The Curse of the Awkward Footstep

A photo series of unfortunate exposures in which figures in bumbling mid-stride ruin the moment

The Jardin des Tuileries in August 2022. Photo by William Sidnam.

Nothing ruins a photo like an awkward gait.

It’s one of the strangest lessons I’ve taken away from street photography — but it’s arguably, also, one of the most important.

No matter how amazing a photo may look if the prominent person in it appears to be in clumsy mid-stride, it’s curtains for both the figure and the photo. Like an unfortunate case of flatulence at a dinner party, there’s no recovering from a goofy walk, which can turn the most visually pleasing composition into a farce.

A bridge on the Seine. Photo by William Sidnam.

A café near the Place des Vosges. Photo by William Sidnam.

A bouquiniste near Notre Dame. Photo by William Sidnam.