. The photo has to tell a story. But I still have to get close, to avoid including too many things in the picture.

Describe the story behind the most meaningful street photograph you have ever taken

This is difficult to answer. I have several photos I like for different reasons, and nearly every photo tells a story. Sometimes the story is much more interesting than the photo itself. I would not want to pick just one photo as there are so many interesting stories that are so personal and often touching. This is what keeps me traveling around the world to shoot on the streets. For the viewers, my photos are street photography. For me, they are memories of my trips and walks with friends. I always remember the place where I took a shot and if it was a one-shot wonder or if I took a series of photos. I always remember who was with me at the time. None of this information is in my photos, which is fine. One day I will publish another book that will tell the story behind my fifty top photos. Then you can get fifty answers to this question.

What do you think makes a great street photograph?

It’s actually very simple. You have to tell a great story, there should not be too much in the photo, and eye contact will help viewers connect with the person being photographed. All of that should happen at the right, candid moment. If a photo has a timeless look, there is a better chance that people will like it. And don’t forget about the composition. You can ruin a photo with bad composition. A lot of people struggle with that. They use expensive cameras but shoot without any sense of composition.

What advice would you give to aspiring street photographers?

Read my two free e-books about street photography. Then go out and practice. It’s all about practicing every day and having your camera with you all the time. I take a lot of photos and still keep only about five percent of the photos. Know what you do and why you do it. Don’t let anyone get you off this track, no matter what they say. Street photography might be difficult for some people and there will be critics, but keep shooting.

Thomas blogs about photography at thomasleuthard.com, where you also can find his collection of great (and completely free) e-books.