In this episode, Karen Commings joins us to talk about her approach to street photography, and how it all began. You might remember Karen from earlier this month – she’s our featured photographer in the October issue.

Karen has been shooting the streets in earnest for about 10 years now, and one of the things we noticed about her work right away is how honed her powers of observation are. She often captures photos that are layered with multiple people and emotions all at the same time. It’s the way she likes to tell the story behind the moment. But that’s not the only reason she’s able to capture her subjects with emotions on full display.

“My superpower is being invisible in a crowd,” she says. Karen uses her superpower, along with a respectful approach to get close and catch. In this episode, you’ll learn what practical steps Karen takes to be discreet and how she knows when to take the shot.

You’ll also get a few tips about getting your work seen from Karen. Her work has been featured in Black & White Magazine several times, The Photo Review, and Harrisburg Magazine, just to mention a few online publications, as well as in numerous gallery shows. What’s her secret? Listen in to find out why photographers should take a chance with submissions and stay persistent to get work published.

Another thing we love about Karen’s work is her willingness to bend and break the rules of photography on occasion. She talks about they whys and hows of that in this episode, but to see a few examples of times she’s broken the rules for a noteworthy photo, be sure to subscribe to Street Photography Magazine and read our feature article about Karen, “A Chance to Break the Rules.”