dyao
Well-known
Street photography has its share of cliches, just like every other genre
Is street shooting easy?
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Street photography has its share of cliches, just like every other genre
user237428934
User deletion pending
As long as there is no clear and ultimate definition of street photography every one passes nr. 1.
HuubL
hunter-gatherer
I would say it's very difficult. Check out Matt Stewart. He's one of the best, probably shoots more than a roll a day since many years, but the number pics he's famous of is still rather limited.
Spyro
Well-known
Debatable, but lets assume it is true. In this case one has to make his own definition (which is cool) and be able to articulate, defend it and use it as a framework. Otherwise one will end up with a random collection of photos with no bearing as to what is off topic, let alone what is good. IMHO this is the situation most people find themselves in and end up trying to copy "the masters". The masters however, with no exception, have always had craploads to say to describe their work and their driving force.
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Neare
Well-known
I have to disagree, as to many well known photographers there is no such thing as street photography. It is inherently something that cannot be defined because photography is an art medium. Photographing the street can be done in many different sort of ways, definitions are restrictions and would become a limiting factor.
It was never the photographer who defined the 'street' photograph, but the viewer. Therefore the definition should be irrelevant to the photographer themselves.
I also disagree with step 3 - it is not necessary to understand your own work in another's eyes. A single photograph can mean mean different things to many different people. Why it is a good/interesting photograph to the photographer is not a global understanding of that photo. So I believe this step to be irrelevant as well.
No. 2 however, I think is necessary.
Spyro
Well-known
Neare I think we can go round and round in an interminable loop about art that has no defitions as you say, but on the other hand it has "well known photographers" who have opinions (and trust me, plenty of definitions and restrictions) and happily destribute them. But I'll leave it at that, I think we posted at the same time and I have more or less said my opinion in the post above yours.
migtex
Don't eXchange Freedom!
like Simon said.. the major problem is that tiny part..... :bang:
aldobonnard
Well-known
No argument with what was said earlier in the thread.
Some other ideas:
Firstly feel relax, natural. If you are not, you will make others uncomfortable.
Engage with people. Let them know you, explain what you are doing. Become part of their familiar landscape.
They need to identify you as a harmless photographer; stealth street photography is quite uneasy, often too pervasive. Who would like any unknown guy pointing their camera in your face conspicuously? Often a simple smile and a natural attitude helps greatly. Express your feeling to them, like telling if you find the scene/them/the situation, interesting, beautiful, etc... I agree that the first pic, the one you would take without asking for permission, usually is the better 🙂 nevertheless, I believe courtesy prevails and you ought to talk when needed; it helps creating relationships and yourself feeling something else than a "spy".
You could listen to Martin Parr, he is the perfect example of natural for not hiding photographer (buy the Magnum DVD, for instance, it's great).
Hope that helps...
Some other ideas:
Firstly feel relax, natural. If you are not, you will make others uncomfortable.
Engage with people. Let them know you, explain what you are doing. Become part of their familiar landscape.
They need to identify you as a harmless photographer; stealth street photography is quite uneasy, often too pervasive. Who would like any unknown guy pointing their camera in your face conspicuously? Often a simple smile and a natural attitude helps greatly. Express your feeling to them, like telling if you find the scene/them/the situation, interesting, beautiful, etc... I agree that the first pic, the one you would take without asking for permission, usually is the better 🙂 nevertheless, I believe courtesy prevails and you ought to talk when needed; it helps creating relationships and yourself feeling something else than a "spy".
You could listen to Martin Parr, he is the perfect example of natural for not hiding photographer (buy the Magnum DVD, for instance, it's great).
Hope that helps...
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user237428934
User deletion pending
What I've seen from numerous videos of street photographers, this is NOT the way they do it. The only engagement with people I've seen is a smile afterwards when they were caught taking a photo.
thegman
Veteran
I think on one hand it's very easy, as you just need to go out to your local town and take pictures. You don't need to worry about light as you would with portraits/landscapes, nor about parallel lines etc. in architecture. You don't need to be very get-up-and-go, as it's just local streets, which you may have been going to anyway to do some shopping.
On the other hand, street shots are of a subject most of us see every day, and find perhaps inherently boring as they represent the humdrum of our lives. However, if you can make this mundane subject interesting, you're probably an outstanding photographer.
On the other hand, street shots are of a subject most of us see every day, and find perhaps inherently boring as they represent the humdrum of our lives. However, if you can make this mundane subject interesting, you're probably an outstanding photographer.
LeicaFan
Well-known
Just watching that made me nauseous. The way that, that guy was photographing people would not fly in Los Angeles. Go up to the wrong person and stick a camera right in their face and see what happens...
For me, street photography is all about capturing natural moments. To do this, a street photographer must be able to assess the situation, compose the subject, focus, shoot, and move along - all in a quick and discrete manner, that is, unless you want them to know that you're taking a picture of them. The way that the guy from the video was doing it was disrespectful, no question.
I like to think of myself as a ninja, sometimes. 😀
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Lilserenity
Well-known
I don't find it difficult, exciting yes, sometimes I can back off a bit but that's my instinct to know when is right and not (only failed me once last year when a gang of young lads were quite threatening, somehow got myself out of that.)
I'm just quite open with the way I work, I don't appear sneaky, I don't skulk off quickly after the shot, I hang around, I remain approachable so if someone does get ansty they can see I'm not shy of showing them who I am too, seems to work. Plus a good old natter and what nots you can soon build up a bit of the 'gift of the gab' and fit in.
For me yes, go a bit unnoticed to start with, get the natural shots sure, but I never leave quickly after.
And if you get caught, I tend to smile at the person and if I get the feeling it's necessaru go up to them and talk, I used to hand out cards with my contact details "Vicky Lamburn - Photographer, sometimes knows what's she's doing" which was a bit of an ice breaker 🙂
I might be there with an ultimate idea in my head but that's the fun of the street, it's the everyday stuff you don't go out hoping to get that gives you a kick when you get the negs/slides in my case.
Vicky
I'm just quite open with the way I work, I don't appear sneaky, I don't skulk off quickly after the shot, I hang around, I remain approachable so if someone does get ansty they can see I'm not shy of showing them who I am too, seems to work. Plus a good old natter and what nots you can soon build up a bit of the 'gift of the gab' and fit in.
For me yes, go a bit unnoticed to start with, get the natural shots sure, but I never leave quickly after.
And if you get caught, I tend to smile at the person and if I get the feeling it's necessaru go up to them and talk, I used to hand out cards with my contact details "Vicky Lamburn - Photographer, sometimes knows what's she's doing" which was a bit of an ice breaker 🙂
I might be there with an ultimate idea in my head but that's the fun of the street, it's the everyday stuff you don't go out hoping to get that gives you a kick when you get the negs/slides in my case.
Vicky
FrankS
Registered User
I'd like to add, that different techniques work best for different photographers and their personalities, and that different techniques work best for different situations/locations/subjects. So a photographer really has to find his/her own way. One can see how other photographers do things, but one has to adapt what others do to match ones own personality and shooting situations. What one photographer can get away with and be successful with in New York City, may not work in a small rural town, or in another culture. I guess that is obvious, but should be remembered.
damien.murphy
Damien
Mr. Damien Murphy,
here's a recently shot 'street' especially for you as a "Thank You" from my side for the wonderful time in Ireland around 1972.... ;-)
Seen in Cefalu, Sicily in the morning.
Lol, cowering from the rain no doubt! 🙂
GSNfan
Well-known
street photography is easy, dealing with boredom and monotony that eventually comes along with shooting the same places, and even the same city is extremely difficult to overcome. Not to forget the boredom with always going for same types of photos, same type of angles and same gimmicks. In case one were to imagine street photography as a book, it will get pretty boring if the chapters all have the same narrative arch and clinchers.
selloutboy
A.g. De Mesa
Street Photography: It is easy to go into. [You just need your camera, good shoes, and your favorite place.] The hard part is the mastery.
Spyro
Well-known
you need clothes too, otherwise you can become street photography material yourself.
jsrockit
Moderator
Huh? are you saying street photographers don't have to pay attention to light and composition? I can't agree with that... of course they pay attention to this, but have to do it in a split second instead of within minutes.
Bill58
Native Texan
I've never had any luck w/ street shooting unless I pre-focus and preset exposure. You just gotta shot too quick. That's why I like a 25 set on about 2 meters and f5.8. Then I'm good for one meter to infinity.
Juan Valdenebro
Truth is beauty
jsrockit is 100% right.
Even more: apart from dealing with light and composition, street shooting deals with telling a story: one that's just disappearing... So the story is a lot more important than "students' exercises" with geometry, symmetry, etc... There are thousands of images that play geometry and symmetry games and are totally irrelevant... If the photographer has the ability to mix a deep tale related to human life, with an interesting composition, then a HCB raises, but most of HCB's or Winogrand's or Frank's images don't care about "planned symmetry" or "planned geometry" or "planned composition" or things like those: HCB used the term geometry referring to a very delicate intuition, just an unexpected instant of yes after no, something vaguely smelt he used to say, that makes an image work as an ordered whole because of the fleeting relation between elements, but not because of axis or geometric plans and all that... In fact it's content what makes an image valid, and not the way forms are treated. I'm talking about street photography and not about other fields... The transition from pictorialism to new photography was accepted -historically- in the documented Steichen-Steiglitz story... The real value of photography as a new art or discipline or any name -it's the same- is it's free from other visual and plastic arts laws because basically we don't create but reflect: we're less free...
Cheers,
Juan
Even more: apart from dealing with light and composition, street shooting deals with telling a story: one that's just disappearing... So the story is a lot more important than "students' exercises" with geometry, symmetry, etc... There are thousands of images that play geometry and symmetry games and are totally irrelevant... If the photographer has the ability to mix a deep tale related to human life, with an interesting composition, then a HCB raises, but most of HCB's or Winogrand's or Frank's images don't care about "planned symmetry" or "planned geometry" or "planned composition" or things like those: HCB used the term geometry referring to a very delicate intuition, just an unexpected instant of yes after no, something vaguely smelt he used to say, that makes an image work as an ordered whole because of the fleeting relation between elements, but not because of axis or geometric plans and all that... In fact it's content what makes an image valid, and not the way forms are treated. I'm talking about street photography and not about other fields... The transition from pictorialism to new photography was accepted -historically- in the documented Steichen-Steiglitz story... The real value of photography as a new art or discipline or any name -it's the same- is it's free from other visual and plastic arts laws because basically we don't create but reflect: we're less free...
Cheers,
Juan
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