'Street Photography'

I kind of feel the same way...I'm not sure if just trolling the sidewalks, shooting weird **** along the way, is really of interest to me personally...although I've done it enough myself!

I think for many photography enthusiasts, it's just very accessible. And like Winogrand proved, you do it enough, you're bound to get something interesting. I'm just not that patient...I prefer to MAKE a picture, not just take a thousand and hope.
 
jsrockit said:
I think this will happen for our time period too... once it has been forgotten and unearthed again. :)
Click to expand...

Yes I hope so.

And don't get me wrong - I do think there is a lot of good photography around - I'm sure more than ever before. Even if it is covered in a layer of bad editing :)
 
Groundhog Day at RFF.

When I was younger, there wasn't any such thing as 'street photography'. There were candids, and there was 'documentary photography'. There was even a whole school of New Colour Documentarists.

I photograph what I see that looks interesting to me. Some of that's on 'the street'. Because that's where I mostly am when I can use my camera.

But I'm not a 'Street Photographer'.
 
Groundhog Day at RFF.

When I was younger, there wasn't any such thing as 'street photography'. There were candids, and there was 'documentary photography'. There was even a whole school of New Colour Documentarists.

I photograph what I see that looks interesting to me. Some of that's on 'the street'. Because that's where I mostly am when I can use my camera.

But I'm not a 'Street Photographer'.
Click to expand...

Agreed, to all of that. Saved me a lot of prodding on the iPad. :D
 
sjgslack said:
Ok - here goes...
Do we really need endless pictures of surprised people, or tramps, or funny looking people all taken at strange angles on the streets of our cities?
Click to expand...

Surely not, as we don't need most things that surround us every day or most (if not all) things we do in our free time. But street photography is far more than you mention above. It is documentary photography in urban settings. Most of the times we document boring and insignificant moments, but that one lucky time you hit the right place at the right time, you get away with a shot that tells a story. A sweet, a tragic or a funny one. But needed? Not really.

PS: I was about to post a shot with a story, but refrained.
 
"Lets hope that categories will be less rigid in the future; there has been too much of placing photography in little niches-commercial. pictorial, documentary, and creative( a dismal term). Definitions of this kind are inessential and stupid; good photography remains good photography no matter what we name it. I would like to think of it as just “photography” ; of each and every photograph containing the best qualities in proper degree to achieve its purpose. We have been slaves to categories, and each has served as a kind of concentration camp for the spirit.”-Ansel Adams

Instead of getting less rigid things seem to have only gotten more rigid, unfortunately.

Heres a great piece by Winogrand.
about 46 seconds into the piece gets to the point.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RM9KcYEYXs
 
Rodchenko said:
Groundhog Day at RFF.

When I was younger, there wasn't any such thing as 'street photography'. There were candids, and there was 'documentary photography'. There was even a whole school of New Colour Documentarists.

I photograph what I see that looks interesting to me. Some of that's on 'the street'. Because that's where I mostly am when I can use my camera.

But I'm not a 'Street Photographer'.
Click to expand...

I think this is it; we just love to give ourselves names, titles and labels that separate (or at times the reverse) us from the masses.

Andrea Taursano said:
PS: I was about to post a shot with a story, but refrained.
Click to expand...

Good move, its good to have a discussion thread that isn't peppered with a poster's examples, at least from time to time ;)....and yes, I've been guilty many many times :)

sjgslack said:
Simon - having glanced at the link in your signature, your 'street' section is full of fantastically strong compositions. I particularly like the two umbrellas!
Click to expand...
Thanks very much!
 
airfrogusmc said:
Heres a great piece by Winogrand.
about 46 seconds into the piece gets to the point.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RM9KcYEYXs
Click to expand...

I'm always intrigued when watching these photographers being filmed whilst photographing on the streets quite how much affect the film crew (no matter how small) has on their actions and interactions. With this Winogrand piece he blusters around with his camera as if re-adjusting or trying to work out whats wrong and I wonder if this is something he does when he's noticed by someone ( to appear non-threatening or 'amateur-ish' or if this is something he's only doing due to the fact that he can't help but be noticed because he has someone filming him.
 
OurManInTangier said:
I wonder if this is something he does when he's noticed by someone ( to appear non-threatening or 'amateur-ish' or if this is something he's only doing due to the fact that he can't help but be noticed because he has someone filming him.
Click to expand...

In this instance, it appears to be a nervous twitch of some sort.
 
daveleo said:
IMO this is the critical item. . . . . shoot shoot shoot shoot upload upload upload upload . . . repeat until someone stops you !

Not so much lack of GOOD editing, but lack of ANY editing.

(yikes, am I back in the dogfight?)
Click to expand...

Yikes, is that you Winogrand? Back from the grave?

HFL
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom