Street Photography - An Introduction For Non-photographers
By Henry Bateman, Sat Dec 10th
Street photography is an approach to photography rather than alocation, although the streets are the usual place it happens."When I saw the photograph of Munkacsi of the black kidsrunning in a wave I couldn't believe such a thing could becaught with the camera. I said damn it, I took my camera andwent out into the street." Henri Cartier-Bresson
Alternatively it is refered to as no rules photography. Theplethera of equipment (tripods, lenses, filters, lights etc etc)associated with "serious" photography is left at home, or betterstill in the camera store. Its just too heavy and bulky to cartaround, takes way too long to set up and by the time it is setup the moment is gone.
Street photography is shooting from the hip.
Likewise the rules of photograph, the f stops, the shutterspeeds, the rule of thirds etc etc are left in their dustjackets on Amazon shelves. By the time all the technicalconsiderations are taken into account, the birdy is in anothercountry.
Thank Canon, Nikon, Fuji et al for point & shoots.
It is just the camera and the photographer with theirenthusiasm, intuition and open mind.
Street photography can be and often is: Out of focus; a tiltedhorizon; a soft focus.
Street photographers are optimists, for them the glass is alwayshalf full. They go out on a photo shoot with no plan in mindsecure in the knowledge that this wide world of ours willprovide. A subject, a situation, a scene will present itself allthey have to have is the presence of mind to capture it when itdoes.
Street photography can be and often is: Odd things in the foreground; no central focus; Odd crops.
Street photographers see the usual, the every day with fresheyes. The reflection in a rain puddle, the colours in a crowd,the balance of a negative space. Their minds are open to all thestimuli that they see and they curse the days when they leavetheir camera at home.
Street photography can be and often is: Very busy; A tiltedperspective; Upside down.
Street photographers are not only on the streets, they are atweddings,school concerts, next to you on the train. They look alot like tourists, its their favourite cover, but they are onewithout the big flash. It was left at home, the available lightwill do.
Street photography can be and often is: Under exposed; Blurred;Suffering from vertigo.
Street photography is, what all photography is, a snap shot.What shines through is the photographer, his/her interpretationof the scene, what they see in the situation, their reaction tothe stimuli, the art they see in the every day. Technicians taketechnically correct and often pretty pictures. Visual artists,whatever their medium, create images that stimulate the mind,the heart and validate the human condition in all its guises.Because, after all, pretty is in the eye of the beholder andconsequently very subjective, whereas art speaks to all who areprepared to listen.
About the author:Henry Bateman is an artist/photographer who gets most of hisinspiration from the streets he wanders. Examples of his workcan be seen at http://www.pissedpoet.com and the above articlewith pictures can be seen athttp://www.pissedpoet.com/street_photo.html
Sony Alpha DSLR-A230 (with 18-55mm lens)The Sony Alpha DSLR-A230 is a solid entry-level dSLR that will surely have its fans, and it's a better deal than its slightly higher-end sibling, the A330.Nikon D5000 (with 18-55mm lens)Though it falls short in its design, the Nikon D5000 delivers a nice feature set, speedy performance, and great photo quality for the money.Canon EOS Rebel XSi (with 18-55mm lens, black)It doesn't stand out for its feature set or design, but the Canon EOS Rebel XSi delivers on performance and photo quality.Canon PowerShot SX210 IS (black)If you want a compact megazoom with manual controls and fine photo quality, the Canon PowerShot SX210 IS is a good place to start.Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX5VThe Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX5V has shooting options for solving common snapshot camera issues, but some users still won't be thrilled with the results.Canon EOS Rebel T1i (with 18-55mm IS lens)A solid, slightly better-than-basic dSLR, the Canon EOS Rebel T1i delivers photo quality and performance that adequately compensates for most of its annoyances.Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 (with 20mm lens)The best interchangeable-lens compact we've see thus far, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 delivers great photo quality and performance in an enthusiast-friendly shooting experience. Like competitors, however, the lack of an optical viewfinder limits its usability for photographing action.Canon PowerShot S90As long as you're not expecting dSLR speed in a tiny body, the Canon PowerShot S90 is an excellent compact camera for advanced amateurs.Canon Powershot SD4000 IS (black)A bright, wide-angle lens and a high-sensitivity sensor add up to very good low-light photos and fast performance for the Canon PowerShot SD4000 IS.Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1 (silver)A full-featured waterproof/shockproof pocket point-and-shoot, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1 is a near-perfect rugged camera for everyday use.
Here are some more cameras articles...
