Stock Answer

We meet Joas Souza to find out how he captures and markets his ever-growing stock image library of London

- Joas Souza

I’ve never described myself as a ‘people watcher’. While others have professed an appreciation for observing the behaviour of people on the street, I’ve never been naturally drawn to this as a source of photographic inspiration. That said, I have always understood and admired the divide between amateur and professional street photography. Not everyone can do it well!

Some people might not see the financial value in street shooting – how do you make a living by capturing spontaneous and amusing moments outside a Starbucks coffee shop or by focusing on people eating at a street food market, for example?

Armed with these questions, I arrive outside Covent Garden underground station to meet Joas Souza, the founder of London Stock Photos (londonstockphotos.co.uk). Over the course of 16 years, Joas has built up an impressive archive of images of Britain’s capital city, which is unrivalled in its complexity and specificity.

Having only communicated by email up to this point, we amusingly both approach the same man carrying a large video camera, on arrival. Upon correctly identifying each other, we set off on a photo walk of this atmospheric area of London.