Year End Gallery 2023
Annual street photography gallery from @womeninstreet, 2023 edition, curated by Julia Coddington
On November 25th a demonstration took place in Rome, with incredible participation, against violence against women.
I was so excited. I remember that I had some difficulties getting to Circo Massimo, both because of the subway not passing and because of my panic attack. I was going to drop everything and go home, but I plucked up the courage and decided that I would walk to the square.
When I arrived I was surrounded by a beautiful sea of people and immediately felt better and at home. I’m happy to have been part of it.
That November day in Rennes, Roger the activist campaigned for two causes: against a bill on immigration, and against the war in Gaza. He handed a flyer to a transgender protester who was also demonstrating.
In January of 2023, I found myself walking through the streets of West Philadelphia. I was drawn to a block in which a handful of the houses had been painted in alternating reds and greens. There was even a red car parked in front. Much to my delight, a woman in a green shirt suddenly exited the red house. As she descended the stairs, she brought a fitting counterbalance of color and a spontaneous jolt of energy.
We went to the tulip field in April to take photos. While I was looking around to see how to take photos, I saw broken mirror pieces. While holding the mirror pieces in my hand, I was excited to see the people getting out of the car and running among the tulips appear in the mirror and create a separate frame and layers.
I lived in China for three years where my passion for street photography exploded. When I returned to Italy I took photography courses and when there were the first Chinese New Year celebrations in Rome I literally went crazy. I took this photo that day and I’m particularly attached to it.
I was out shooting portraits around Camden Town in London, mid morning one Saturday. Suddenly a bottle passed within inches of my head and a couple were in a heated and what seemed alcohol fuelled argument with one of the stall holders. I had that moment of ‘should I, shouldn’t I’ but I decided to follow them. I captured this as the guy was being restrained and he spotted me with my camera.
This photo was taken in New York in January, behind the Richard Rodgers Theater, where the Broadway musical ‘Hamilton’ is playing. I thought the door might be interesting with the right subject, so I waited there for a little while. I stood across the street, stepping into the narrow roadway when there were no cars coming. When the UPS delivery man showed up, I thought he could be the one, but I’m not even sure I knew what a good match he made until I saw the photo later: the color palette, with both figures seeming to be dancing while carrying a package. I call this one “Broadway Number.”
I came from the north of Amsterdam to the centre. By ferry. It was very foggy and this lady was busy with her cellphone. She was filming and I found her so beautiful in this foggy environment. As is she was looking into the future.
Allure of the Night
This nightscape captures three sailors in New Orleans, where neon lights beckon adventures of the night. Their backs to my camera, the sailors stood to either side of the neon, its warm glow romanticizing their crisp white caps and uniforms. Their posture suggests anticipation as if drawn in by the excitement of the sleepless city. The sign for “Desire” looms large, suggesting temptation and decadent allure. Our imagination swirls with questions of where they’ve been and where they might go next.
This photo was taken at the beach in Croatia mid August this year. As the sun was slowly setting, I was observing the kids playing around the yellow umbrella which created interesting sillhouettes in different shapes. I took several photos but this was the one I liked the most.
This photo was taken last summer in Mexico in San Cristobal de las Casas. Contrary to what I thought, the Mexican people don’t like to be photographed, so I had a lot of difficulty taking photos that thrilled me, except this one.
I loved the light of that morning which enhanced the light and shadows like in a painting by Caravaggio, one of my favorite artists. These two indigenous women who were going to the market became the protagonists in the shadows, while the increasingly curious children supported the photographer’s gaze.
Living in a quiet neighborhood in the Pacific Northwest, I‘ve been longing to see more human interaction in street. Burger chain is one of my favorites where I get to see more colors and characteristics. This picture was taken recently in front of the Dick’s Burger. I liked how the kid and the dog were gazing at each other and the dad was trying hard to hold him from behind. The Christmasy socks in the bottom left also made this moment interesting to me.
A woman is holding her beloved companion dog amidst the crowds gathering to see the holiday decorations. The sad look of her dog elicits feelings of love, happiness, and safety from all the onlookers. The sun kissed the top of her head creating some lens flare which added to the dreamy mood.
This picture was taken in Bavaria, Germany, Schloss Neuschwanstein. Neuschwanstein Castle is a very well-known tourist destination. Built by King Ludwig II, the so-called fairy tale king. One of its symbols was the swan. Below the castle there are countless stalls selling souvenirs, including swans. Some of these stalls had already closed by evening.
I took photos through the window of the stand where the relatively exhausted owner was sitting in the back yard drinking his beer. I don’t know who the attractive lady next to him is.
In the past months, we went to Anıtkabir in Ankara and visited Atatürk. While watching the car Atatürk was driving, the half image of the woman reflected in the glass was interesting.
Crossing the Bosphorus from Europe to Asia by ferry feels like an adventure when you are a tourist like me but for thousands of Istanbul dwellers it’s a daily commute. This is one of my favourite photographs taken earlier this year on the ferry back from Kadıköy (Asian side). I like it because of its simplicity and how it conveys the mood of the tired woman as she leans on her elbow to rest her head against the glass. Her clear black shape in front of the beautifully exposed background makes this simple composition very effective and emits the sense of serenity enveloping her at the end of a very long day.
This is a photo of a reflection on a city bus window in NYC. I loved the way the lights of the scaffolding lined up with the passenger in the center, and the way the lines of the windows in the building and scaffolding line up with the bus windows. It seemed like a story of places and people integrated together in a way that was interesting to me.
I shot this picture only some days ago. It was on a grey, dark afternoon; with many condensed windows because of the cold outside. I perceived some slight movement behind that very window but I could hardly see what and who. As I got closer, I recognized the shape of a lovely lady submerged in thought. The reflection of the façade of the Duivelsteen (a Ghent medieval gothic building) on the other side, gave me the impression that the lady was wearing one of those typical headdresses of that time (an escoffion) while having her coffee in a modern bar. To me, it is fascinating to see how glass windows can bring modern and ancient times together into one frame, creating a most interesting story.
The picture was taken in summer. I was on my way home when I managed to capture this somewhat surreal scene. The man standing on the platform was trying to look back at something on his camera, and the strong sunlight made him cover the screen, and the man sitting opposite me raised his arm so he covered his eyes at the same moment. In the middle, the guide woman sits peacefully on the bench, her calmness balancing out the image. I like this picture because it has a mystery and playfulness to it, but at the same time it evokes for me the kindness and peace of that summer day.
This shot was taken in Trafalgar Square, London on the evening before the 2023 Caribou Cup Final between Newcastle United and Manchester United.
The “Toon Army” (Newcastle United fans) had descended on Trafalgar Square for an impromptu pre-match party and I wandered around soaking up the brilliant atmosphere before taking this photo of a fan with a flare, lit up by a street lamp. I love the way it looks like he’s on fire. The fans were fantastic and the atmosphere was warm and full of joy, a far cry from the poor reputation that many football fans attract. It’s one of my favourite memories of 2023.
Last summer, a family member came to visit San Francisco, where I live. My husband and I took him to the Haight Ashbury neighborhood, which was Ground Zero for the hippie movement during 1967, the Summer of Love. While there, a spontaneous dance party erupted in the street to a live band, right on the corner of Haight and Ashbury. It was as if we had traveled back in time. Many people were in town for a concert by the surviving members (and associates) of the Grateful Dead. The joy in the street was honest and palpable. I joined in and danced, trying not to get in the video my husband was taking, but managing to get a few shots of the people dancing and enjoying themselves around me.
At the top of my wish list is traveling to Mexico to join the Dias de Los Muertos celebration. So far it is still a wish, but this year I found out that the Mexican community in Rome also celebrates with a colorful and heart-warming parade I was able to join. Here a Calavera woman is chanting at the top of her lungs. There was such joy and energy, and positive vibes spreading all around. I love this image as it puts me in a good mood!
Basel is famous for its Carneval, called Fasnacht. Every year it’s a big event and the masks (Larven) are a very important part of the tradition. Also the use of tons of confetti is a must. In this fleeting moment, I was covered in a confetti-storm and this guy’s mask came alive. A magic moment.
Whilst wandering around an affluent part of London at the weekend I spotted Santa getting dressed on a road that clearly says no stopping. When I asked what he was doing he told me he was going to a fancy dress party in the pub across the road but he was putting his outfit on in the street because it was too hot to wear on the tube.
I was enjoying the lines and forms in this small northern Ontario town when the elderly person crossed in the middle of the street . His presence reminded me of the declining and aging populations in these towns, which continue to struggle.
Broken traffic light
Walking down Oxford Street, I was attracted by some willing people trying to put up the broken traffic light. It is undeniable that the famous photo of the marines on the island of Iwo Jima came to my mind. The next day the traffic lights had been restored.
There is a new shopping mall in my neigborhood in Izmir which is also known and popular not only for us but also for the foreigners who live here. I was passing this mall on my way home when I suddenly saw this family. I was in a hurry but they attracted my attention with their neon colored clothes, the way they were spread across the sidewalk and especially by the little girl dancing.
At typical tourist places I’m always looking for something else. Rua Nova do Carvalho, better known as Pink Street in Lisbon, is one of those places. I didn’t feel comfortable among people who were trying to position themselves to look best in the photo but when I turned around I saw this scene. A bit of realism in an artificial, created to be perfect world.
Curator: Julia Coddington
Women in Street
social media collaborative for female street photographers
