I have stopped doing street photography

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Nh3

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[FONT=&quot]When I first started out, the idea of taking my camera on the street and photographing strangers without their permission was thrilling. It made me feel more courageous and extrovert, I also felt 'cool' because I knew that not a lot of people can do what I was doing.

I would bring the pictures home and admire them. The pictures were basically of what you might see normally on the street. Street performers, people walking about etc... But the more I photographed on the street the more uneasy I felt about it. First of all the pictures were boring and they were "so what pictures". Basically when you looked at them and asked, so what?, there would be no response within... Even the ones which I got the composition right was nothing special to me at least, because I was always more interested in the feel of a picture rather than its looks.

Finally it dawned on me that the whole street photography is great practice but it leads no where and in the end most of the pictures are clichéd and boring. And also another interesting fact was that a lot of the people that I see on the street I would not want to "bring home with me", so why the heck take their pictures...?

So, I got burned-out (posted a thread in rff about it) and stopped street photography. Instead I turned to landscape and wildlife (for recreation) and turned my focus to documentary work and working on projects which might take years. The only time that I would do street photography is if I'm photographing during a street festival otherwise I have totally stopped photography on the street as I used to.

To be honest with you, photographing birds and animals, especially in a contemplative and stalking mode is far more pleasing and a sheer joy than photographing people on the street. I would also take a beautiful landscape any day, especially when you have time to work with the view, and really give it thought... And of course my documentary work is also very satisfying because now I work with a theme and subject and the people simply fit into my overall view of the subject so its far more satisfying and challenging. It has also made me really pay more attention to technique and prepare really well because it feels more like work and I have to be at my best.

/This feel like a blog post but I thought I get it off my chest and see if people have had similar experiences or perhaps motivate those who might be bored with street photography.

P.S. the post which I made about personal street photography manifesto applies to my other work.
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Nh3,

There's nothing wrong with that. Photography is a combination of Art and Science and if the artistic side of a subject or style is not right for you it's wonderful that you can find something else. Be it still life flowers, landscapes, street shots or clouds, if your pictures say something to you that is what matters.

I never used to like Modern Art, never floated my boat. One day a guy I worked with at CBS (I want to say Barry Mason might have been his name) had his first show. He worked in the art department and I helped them get a Apple IIe computer set up to generate slides on a genagraphic system, way state of the art back in the early 80s. I went to his opening with a friend and I liked his stuff. For the first time an abstract picture moved me, I liked it. Now I still did not like a lot of the other stuff, but it opened my eyes to alternatives in art and photography.

A few years later I took another friend to a show at International Center of Photography. As we were going up stairs there was a smaller exhibit of another photographer in one of the rooms and we went in. She was very confused as this photographers stuff was out of focus, some blurs from movement, some from focus. The club we belonged to was pushing typical salon photography and that was all she knew. I explained to her that photography is art and it was OK to be out of focus if it was part of your message. I have to admit I messed up her head for a bit but I think she understood.

I love people, family friends or strangers. To me street photography is wonderful, but it took me time, a lot of time to fine what I like. It might take you longer and perhaps you will never find that look or style.

B2 (;->
 
Congratulations. Have a cigar.

Seriously, and in all sincerity, I feel the modern world is suffering from a dearth of funny monkey pictures.
 
I like street photography of a hundred or so years ago.
if every photographer stopped doing that many years ago, we'd all be poorer for it.
 
I think I know how you feel. Though much of my reluctance to do street photography comes from my natural shyness. It is just so hard for me to feel comfortable shooting complete strangers. And I think that sort of thing shows up in the photos - and not necessarily in a good way.

I've also turned instead to working on documentary projects. I've done a couple on small community theaters. And I'm now documenting the restoration of an old WWII bomber by a group of local vets.
I read an article about them in the paper. So I called them up and said I'd like to come out every other weekend and photograph their efforts. They were thrilled.
It just works better for me. I know why I'm there and my subjects know why I'm there.
 
That's fair... people burn out on all sorts of things -- sometimes it's temporary, while sometimes it's permanent. I do enjoy street photography and get a lot out of shooting street scenes as well as events, but generally, I've come to realize that a lot of what I enjoy falls under the general category of "People Photography," in whatever setting. However, that doesn't mean I've completely given up on "non-people" photography -- a shameless plug: check out my Denali National Park gallery on my website.

Attached is a sample image.

Cheers! 🙂
 
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"....xxxxxxx photography is great practice but it leads no where and in the end most of the pictures are clichéd and boring."

Fill in the xxx's with any genre of photography you want. Pretty much everything but the best of any photographic genre will be that way, especially shots from those who are not all that great at it or find it not to be their photographic calling. If it's not in you move on to another genre you feel more passionate about and can get more satisfying results from.
 
I am somewhat in a similar situation in regards to losing my zeal for street photography, and least in my home city of Vancouver. I find that my street images lack the emotional depth and engagement with the subject(s) I get in my other work, and frankly I don't like covertly photographing people. Don't get me wrong, I love street photography, just not my own these days.

Whereas you've transitioned to landscapes and wildlife images, I am drawn more to in-depth documentary work. I spent several weeks in the fall working with development organizations in Thailand and Laos. I found that work so meaningful that everything since then has felt flat. I need to get back into the field.
 
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Honestly, I think this is a stage in street photography and a challenge to make your photos not cliched and boring.

But no one says you have to take that challenge. If other forms of photography or art or sewing lead to more satisfaction, pursue them. However if you like street photography and just don't like your own street photography, take up the challenge.
 
my experience is just the opposite...i started out doing landscapes and nature shots. lots of rugged real estate and large animals here in the rockies.
but eventually i found THAT boring and started to shoot urban black and white.
 
rich815 said:
"....xxxxxxx photography is great practice but it leads no where and in the end most of the pictures are clichéd and boring."

Fill in the xxx's with any genre of photography you want. Pretty much everything but the best of any photographic genre will be that way, especially shots from those who are not all that great at it or find it not to be their photographic calling. If it's not in you move on to another genre you feel more passionate about and can get more satisfying results from.
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I generally agree with the above statement. You can look at 100's of street photographers and not see anything special (take me for example 🙂 ) However ther is always that one guy or gal which makes you go wow. Since I'm not that person, I've stopped making the output the focus, choosing instead to focus on the process and having fun, once and a while I get a great picture, which is a bonus. As long as your having fun, thats where you should be...unless of course you're trying to make a living 🙂
 
Nh3 said:
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SNIP

Finally it dawned on me that the whole street photography is great practice but it leads no where and in the end most of the pictures are clichéd and boring. And also another interesting fact was that a lot of the people that I see on the street I would not want to "bring home with me", so why the heck take their pictures...?

SNIP
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For me, "street photography" has to suggest a story or involve an interesting composition. Otherwise, they're just, well, pictures of people, mostly strangers. Here are some images that I hope illustrate my point.

Harry

2520170.jpg


and

2520138.jpg


and

2519478.jpg
 
I totally understand what you say and feel. The problem is bad street photography. Taking pictures of people walking up and down a street with cars as a background going through their heads is totally pointless.
There is Art to be made, but it takes a solid vision. Good street photography is jaw dropping. It's far more complex then just shooting people walking.

Street photography is like Chess. The poor players play utter pointless move that are incredibly stupid. I repeat: Incredibly stupid. But, within their level, those moves are quite acceptable. The masters, though, devastate with every move, even the most harmless ones. And yet, it's the same game.
 
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thats very dramatic.....

NB23 said:
I totally understand what you say and feel. The problem is bad street photography. Taking pictures of people walking up and down a street with cars as a background going through their heads is totally pointless.
There is Art to be made, but it takes a solid vision. Good street photography is jaw dropping. It's far more complex then just shooting people walking.

Street photography is like Chess. The poor players play utter pointless move that are incredibly stupid. I repeat: Incredibly stupid. But, within their level, those moves are quite acceptable. The masters, though, devastate with every move, even the most harmless ones. And yet, it's the same game.
Click to expand...
 
Different techniques and equipment, but I don't think there's much difference between street and nature photography - neither is intrinsically more interesting. And both involve lots of waiting around for the right person(s), animal or sunset to appear (and if you think it's dull in the street, try hiding in a bush in the pouring rain for a few hours waiting for a little brown bird to show up). And the chances are that the end product will be a shot that lots of other people have done better or earlier. For most photographic toilers, the payback has to to be either in the process - the personal satisfaction that you got the shot you wanted, or in enjoyment of the process. Occasionally - just occasionally - the result is an image which stands out from the crowd. But if the stand-out image is the only nourishment that's worth anything to satisfy photographic hunger, I know that I, for one, would very soon starve.

IMHO, if you're bored with spending lots of effort on the street only to achieve so-so results, the answer - at least in the longer term - is probably not a change of genre.
 
I agree with NB23 (must be a good chess player). I just got back from 4 hours shooting around the Arc de Triomphe and the higher part of les Champs-Elysées so when I saw this post it got me thinking about the topic. To me, good street photography (I exclude myself as I just started) is before everything a good instinct and brains. As NB mentionned, taking pictures of stranger (though technically challenging sometimes) is useless unless one is trying to tell a story, convery a feeling or depict an atmosphere. That is when brains comes in as one must be able to analyze all that data, sometimes think about sociological and historical influences, expose, overcomer shyness and finally click at the perfect moment. This most of the times in a few seconds. It might sound elistic but without brains, culture and of course talent, street photography will be lame and pointless.
 
Just my 2 cents but I think you might do better street shooting (or enjoy it more) with some sort of final project as a result of your shooting...
Whenever I get into downtown Los Angeles I'll shoot around City Hall (surrounding streets/sidewalks within the shadow of the actual building). I'm wanting to show the good and bad, rich and poor, happy and sad and all that falls within this area...
It gives reason for shooting and in the end you can develop something out of the photos taken rather than just having a bunch of pictures...
 
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