During a visit to Japan in 2014, in terms of camera equipment I only brought my Canon AE-1, a big bag of film (mainly Portra 400 and Tri-X), and an external flash (430EXII). The flash I hadn’t used many times for street photography, mainly having used it for some events I had been shooting in Sydney at the time. However I was inspired by street photographers such as Bruce Gilden who used an off-hand external flash to illuminate candid subjects, even during the day.
To me, photos taken in this style are quite intimate. By definition with a flash you reveal more than otherwise, and depending on how you frame the subject, they can become more separated from their setting or background, highlighting their humanity even further.
I think there is also something to the subjects that looks friendly when using flash in this way. The shots become reminiscent of casual point and shoot photos you may have taken with family or friends.
