The 10 Rules of Street Photography

[Sejanus.Aelianus]

You must hang out with a lot of middle aged, suburban women.

I don't, but I can see your reasoning. 😀

 

[Rob-F]

Rule #6, prohibiting cliches, is consistent with the advice I recall from the USAF electronics instructor's manual (circa 1960 or so):

"Cliches are to be avoided like the plague."

 

[Jamie Pillers]

"Rules? I don' need no stinkin' rules!!"

Besides... Google glasses are going to lay waste to the genre anyhow.

 

[Ranchu]

Besides... Google glasses are going to lay waste to the genre anyhow.

What like, rubbernecking around waiting to get beat up and glasses broken? Glasses would be subsumed in 'the genre' not the other way around.

 

[nightfly]

In much the same way the Segway has revolutionized transportation.

"Rules? I don' need no stinkin' rules!!"

Besides... Google glasses are going to lay waste to the genre anyhow.

 

[Aristophanes]

Love it. Everyone knows the only way to do street photography is from a cafe chair. Leica, hand rolled tri-x, beret, and pictures of lattes and moleskines.

Lattes?

Something stronger, please.

 

[michaelwj]

Rule #6, prohibiting cliches, is consistent with the advice I recall from the USAF electronics instructor's manual (circa 1960 or so):

"Cliches are to be avoided like the plague."

I must say I love this cliches! However, I though cliches were used in electronics because they made the electronic bits work properly?

Michael

 

[Sejanus.Aelianus]

However, I though cliches were used in electronics because they made the electronic bits work properly?

You're thinking of glitches. The goodness of an electronic circuit is measured in G/S or glitches per second. The simplest way to get an approximate value is to hand the item to a non-technical user for testing and measure the intensity of his/her screams on a sound level meter.

:angel:

 

[daveleo]

Good article !
Rules are laughable. They make very boring pictures (photos and paintings).

 

[__jc]

re Rules

re Rules

"I didn’t write the rules — why should I follow them?"

W. Eugene Smith

 

[Sparrow]

Good article !
Rules are laughable. They make very boring pictures (photos and paintings).

Human perception follows a clearly defined course, and while you may not understand it formally looking at your photos you know it when you see it ... your italian photos are almost all based on classical proportions 🙂

 

[daveleo]

Human perception follows a clearly defined course, and while you may not understand it formally looking at your photos you know it when you see it ... your italian photos are almost all based on classical proportions 🙂

I am negative about my own work because (as much as I shoot my mouth off) my brain is stuck in the mud of following fairly classic geometry "rules". You are correct in that. I have been struggling for quite a long while to get out of the mud - I can't ! I personally am stuck in the "rules" !!

So, like a guy stuck in a swamp, I call back to the party, "Don't come this way !!"

 

[Sparrow]

I am negative about my own work because (as much as I shoot my mouth off) my brain is stuck in the mud of following fairly classic geometry "rules". You are correct in that. I have been struggling for quite a long while to get out of the mud - I can't ! I personally am stuck in the "rules" !!

So, like a guy stuck in a swamp, I call back to the party, "Don't come this way !!"

... try reading up on the Gestalt 'rules' of perception, you may be able to dilute the classics a bit ... that's my way 🙂

 

[GRN]

Funny rules to read about street photos....

I am in absolutely different opinion to Not use [ funny or ironic signs... I use funny signs....they belong to street photography..

The best street photos are generally shot with a fondly burnished Leica and wide-angle lens, preferably on hand-rolled Tri-X, while wearing a beret or fedora. ... I mostly agree 🙂) heheh 🙂) (though you can get abolutely great photos digital too)

 

[jsrockit]

I think it is funny that some are taking this seriously... 😉

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Seriously, any Flickr groups following close to those rules? 🙂

 

[Sparrow]

I think it is funny that some are taking this seriously... 😉

... well as you know many a true word is spoken in jest

 

[jsrockit]

... well as you know many a true word is spoken in jest

Point taken... true.

 

[Sejanus.Aelianus]

Point taken... true.

But also remember that a lot of false words are spoken seriously. 😉

 

[Sparrow]

But also remember that a lot of false words are spoken seriously. 😉

... let's not bring politics into it!