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
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