If I could easily put an answer to this question into words, then maybe I myself would have better luck at capturing what I feel are decent street photography shots (as my own worst critic, perfect never enters into the equation). I’ve already pointed out numerous times those handful of photographers here on RFF whose work consistently impresses me, but for the sake of this thread I’ll include them once more:
@rhl-oregon ,
@Erik van Straten ,
@helen.HH ,
@Shab . Sometimes they produce great landscape shots (be they nature landscapes or urban landscapes), sometimes they produce great shots of other things, and sometimes they produce what I think of as great street photography. The thing is, the majority of the work these few individuals post here on RFF is generally very impressive to me and not just their street photography. I feel like they happen to produce great street photography simply because I feel they are great photographers. Take a look at their work, it speaks for itself.
Perhaps it’s easier to define what isn’t good street photography and the OP can work backwards from there. I use the phrase street photography grudgingly because I feel like it has probably been more of a detriment to photography overall than a benefit. Countless photographers (myself included) have hit the streets, sidewalks, etc. with the thought of producing great “street photography” and 99% of the time we seem to wind up with little more than what I would call basic snapshots. This forum is loaded with thousands upon thousands of such images with more added every single day. Had I not thought better of posting them, hundreds more of these images would have been my own. I view the few feeble attempts that I’ve made at street photography and shared here as being far from perfect, but at least I’m not alone, lol. The same goes for YouTube, with countless so-called “street photographers” documenting their street photography exploits via video. While they might well have caught some individuals in candid moments, little thought if any has been made with regards to composition or anything else for that matter. Yet this is what seems to pass as street photography for many these days. Again, the results that I am seeing are just more basic snapshots and not much else. But as more and more people seem to accept such work as prime examples of street photography, I guess the overall pool of work is bound to become even more watered down.
Rather than using words, probably the best way that I can think to illustrate what perfect street photography is to me, would be to point to the only Henri Cartier-Bresson photo book that I own. It is titled “
À Propos de Paris”. I don’t believe it is one of his better known books, but pretty much every single image contained in that book strikes me as perfection. Every time I look through it I wind up feeling inspired as a result. His photos tell stories in a way that few others can seem to match. And though most were taken long ago, these photos still strike me as timeless because of that ability they have to tell a story. It might be a cliche choice, but I do tend to think of many of his photos as being perfect examples of street photography.
