I consume a lot of photography related information on the internet, and the one thing I know about myself is that I am easily influenced. This mostly stems from my curiosity; usually I’ll try some new technique, have a little fun, then go back to my main stuff. So when I started to notice posts online about using flash for candid street photography, I loved the look and started to devour content. In fact, I remember first stumbling upon the work of Bruce Gilden during a pregame for a Fraternity party, getting completely sucked in and then missing the entire night. I remember staring at this Gilden photo in awe, then this photo, then stumbling upon interviews with Charlie Kirk and his flash work in Tokyo. I knew I had to try it. I read all the tutorials, all the techniques, all the negative comments from readers exclaiming that “if somebody tried to do that I would smash their camera.” I didn’t care, and only gained confidence when the photographers themselves noted that for the most part people didn’t seem to mind. The only thing left was to get out do it, so I slapped on a flash and wandered out into the night.

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