Is Street Photography Dead?

Is Street Photography Dead?

  • Yes

    Votes: 82 20.6%

  • No

    Votes: 317 79.4%
  • Total voters
    399
kbg32 said:
No. This argument should be laid to rest once and for all.


Know your rights. Courtesy "Peta Pixel".

1. You can make a photograph of anything and anyone on any public property, except where a specific law prohibits it.

i.e. streets, sidewalks, town squares, parks, government buildings open to the public, and public libraries.

2. You may shoot on private property if it is open to the public, but you are obligated to stop if the owner requests it.

i.e. malls, retail stores, restaurants, banks, and office building lobbies.

3. Private property owners can prevent photography ON their property, but not photography OF their property from a public location.

4. Anyone can be photographed without consent when they are in a public place unless there is a reasonable expectation of privacy.

i.e. private homes, restrooms, dressing rooms, medical facilities, and phone booths.

5. Despite common misconceptions, the following subjects are almost always permissible:

* accidents, fire scenes, criminal activities
* children, celebrities, law enforcement officers
* bridges, infrastructure, transportation facilities
* residential, commercial, and industrial buildings

6. Security is rarely an acceptable reason for restricting photography. Photographing from a public place cannot infringe on trade secrets, nor is it terrorist activity.

7. Private parties cannot detain you against your will unless a serious crime was committed in their presence. Those that do so may be subject to criminal and civil charges.

8. It is a crime for someone to threaten injury, detention, confiscation, or arrest because you are making photographs.

9. You are not obligated to provide your identity or reason for photographing unless questioned by a law enforcement officer and state law requires it.

10. Private parties have no right to confiscate your equipment without a court order. Even law enforcement officers must obtain one unless making an arrest. No one can force you to delete photos you have made.

These are general guidelines regarding the right to make photos and should not be in
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So true..... For the US, try this in, say, North Korea and you will never ever return. Don't state legal information as being universally true if it is US specific!
 
The only thing that is "dead", is the people who believe these statements. Nothing is dead, but the dead. Not to get into philosophical drivel - we all can learn by looking at each other, at each others images, etc.. No one exists in a vacuum. We all come from somewhere and are shaped by our environment, experiences, etc.. These are the images that need to be taken. Images of what we know, who we love, hate, and experience. In that end, we are alive, no matter what genre you feel you fit into.
 
Is street photography dead? Erm, no, in fact I think it's been seeing a bit of a resurgence lately. Not to mention classics like Joel Meyerowitz, Bruce Gilden (love him or hate him), Daido Moriyama, and Alex Webb are still going strong. I think Craig Semetko out of California is an excellent example of the modern street photographer, showing our modern world in an interesting way, not riddled with cliches per se.

benlees said:
Good question. I stopped chasing that dragon awhile a go! Don't you go to Whyte ave. every weekend? Should be telling me!:angel:
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I don't know if this is what you're looking for, but here's a shameless plug to my blog, Cities & Citizens. Street photography, mostly of Edmonton.

I do agree, though, there's a lack of Edmonton street photography out there. While no Manhattan, there is ample subject matter here, especially in the summer. There's a few good street photographers out of Calgary and Winnipeg, though, if you need some Prairie Street. John Paskievich of Winnipeg is perhaps the most well known, having published "The North End." There's also David Campion, I don't think he lives in Calgary, but he recently completed a 15 year archive of the Calgary Stampede, with the book "Cowboy Wild." Colin Corneau and Trevor Marczylo are based out of the Winnipeg area. Ruzz (Living Breathing Street) and Doug Springer from Calgary. There's also the "YYC Street" thing.

Really, though, Canada overall lacks a lot of good street photography. There are some, mostly based out of Vancouver (ironic considering both Montreal and Toronto are older and busier cities. I mean, why didn't we have a dude with a Leica and some Tri-X going up and down Rue St-Catherine in the '60s and '70s?). The most well known of course being Fred Herzog. But just finding some compelling street photography out of our largest city is a major headache. I'd love for there to more Canadians out on the streets, as there is a lot of interesting spaces within our cities and towns that haven't really been exploited to their full photographic potential.
 
You are all invited.

The official invite
FleetingMomentsPostcard_zps43ab5ccc.jpg
 
The 2nd place entry is a classic triangular composition with the boy on the left side of the frame forming one side of the triangle and that beautiful implied diagonal line that runs from the reflection to the lady smoking to his eyes. THe heavy line created by him at the edge of the frame keeps the eye from leaving thus forming the left side of the triangle and the curved words on the bottom of the tee forming a line that leads back to the woman in the reflection. Nicely seen and captured I'd say.
 
lonemantis said:
I think there is just as much a need for street photography as there ever was, but it's far less understood these days by those who don't know about the likes of HCB and Winogrand. One of the original goals of street photography was to capture the way people live, but we now live in a world that's almost excessively well documented and recorded. However, it's become an automatic and soulless process - think of satellite imagery, CCTV, Google Maps and Steetview - totally devoid of human commentary or aesthetic value.

Great street photographers can capture the human moments that satellites miss, serving as representations of our generation and times. It seems mundane to some, potentially creepy or criminal to others, but the value of a well executed street shot is immense, and that value will only increase with time.
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What s/he said.
 
kbg32 said:
The only thing that is "dead", is the people who believe these statements. Nothing is dead, but the dead. Not to get into philosophical drivel - we all can learn by looking at each other, at each others images, etc.. No one exists in a vacuum. We all come from somewhere and are shaped by our environment, experiences, etc.. These are the images that need to be taken. Images of what we know, who we love, hate, and experience. In that end, we are alive, no matter what genre you feel you fit into.
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This. I'm lazy OK :)
 
if you live in rural areas, i could see it being relatively 'dead'

but if you're in the city like i am, then hell no it isn't.

if you want to shoot street, then come join us over here.

i also liked and agreed with what lonemantis said.
 
Street photography is anything but dead from what I can see.

This genre seems to be resurgent, in spite of the fact that some people object to being photographed on the street. It is a challenging and rewarding facet of photography in my view.
 
Carterofmars said:
I also say no, it's not dead, but as it was commented in another string: "I would ask the question slightly different... Today; where is the audience for the Winogrands, the Joel Meyerowitz, the Elliott Erwitts ?"
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Where is the audience for the Cartier-Bressons, the Doisneau(x), for the (Ansel) Adamseses, the Man Rays?

Yes, how many years can a mountain exist? How many times can a photograph be taken?

The answer, my friend, is at a high bitrate blowin' in the wind; the answer is just blowin' in the wind.
 
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