Street photography? Is it an overkill?
I’ve been thinking about my street photography a lot recently. Looking over old images and checking out the images that are being posted on the social networks, Google+ Flickr, Ello and Instagram and to be honest what I’m seeing these days is NOT ALL THAT GREAT!
Street photography is not just about picking up your camera and going for a walk in a city or town to take pictures. There has to be a meaning or a concept you are looking to create. Taking picture of passers by is not always the best in street photography. That catch of the eye at the time might be compelling but what is the image saying to the viewer. Ok! You got lucky, they saw you taking the picture, they’re not happy about it but, couldn’t give two ‘hoots’ to complain about your behaviour.
Projects are probably the best way to concentrate your photography mind, when taking the street shot. These can be of specific style or people or fashion. By doing this you narrow down and if need be slow you down in the process of taking the image. I think at this point I should suggest that you take a look at what I consider to be the best ‘modern day’ street photographers publishing work today.
Thomas Leuthard, Tomasz Lazar, Rinzi Ruiz, Marie Laigneau, Valerie Jardin, Ibarionex Perello, Benjamin Nwaneampeh and Gagan Sadana….
It is also worth noting that some of the established ‘street’ photographers better keep an eye on the new work that’s being published, there is no point in ‘churning’ out the same old stuff all the time… There are many new street photographers which I haven’t found, with enviable talent… But you have to ask yourself when looking at the myriad of street photographs on the social sites, what is good; what is bad; what is awful and also what is ‘just’ a down right waste of time being posted? Crap in other words — sorry….. Can you see a similarity now? How many when you first looked at were of a passer by. What’s the story in that. Is it fashion? Probably not! or maybe Expression? Probably not!
The one thing that the ‘great’ street photographer has worked out is LIGHT, a STORY and if possible a REACTION! Think of William Kein’s, the kid with the gun! Think of the Henri Cartier Bresson’s, the cyclist going passed the spiral staircase! Think of Martin Parr’s the sunbather with purple/blue eye protectors? Can you see them? You don’t need me to post those images up… Do you? They are forever imprinted in your massive body-owned hard-drive — your brain — you can see them right?
So don’t think that taking, simple without thought, ‘ just snapping away’, street photographs is it. Coz’ it ‘Aint my friend! You’re not even close!
True street photography is made with thought, an EYE, an understanding of what’s going on, a realisation that something might happen, or an expression might occur. Look out for reflections, conversations, arguments, disappointment and frustrations. Create a project and go out to accomplish that project and don’t get distracted onto something else. Above all look for the Light — then you might be considered a street photographer.
But be aware there are many, many, other street photographers out there. It is after all the most popular of genres in photography today…
Just make dam sure that your work is thoughtful enough and not one that follows the bland, time wasting street photography of passers by of which there are loads!
