Spontaneity and Story with Street Photographer James Hazelwood

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Spotify |

James Hazelwood is a Rhode Island-based photographer who not too long ago embraced retirement as a possibility to pursue images full-time. Since retiring, he’s launched an formidable publishing schedule on Substack, the place he shares photograph tales that mix his road images aesthetic with private narratives from his travels and on a regular basis experiences. His work may be discovered at jameshazelwoodphoto.com, and he’s lively on the brand new images app Foto.

James has a refreshing method to road images—one which extends past conventional boundaries to embrace storytelling each in pictures and in written type. Rather than debating what qualifies as “street photography,” He applies the road photographer’s mindset to every little thing he pictures. As he explains, “The whole candidness, the spontaneousness, trying to find the different angles and ways of capturing moments wherever it happens is street photography.”

This philosophy has led James to create heat and private photograph essays documenting each his travels and intimate private initiatives. His Southern Crescent sequence, printed within the January 2026 challenge of Street Photography Magazine,  captures life within the Mississippi Delta sparked by a Raw Society workshop through the Mighty Roots Music Festival in Stovall, MS.

For photographers seeking to develop their storytelling apply, James provides a beneficial lesson. Commit to displaying up constantly. His photo-a-day challenge taught him that “if you commit yourself to a daily habit, you can get a lot done.”

Second, be keen to work slowly with delicate topics. James acknowledges “I got to really build trust with people. They’re not just going to say, sure, come in and photograph me the first time I meet them.”

Finally, overcome hesitation on the road by way of easy gestures. James discovered from photographer Peter Turnley {that a} raised eyebrow and questioning look—”with out saying a phrase”—can cross any language barrier and open doorways to genuine moments.

James’s work is inspiring as a result of he’s channeling retirement into full-time artistic output, proving it’s by no means too late to commit your self totally to images.

Once you give the podcast a pay attention, I encourage you to spend some quiet time studying some articles in his Substack.