There is humour everywhere and in everything, but it takes a keen observation to notice it out in the streets. For many street photographers, it’s one of the things to keep an eye out for. The scenes will compel you to look closer and the story — either implied or made up — will entertain without fail.
Capturing humor in street photography is easy to aspire but often laborious to achieve. To make it your photography work’s focus the way Anthimos Ntagkas does, therefore, is admirable. With a quick look at his Street Photography, one can’t help but snigger at the perfectly-timed, impeccably-composed, and often hilarious slices of life he captures on the streets and beyond. He uses a wide range of visual cues to realize his playful juxtapositions and compositions, including but not limited to colours, symbols, graffiti, and human elements or characters themselves.
Copyright ⓒ Anthimos Ntagkas
Copyright ⓒ Anthimos Ntagkas
Copyright ⓒ Anthimos Ntagkas
Born in 1979 in Athens, Ntagkas graduated from the military academy — an interesting contrast to his street photography practice. He always wanted to start photography as a hobby, but only learned of street photography from looking at other people’s work. He has been experimenting with the genre since 2014. However, because of his work in the Greek army in recent years, he confesses that he doesn’t get to go out as much to shoot.
“When I first started to take photos, I used to find a place in the streets that I liked and wait for people to come by. But this has changed. Nowadays, I don’t choose the place, but I make every location work for me. I combine people with elements everywhere I stand. Fortunately, the themes in this type of photography are endless and I never lose interest in photography!”
Copyright ⓒ Anthimos Ntagkas
According to Ntagkas, he often finds himself influenced by a lot of photographers who do candid and humorous takes on street photography. However, his main goal is always to do something completely different each time. This approach to the craft, he says, enriches his creativity as a street photographer.
“Street photography is more challenging, artistic, and creative than other forms of photography and that was very appealing to me. It’s not only capturing the moment and the people in the streets but you also have to be an artistic director in order to combine people and elements in a fascinating perspective.”
Copyright ⓒ Anthimos Ntagkas
Asked about his favorite snap, Ntagkas chose this witty capture of a man cleverly and hilariously posed behind a dog. It’s easy to see why, and it could even closely rival that of Eliott Erwitt’s iconic dog photo (New York City, 2000).
“It was taken in Tel Aviv, Israel. I had so many good times with very good friends on that. This photo was my first good shot and it made me continue taking good photos. That’s why this photo means a lot to me.”
This eye for humor in street photography is definitely something that Ntagkas cultivated over time. To those who want to follow the same creative path, he advises finding a balance between getting inspiration from other photographers and bringing your own identity into the craft.
Copyright ⓒ Anthimos Ntagkas
“While it is very important to see the work of other street photographers, always try to incorporate your own personal identity in your photos. Everything plays a role when trying to capture a unique moment, especially experience and persistence. Sometimes, however, it’s only luck!”
Make sure to follow Anthimos Ntagkas on Instagram to stay updated with his clever and hilarious street photography.
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