Street: a theory and practice of curiosity

[fotographz]

Hello everyone hoping this finds all of you well, "vertical", and curious. I enjoyed reading the comments and do believe in the right to speak freely...no one knows better than you what YOU like. That being said, just because we may not find something particularly wonderful does not mean it is not good. "Street Photography" to me 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.

So now I have a question and a task:

What makes a Street Photograph good to you? (theory)

Will you post to this thread a Street Photograph you've taken? (practice)

Let's find the definitions "in the doing" (practice)

cheers
Frank

 

[johannielscom]

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!

 

[fireblade]

Hi Frank,
Street for me carries a story within, an emotion, a mood, doesn't have to have a human element....and that is what makes it hard.
Street is something i have not devoted time to, even though you do snap a few here and there.
I'll see what i got in the file cabinet. 🙂

 

[Richard G]

Welcome to RFF. I don't think it's usually this fiery (the other thread)..In fact I find it very erudite, even literary, and very knowledgeable. I hope you enjoy it and I look forward to seeing more of your photographs. I really liked some of that first crop.

I see street as lots of things. Shapes and Theatre are the two categories I often think of. And something extra is often less obvious.

This one has a first look appeal.

What is not in the frame is also important. The parents asked them to wait here? And they did? And there's no recreational hand-held device between the three of them! But I won't take another photo like this in a year and I am not looking for this type of shot at all. So I am looking for everything, and nothing.

 

[robert blu]

I'm not so much into street photography, maybe this is an opportunity to give it a try. I think about it as daily a slice of life in a theater which basically is the "street" we all walk down in our life. Human presence and human activity are the "engine" of the emotions a street photo should give us.
robert

 

[JChrome]

I like to think that my perception of street photography is different than others. Maybe because its very personal. I feel this intention in my photography that leads me to a meditation. But in the end, many probably share in my sentiments/interests just as people share in the joy of ice cream.

There are many different kinds of street photography that I enjoy. Some with lots of architecture, some focused solely on people.

I think what keeps me going is the layers. There should be many layers to a photo and there should be something unique and interesting in each layer.

 

[Sparrow]

... I think they should have a bit of humour about them ... oh! and you have to be close enough to be noticed and involved ... and be focused, exposed and above all composed properly


25 0094 par Sparrow ... Stewart Mcbride, on ipernity


28 0261 2 par Sparrow ... Stewart Mcbride, on ipernity


Scan-110430-0005 3 par Sparrow ... Stewart Mcbride, on ipernity


--- 0021 par Sparrow ... Stewart Mcbride, on ipernity


--- 0042 par Sparrow ... Stewart Mcbride, on ipernity

 

[Daniel Teoli Jr.]

Hello everyone hoping this finds all of you well, "vertical", and curious. I enjoyed reading the comments and do believe in the right to speak freely...no one knows better than you what YOU like. That being said, just because we may not find something particularly wonderful does not mean it is not good. "Street Photography" to me 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.

So now I have a question and a task:

What makes a Street Photograph good to you? (theory)

Will you post to this thread a Street Photograph you've taken? (practice)

Let's find the definitions "in the doing" (practice)

cheers
Frank

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 Teoli Jr.]

... I think they should have a bit of humour about them ... oh! and you have to be close enough to be noticed and involved ... and be focused, exposed and above all composed properly


--- 0042 par Sparrow ... Stewart Mcbride, on ipernity

Fantastic!

 

[edge100]

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 absolutely agree with this.


Steamy by Michael Fraser Photography, on Flickr


Into the Void by Michael Fraser Photography, on Flickr

This is precisely the type of street photography that appeals to me, and that I I'm drawn to when shooting street.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Universality, or in another way, familiarity: the feeling that "I've seen that!" and that I wished I'd shot it.

Note that wishing you could have taken a picture is not the same as being able to take it...

Cheers,

R.

 

[Sparrow]

"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."

... interesting idea

... but on balance I think prefer interaction

 

[Sparrow]

... and what about colour?

... is colour allowed?

 

[Sparrow]

... and other photographers? ... is it cheating? ... cos they can hardly kick-off at having their picture taken can they, so it takes a lot of the pressure off

... that last one was a self confessed 'street-tog' iirc ... huge fast zoom on a nikon DSLR, and a hard-core street rep I seem to recall

 

[MCTuomey]

What makes a Street Photograph good to you? (theory)

Will you post to this thread a Street Photograph you've taken? (practice)

Let's find the definitions "in the doing" (practice)

Frank, welcome and thanks for taking this workload on your shoulders. Hope it doesn't displace your camera bag too much.

#1 - I really can't articulate it. I know it when I see a good one, though.

#2 - Linked below

#3 - "in the doing" - well i flat out need to shoot more street, and will do so. But I do like other subject matter - good god everything's compelling - and shoot other things and formats.

Nice shots, everyone. A few of mine, all shot locally (Detroit):


L9990455_edited-1-w by Mike Tuomey, on Flickr


20090801-005_edited-1-w by Mike Tuomey, on Flickr


20101024-043_edited-1-w-copy by Mike Tuomey, on Flickr

 

[Michael Markey]

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... that last one was a self confessed 'street-tog' iirc ... huge fast zoom on a nikon DSLR, and a hard-core street rep I seem to recall

... 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/

 

[Rick Waldroup]

The first things I look for in a good street photo is composition and light. I also believe that the elements of surprise, humor, and compassion play a large role in the street photography that I admire and in the stuff I shoot. And sometimes I am not even sure I know exactly what street photography is. I like shooting busy, haphazard, messy shots of everyday life and I also enjoy isolating one or two people in large urban settings. It basically comes down to simply finding the right subject, setting, and lighting for a scene to interest me enough to take a photo of it.

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

So now I have a question and a task:

What makes a Street Photograph good to you? (theory)

Will you post to this thread a Street Photograph you've taken? (practice)

Let's find the definitions "in the doing" (practice)

Hello Frank -- well, I could go into a long rant into what makes a "Street Photograph"™ good to me, but it's one of those things that is easier done than said, and even then it's hard to get it done once it's said. I prefer a range of examples, but I also don't like photo-dumping in threads.

I'll post a few that I've taken, but they're hardly close to what I'd consider my "best" at promoting what I think is "good":











These tend to fall into one of the many "street" clichés of motion motion motion. I'd like to find one of mine which breaks the cliché rule, but I'm lazy at this moment to go seek and find... 😱

I'll try to "practice" a bit more, although for the past few years that has been a luxury I just cannot indulge in; soon, I hope.

Cheers

 

[tunalegs]

The one thing all good photographs have in common is that they're interesting.

What is interesting though is subjective, but my thoughts personally as regard street photography is - the photo should show me something I wouldn't see every day walking down any street in my city. So much street photography which is just people standing around streets downtown and is not the least bit interesting. This thread is already crowded by such photos, which readily demonstrates why they're not interesting.

Amongst them there are a few that are relatively interesting for providing a scene I wouldn't see at any given daylight hour on a street in my own city. Those are the ones I enjoy looking at.

 

[Iestrada]

I have also not formulated a opinion on what makes a good street photography. But I definately know when I see one.