Street photography: thoughts + tips + analysis
As a street photographer I’ve become very conscious of “particulate matter” (PM) in the atmosphere of our major cities. You can call it “pollution” but PM refers specifically to the microscopic particles that float in the air — and which we breathe into our lungs unless we wear a mask. A few months ago Bangkok … Read more
As I’ve mentioned before in this blog, there are two basic strategies in street photography: namely, walking around in the classic manner of the “flaneur,” or else standing in one position to wait for passing trade. Oh sure, it can be a lot more complicated because there are so many factors to consider, whichever of … Read more
…or is it OK to add a lengthy caption to elucidate its meaning? I know this is a contentious issue among “purist photographers” who believe fervently that the image should stand alone, without any explanation at all. Their argument goes something like this: “What’s the point of taking a photo if you then need to … Read more
What constitutes a gang? I guess it’s a group of people with a leader and a common purpose. I see them in the streets quite frequently, but it’s not always possible, or wise, to photograph them when they’re heading towards the camera. Are gangs a good subject for street photography? Absolutely. They’re a great subject … Read more
In this second part of “Shooting from the hip” I’m going to attempt to give some tips and guidance, having covered the arguments for and against this practice in Part I. Dozens of articles on the Internet explain how to shoot from the hip and most are reasonably accurate. Alas, many are illustrated with examples … Read more
My featured image (above) is the kind of photo you can get in Bangkok merely by lingering in the street until late evening, when most people are having dinner. That why I’m going to claim it as a street photo, along with all the others you see here. In fact, my objective in forgoing dinner … Read more
A while back I went to London with the intention of taking some street shots, but rather than go to my usual haunts I decided to travel a little further on the Tube. The rush hour had just finished and the subway carriage was empty when I got in it. I studied my reflection in … Read more
If you can’t see a subject’s face, your picture becomes an illustration of the subject’s figure. I don’t know if that’s good or bad. I guess it depends on the subject — and her figure. Her figure? Sorry to mislead you. This post is not about taking sexy photos of people from behind. It’s about … Read more
Street photography is a much-maligned art form, but I think it’s cool. It’s certainly cool when it’s done well. Who could dispute the coolness of Daido Moriyama, Henri Cartier-Bresson and Vivian Maier? Yet even when it’s done badly there’s something… something… something… about it. The New Book I wrote “Street Photography Is Cool” (published March … Read more
As I walk around taking street photos I’m always struck by how ordinary and unthreatening are the places where bad things have happened. In London it’s probably better this way because the history of the city is so long that bad things have happened just about everywhere. Some years ago I dropped my son off … Read more