"Photographs that stir us emotionally, that make us think about humanity, society around us, the people we interact on a daily basis, the small beauties of life that we pass up for granted, others who are suffering, and the hopes and dreams of everyday individuals."
Just gonna write a bit about street photography because been reading about it recently, and it's one of my favourite forms of photography.
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| From Vivid Sydney, 2013. |
First, a little background knowledge:
"Street photography is an art photography that features the human condition within public places and does not necessitate the presence of a street or even the urban environment. The subject of the photograph might be absent of people and can be object or environment where the image projects a decidedly human character in facsimile or aesthetic."
"The origin of the term 'Street' refers to a time rather than a place, a time when women achieved greater freedom, when workers were rewarded with leisure time and when society left the privacy of their sitting rooms, people engaged with each other and their surroundings more publicly and therein the opportunity for the photographer."
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| Aquarium, 2014. |
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| Hyde Park, 2014. |
There's something I really enjoy about capturing the moment. Taking a photo of the very nature of humanity, and the way that we all are.
A lot of the time, we're presented with images that are planned. And not that I have a problem with that (I really like photoshoots and portraits, too! Definitely another favourite of mine) -- it's just that sometimes it's refreshing to have photos that really encapsulate the natural order of things.
How people are, and their environment. I.e., human condition.
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| Darling Harbour, 2014. |
"Framing and timing are key aspects of the craft, with the aim of creating images at a decisive or poignant moment."
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| Christmas, 2013. Suburban streets. |
It's also a really challenging photography type, I find.
You really only get one shot, and you've got to deal with framing, composition, focus, contrast, and on top of that the usual things (aperture, shutter speed, ISO).
“There is a creative fraction of a second when you are taking a picture. Your eye must see a composition or an expression that life itself offers you, and you must know with intuition when to click the camera. That is the moment the photographer is creative. Oop! The Moment! Once you miss it, it is gone forever.”
- Henri Cartier-Bresson
You've got to just jump into the environment yourself and really put yourself out there, and it's a nice challenge. I don't think I'm great at it, but I think it's a good thing to put yourself in situations that you're not familiar with. That way you get to immerse yourself into the public space around you and really experience it, even if you're experiencing it through a camera viewfinder.
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| Vivid Sydney, 2013. |
One of my favourite parts of street photography is noticing the delicate things around you.
Often when I'm in the city, or walking around, I don't focus on the small details. People around me are just faceless individuals, but when I'm taking street photography I feel like I really pay attention to others and start to see a bit of their own stories.
“To me, photography is an art of observation. It’s about finding something interesting in an ordinary place… I’ve found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.”
– Elliott Erwitt
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| 2013, city. |
You see the wonder, expressions, actions and faces of the people around you, and even if you don't ever see them again or know their name, you part ways with a bit of familiarity with them, and I think that's nice.
"Street photographers create fine art photography (including street portraits) by capturing people in public places, often with a focus on emotions displayed by people in public, as in public display of affection between lovers or a parent caring for his or her children, thereby also recording people's history from an emotional point of view."
And you're reminded that the world is filled with a lot of different people. Each who do their own things, have their own attitudes, families, friends, perspectives, etc.
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| 2013, city. |
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| Aquarium, 2014. |
Really trying to relay the entire atmosphere of the 'natural moment' is something that I personally think is really nice. It takes you back to that very moment.
I think a really important component of street photography is getting into the atmosphere yourself. The photographer isn't isolated from the subject or the environment -- they are a part of it, and they are capturing that moment. That says something.
“If your photos aren’t good enough, then you’re not close enough”
- Robert Capa
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| City, 2014. |
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| Vivid, 2013. |
I suppose the photos just seem so natural and easy to imagine -- the people seem so familiar to us, because the entire purpose is to capture humanity in its own human condition.
“I love the people I photograph. I mean, they’re my friends. I’ve never met most of them or I don’t know them at all, yet through my images I live with them.”
– Bruce Gilden
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| Hyde Park, 2013. |
I also read a bit about legal issues LOL
"Several legal cases in the United States and other countries have established that taking, publishing and selling street photography (including street portraits) is legal without any need for the consent of those whose image appears in the photos, because photography is protected as free speech and artistic expression by the First Amendment in the US and the Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights in the European Union."
"While individuals may complain of privacy or civil inattention violations when they become the subject of candid photography, the work of photographers cannot be done in any other way and if candid photography were restricted then society and the future generations would lose works of art, educational images, newsworthy images, and images of people's history."
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| Hyde Park, 2013. |
At the end of the day, street photography is one of the things I really enjoy doing.
It let's you be creative, let's you capture humanity and the world, and let's you take in the surroundings.
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| Vivid, 2013. |
“Seeing is not enough; you have to feel what you photograph”
– Andre Kertesz
And that's the end of my gush about street photography.
Side note: I think I've basically, officially, ditched my other photography blog. I think it's just better to post everything here.
Perhaps will have another photography gush one day in the future. Perhaps about portrait photography, or the logistics of my view on various other perspectives, but no guarantees.
I'm sorry if this post was painful, but I really wanted to write all of this down somewhere, and this is my blog, not yours.
don't tell me how to run my blog.
HAHAHA
Enjoy your long weekend, everyone! (͡◎ u ͡◎)
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