Street: a theory and practice of curiosity

[fotographz]

... and what about colour?

... is colour allowed?

....absolutely!
I learned to understand and shoot correct color (film) because of my black and white experience.

 

[Iestrada]

Ok. So I managed to post one. Looks like I can only do one at a time. 😡

 

[MCTuomey]

Gabriel, that last one struck me as very Sander-like, meaning that as high praise of course.

 

[gb hill]

Hello Frank & welcome. I love looking at photography but really don't know how to explain in technical words what a good street photograph is. I like most all photographs I see. I love people. When I look at a street photograph I get to look at what the photographer saw. I get to share in what interested the photographers thoughts in why they took the photo to begin with. I get to take in the surroundings that the photographer is in the moment he/she trips the shutter. I know I'd make a poor critic.

As for my photography? Well it's a work in learning but one I do enjoy. This photo here goes way back to my 1st RF camera & one of the 1st street photos I took. BTW I like your definition of what street photography is to you. I can relate. It's not about life in a big city, but life surrounding you no matter where you are at.

 

[fotographz]

Hi Frank,

Welcome to the forum and thanks for putting up with us, can't believe you volunteered! 😀

Totally subjective, what makes a street photograph good to me is open space and spatially isolated subjects.
I find I'm more interested in a single subjects relation to urban space than I am in subjects relation to each other, or in catching 'interesting' scenes or moments.

I'll post a picture to this comment in an hour or so, when I get home!

Johann the titles of the two photographs are:

theory (man flying on bike)
practice (man and bike falling)

These where taken on KNSM Island outside of Amsterdam.

cheers

 

[kxl]

... was always going someplace to photograph an environment that was not inside my front door and that has not changed. Traveling is how I feed my curiosity and if I can't take a long far away trip, a small journey around town has rewarded me with some great photographic moments.

Hi Frank - welcome to RFF. Most of the above resonates with me, although "around town" for me means a contrived excuse to fight the traffic to get away from suburbia.

So travel is also how I feed my curiosity. My actual practice is constrained by my limited mobility, so my approach is similar to wildlife photographers -- I perch at a selected spot, become part of the environment and capture whatever looks interesting. Then after 20-30 minutes, move on to another location.

I think great street photography provides context and a sense of 'place.' I don't always achieve what I want, but I keep trying. Here's an example of my street capture:

 

[fotographz]

Those are nice!

Are the critics getting you down? Sounds like it with the apologetic tone you take. If so, ignore the critics and shoot what you love.

To me a great street photo is something I want to see again and again. Cartier-Bresson sums it up best.

"Yes...Yes...Yes...photography is like that and there's no maybes. All the maybes go to the trash. There is a tremendous enjoyment in saying yes, even if it is for something you hate. It is an affirmation...Yes!"

Goggle my name, have too many pix to post here. Personally I love a wide range of street and doc work. (I'm not much for studio work and staged photos.)

Here are a few photos from other photogs I like...

http://blogsearchtest.tumblr.com/

Daniel

There was a point in my life where I found myself overlyconcerned with what people thought...my skin is now a bit thicker. (alligator, crocodile...rhino)

I will take a look.
cheers

 

[kbg32]

Hello Frank. Welcome to RFF.

Theory - Find what works for you. Trial and error. Make mistakes. Look at art, other photographers, read, go to the movies, travel… Live life by working at job, falling in love, being hurt by love, making and losing friends. Be inspired by what is inside of you, who you are, and how you feel about your place in the world.

Public Library, W. 145th Street by keithbgoldstein, on Flickr

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Mr. Mentor, Sir Jackson.

You put it exactly right for me. I think something is good if I like it. Sometimes I don't like something because I don't understand this "something" and now I think it is wrong to criticize something I don't understand.

If I go out from our current home, it has street at the front and naturalized area at the back.
More on the east side I go more urban it gets (more street photography), west I go it is more outdoor, nature photography.

Recently, I started to pay attention for light as one of the major factors in good street photography. Which is important factor for any type of photography anyway. 🙂

Thank you,
Ko.

 

[Sparrow]

... and has been beaten up more than once I recall. He specialises in covering far right rallies and after club/pub turn outs so its hardly surprising.

His photostream https://www.flickr.com/photos/pixel-eight/

... I recall thinking at the time that I'd grown out of that sort of thing

 

[Sparrow]

Johann the titles of the two photographs are:

theory (man flying on bike)
practice (man and bike falling)

These where taken on KNSM Island outside of Amsterdam.

cheers

... that must have hurt when he hit the street

 

[johannielscom]

Johann the titles of the two photographs are:

theory (man flying on bike)
practice (man and bike falling)

These where taken on KNSM Island outside of Amsterdam.

cheers

Hi Frank,

thought I saw something familiar-looking there!

Drop me a line next time you're in Amsterdam 🙂

 

[johannielscom]

From looking at the images posted here I can already see that this 'what makes a street photograph good' is quite an interesting topic, since the images all are so different.

When it comes to color: I like using some films as much as I like B&W for street photographs. The below one is cheap Kodacolor 200 and I like it for it's old look.

But my main m.o. for the 'classical' approach to street photography always is open spaces and the relation of the subject to that. Digital, that's a whole other cup of tea actually...

 

[fotographz]

... that must have hurt when he hit the street

These guys where drinking beers and taking turns riding bikes off a ramp into the water so no ouch just a splash.

cheers

 

[fotographz]

Hi Frank,

thought I saw something familiar-looking there!

Drop me a line next time you're in Amsterdam 🙂

I will do that. cheers

 

[Darthfeeble]

A story. An emotion, that would include "mood" I think. I don't think that a street, per se is necessary but the inclusion of human interaction seems to be more important to me.

My humble attempts

 

[Richard G]

Darthfeeble I remember that first one of yours: stupendous.

 

[Harry S.]

Heres something from 2009.

I like the image enough but its only just street...not enough going on or curious about it to be a real street photo. Its a bit one-dimensional I think.

 

[lynnb]

Hi Frank and welcome to the forum. Thanks for volunteering your time, experience and knowledge!

Street photography comes in many flavours depending on the photographer's interests and approach, so what's good to one may be unremarkable to another.

Good street photography to me has more in common with Shakespeare than anything else - I like looking at street photos that resonate with the human condition, with emotion and passion, drama, happiness, humour, love, tenderness, loneliness, quiet reflection… you get the picture (and hopefully, take it 🙂)

The drama can also come from lighting and mood as much as in what the people are actually doing, like a well-lit theatre set can be full of drama even if the actors have yet to walk on stage.

Good street photography can also include social comment that is timely and relevant, and if it then withstands the test of time it might be called great street photography. Social comment is often most biting and effective if it contains humour.

When I am out trying to make street photos I am looking for Shakespeare's storytelling on the human condition, and humour. And dogs (thank you, Mr Erwitt). Pictures that people will connect with on an emotional level.

kind regards,
Lynn

Some of my attempts (apologies that editing is not my strong point)

pathos AND dogs!

loneliness/isolation

wonderment

love

the fortitude of growing old

drama

tension

gossip

Social/political comment

humour

Like a theatre set (and it was raining cats and dogs)

fleeting moments of colour magic

 

[fotographz]

Please keep posting images to this thread, if you have more than 6 or 7 post half now and the rest in another day.

cheers