I'm lost with "Street Photography" definition.

[Ko.Fe.]

Help me, I'm lost!

Have you ever been on those "beaches resorts" in developing countries, where you better to stay inside of resort perimeter?
Is this is how pictures from the beach are ending up at "street photography" groups, threads? 🙂
I guess, where is no "beach photography"?
And also none of the "subway" and "pubs" photography groups are exists?
Why I see pictures from the subway and indoors pictures in "street" photography?

One of the youtube top search returns for "street photography" is this B&H seminar with respected Mel DiGiacomo.
http://youtu.be/wHRoOMZjoE0

I like pictures in it, I like Mel's presentation.
But why it is called "Street Photography with Mel DiGiacomo" if almost most of it are pictures from tennis tournaments, indoors, studio filming episodes, food, close ups, private backyards and beaches?

Why people want to place non-related pictures into the "street" photography content? 😕

I didn't put this one into "street" category, for example.


by Ko.Fe., on Flickr

 

[Lauffray]

You're not the only one, I'm not sure I know what it is exactly, but I'm not interested in definitions either 🙂

 

[zauhar]

How about 'candid photography'?

I wouldn't know what to say, in organizing my own site I couldn't figure out perfect categories to use, ended up with labels like 'urban landscape', 'street portrait', 'interiors', etc.

 

[Addy101]

Wikipedia to the rescue:
"Street photography is an art photography that features the human condition within public places and does not necessitate the presence of a street or even the urban environment. "
Street photography on Wikipedia
So, it has nothing to do with the street.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

How about 'candid photography'?

I wouldn't know what to say, in organizing my own site I couldn't figure out perfect categories to use, ended up with labels like 'urban landscape', 'street portrait', 'interiors', etc.

Yes, this is what I asked in submitted comment under "Street Photography with Mel DiGiacomo" video. To change it to "Candid Photography with Mel DiGiacomo".

One of my two French colleagues used to have company with media asset management solution.
Over ears it makes huge difference if content handling, if it has right tags and categories.
It, actually, requires people with special education.

One of those two guys is retired from our industry and in charge of Vine Bar in Warsaw, Poland.
I guess, this is why I see food&drinks in "street" photography now 🙂

 

[f16sunshine]

I prefer Candid Photography... thank you Randy!

It's more appropriate and also flexible. I never really liked the term street photography.
I don't always live where there is a street.
So called street photography can occur in a Barn yard or college campus square.
Street? 😱

 

[Ansel]

Street Photography is just a meaningless buzzword.

 

[goamules]

I do a lot of Yard Photography.

 

[kxl]

For the types of photos that I'd like to take, I guess I prefer another buzzword: "Social documentary," which I guess may be considered a subset of street photography??

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Wikipedia to the rescue:
"Street photography is an art photography that features the human condition within public places and does not necessitate the presence of a street or even the urban environment. "
Street photography on Wikipedia
So, it has nothing to do with the street.

Wikipedia! So, I'm good to toss Eric Kim's words of wisdom.

http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2013/08/07/what-is-street-photography-2/

But can “street photography” be done in an office building? Or in a mall (sometimes classified as a public space, sometimes not)? Or in a stranger’s home? Or the beach? (Bruce Gilden and Martin Parr have done great work there). Or even the forest? (Contemporary street photographer dirty harrry has some fascinating candid photos of people in the forest).

As of now, my personal belief is that street photography can really be shot anywhere as long as it is open to the public to enter and leave as they please.

Maybe it is time to change "street" photography to "public photography" and leave "street" for those who takes pictures on and of the street?

Otherwise it is as same, as asking on fishing board - "where is the best fish market, to buy fresh fish to cook?". 🙂

 

[Brian Atherton]

I call "street" "urban photography". But what do I know.

 

[Godfrey]

I've given up trying to define all this stuff precisely. What I see when I see people posting "street photography" are attempts to photograph/document contemporary culture. Sometimes it's candid, sometimes not; sometimes it's urban, sometimes not. It varies a lot.

I don't usually try to categorize my own work by such a broad name. What other people do is up to them. ;-)

G

 

[Ansel]

I do a lot of Yard Photography.

Ha, ha, ha....

 

[bonatto]

This is somewhat of a nightmarish read, trying to define the concept with a very academic approach.

From Atget to Bresson

 

[icebear]

Oh well, ...what a serious issue 😉.

Isn't the content of the picture more important than what "tag" it has attached to it ?
Correct tagging and use of keywords requires a huge amount of discipline.
Obviously that's not a feat of most people. But on the other hand there's isn't a tag police ... yet 😀.
Don't worry so much about wrong labels attached to whatever photography.
Essentially it comes down to "Do you like the picture or not?".
Is it more important if the category might not be choosen correctly ?
Get out and shoot , i.e. with your camera.

 

[icebear]

This is somewhat of a nightmarish read, trying to define the concept with a very academic approach.
...

Obviously no one is gonna waste his or her time on that then, ... at least not me 😉.

 

[jsrockit]

I'm in the street is only a buzzword category... the term didn't seem to exist until more recent times.

 

[daveleo]

I don't know what "street photography" is or isn't, but I have tried it myself and I've seen mega-bzillions of "street shots" and it obviously is something that is extremely difficult to do very well.

 

[rfaspen]

Clearly, there's a historical root for the term, but street photography has always been a broader concept than just pavement and sewer covers -- That "feeling" that tends to accompany street photography extends to photos taken in quite diverse situations (so yes, "street" seems like the wrong word). But, that "feeling" seems consistent.

That "feeling" I refer to is so hard to articulate and I think that's where the problem of defining street photography comes from -- most of us know that aesthetic when we see it, but can't quite find the right term to describe it consistently. My guess is early photographs that conveyed that feeling/aesthetic well were taken in urban street situations, thus the term.

So, I don't cringe or obsess with the term "street photography". I view it as an historical label that defines something that may have nothing to do with actual streets. Candid photography is a fine term, but its no better at describing the range of photos that I associate with the street photography aesthetic. I'm so ambivalent; I'd be just as happy with "candid photography", "urban photography", or "yard photography" as I would "street photography".

Ultimately, I don't see utility complaining about a term that we've all come to associate with that nebulous quality that makes a great "street photograph" a great "street photograph". Even those who seem to wrankle at the term can identify and appreciate photos with the "street photography" quality.

 

[Rodchenko]

I don't know what "street photography" is or isn't, but I have tried it myself and I've seen mega-bzillions of "street shots" and it obviously is something that is extremely difficult to do very well.

Haha ouch! 😀