Luminous Landscape Forum
The Art of Photography => The Coffee Corner => Topic started by: RSL on December 04, 2015, 12:16:17 pm
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LuLa just published my article. You can see it on the main page.
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Great, Russ!
And the opening photograph is absolutely your best ever (not the one on the LuLa home page, the first one in the article - imho, of course). Quite a nice selection of all other photographs, and I have not seen many of them before. My second favorite would be the bearded gentleman in a cafe.
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Excellent!!! Great job...
Peter
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This is the best essay on Street Photography that I have come across. Nice to see it here, Russ!
I am familiar with the work of all the greats you mention near the beginning, but I don't know Bruce Gilden, and from your description, I'm not sure I want to. He sounds a little like Weegee. Weegee disd a lot of interesting stuff, but I wouldn't call any of it "Street," since he injected too much of himself into every image.
I second what Slobodan (who should always be listened too ;) ) said about your choice of illustrations, too. Really first rate.
My own attempts at street have always ended up as bloopers. Having the patience and developing the instinct for the timing is damned hard work!
Thanks for writing this, Russ.
Best,
Eric
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Russ,
Just found the article a few minutes ago, and I have to say that it's bloody good! I think your images are only matched by your writing, and it's quite ironic that, just today, I remarked in a post that I wished more contributors would write a little more beyond the mere mechanics of photography: who says prayers don't get rapid answers?
But, and as always, there is that pesky, unavoidable but: how does anyone top that article?
;-(
Rob C
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Hi Russ,
Very nice and clever analysis of a very difficult concept to apprehend. I tend to agree with almost everything you say, but for your comment on the lack of depth in the content on some of HCB pictures in Russia. I am wondering to which photos you are referring here.
Besides, to me, street photography can involve humour, surrealism, poetry (Doisneau!), drama and/or many other things. In fact, it's a pretty big bag. As in other art, I would say that a good street photo is a one that trigger some sort of affect or cultural or whatever resonance in the viewer.
Once again, congratulation for your nice paper
Francis
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Hi Francis,
As you probably saw in the article I make a distinction between photojournalism and street photography. HCB started out doing straight street, but once he listened to Capa, who told him to advertise himself as a photojournalist, not a surrealist, he began to mix his street photography with photojournalism. Many of the pictures in The People of Moscow were photojournalism -- at its best. But as I said in the article, often the central picture in a photojournalistic spread can qualify as street photography because it's intended as a grabber, and to do that it contains ambiguity to make you wonder what's going on. In The People of Moscow Henri mixed street with straight reportage.
Many people disagree with me about the importance of ambiguity in street photography. That's okay. They can disagree, and I'll disagree right back. Simple pictures of people on a street are not street photography. There has to be something more. And in the best street, "more" almost always is ambiguity.
And thanks to you and everyone else for the kudos and good wishes.
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Russ - I rarely agree with your comments in the forums but this piece is insightful, quite balanced and well written. Well done!
Chuck
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Great article and photos Russ, I enjoyed it
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A very good article, thank you very much Russ.
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I would like to add to the applause. Well written and most importantly to the point without any waffle that I see in some of my books on the subject. Eric Kim - an American street photographer - stated that shooting street is shooting humanity. I think that is a reasonable description?
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I am familiar with the work of all the greats you mention near the beginning, but I don't know Bruce Gilden, and from your description, I'm not sure I want to. He sounds a little like Weegee. Weegee disd a lot of interesting stuff, but I wouldn't call any of it "Street," since he injected too much of himself into every image.
Eric, to see why I'm not a fan of Bruce's technique, go here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nc1RrQXidlY
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Eric, to see why I'm not a fan of Bruce's technique, go here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nc1RrQXidlY
I watched it. In that video his bet shots were like caricatures, fairly offensive with no redeeming interest.
Thanks, Russ. I've now seen enough of Gilden. :(
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I watched it. In that video his bet shots were like caricatures, fairly offensive with no redeeming interest.
Thanks, Russ. I've now seen enough of Gilden. :(
But Magnum holds him dear... you gotta wonder, sometimes, what it's all about. A 'society' beyond its sell-by date?
Rob C
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But Magnum holds him dear... you gotta wonder, sometimes, what it's all about. A 'society' beyond its sell-by date?
Rob C
Sounds about right to me.
I can remember when Magnum was considered very respectable. Must have been back when the coal and ice vendors delivered their wares via horse-drawn wagon.
Eric
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Russ, thank you for your thoughtful article.
I'm strictly an amateur as well. I started dipping my toe into street photography about a year ago. I was getting bored with landscape photography and I'd recently purchased a Fuji X-T1 which doesn't scream digital camera like my DSLR does.
Street is not as easy as some may think. There's more to it than sticking a wide angle lens in someone's face. In fact, that kind of street photography doesn't appeal to me at all. Instead I'm drawn to locations where light and shadows play on an interesting background of shops or festivals and wait for people to enter. I also prefer small, older towns and their historic centers to modern urban centers.
Thanks again for your article.
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Russ, I've just been looking through 1968 on your site : enjoyed it very much, thanks :-)
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Russ,
That was a splendid article, the best on LuLa in a long time. Before I started reading it, I did a Cmd-F for "vision" and it drew a blank. Thank you for that alone.
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Photo essays in black and white
www.efn.org/~hkrieger
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Hi Russ,
Excellent article. I could not go to either of the sites in your signature block (also mentioned in your article). Both come back "403 forbidden"
Philippe.
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... I could not go to either of the sites in your signature block (also mentioned in your article). Both come back "403 forbidden"
Works fine on my side.
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Really enjoyed reading that, what an excellent piece, or as you'd put it yourself I imagine: a truly good grab Russ !
Best Regards, Sander
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Works fine on my side.
That was a Non Sequitur which solves absolutely nothing.
Subsequent to my initial post I went on Apple Support Community and got this:
"Sometimes the problem is caused by a web server that is configured to request an optional client certificate. Safari treats the request as mandatory. In that case, other browsers such as Firefox and Chrome may be able to connect to the site, because they ignore the request."
Thanks for the assist folks.
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That was a Non Sequitur which solves absolutely nothing.
Why?
It simply points out that some (most?) people can open both of Russ' sites, and some can not. In other words, the problem doesn't seem to be with Russ' sites. Given that I am not a techie, maybe I am missing something?
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...myself included, always was able to get to Russ' sites, but for some reason they are denied me...(think he may have placed me on his "do not send" list 8))
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...myself included, always was able to get to Russ' sites, but for some reason they are denied me...(think he may have placed me on his "do not send" list 8))
It's just Miami vice; a hiccup.
Rob C
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Miami vice...(quote Rob...)
You'll notice the shades were donned before I posted...
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Miami vice...(quote Rob...)
You'll notice the shades were donned before I posted...
Won't help in Florida: it's the humidity is the killer. Only time my wife ever fainted was in Key West. Same as Singapore, where the humidity hit our model who passed out and fell off a small rock. But fortunately I was quick as hell and saved the shoot - and the model too. One good reason for pro insurance.
Rob C
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Hi Russ!
Sorry I am late to the party! I too, enjoyed your article. Thank you!
I am constantly in awe of being a member of this amazing site and that I am able to interact with the caliber people who are fellow members/friends.
There are a number of people whose opinions I really value, and, none more than yours Russ! It is 100% your influence and arguments that now cause me, not only to include "the hand of man" in my landscapes - but to embrace it!
Thank you.
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Hi all,
Thanks for the kudos and kind words. I'd have said that sooner, but about the time the article was published I got hit by a pinched nerve, evidently under a herniated spinal disk, damaged long ago (I think) by an F-84 ejection-seat demo, but only now clobbering me. I still can't sit for long, and I can't walk without a walker. But things are improving, and I now can use my laptop (in a very weird, contorted position) to see what's going on in LuLa land, and, maybe participate a bit. Missed you guys. 8)
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Welcome back, Russ. Yes, we have missed you.
I do hope your health improves both rapidly and completely!
-Eric
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Russ, I'd like to join others and thank you for the great article, which I enjoyed so much. Wonderful photographs, too.
Speaking of street photography, one of my favorite shots is the attached one, by Mel DiGiacomo -- a slightly cropped frame of this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHRoOMZjoE0) at 3:30... He accompanied the image with Laurence Olivier quote: "There are 50 million actors in Italy, and the worst ones are on the stage".
I believe this shot fits the definition of street photography from your article very well.
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But things are improving, and I now can use my laptop (in a very weird, contorted position) to see what's going on in LuLa land, and, maybe participate a bit. Missed you guys. 8)
Yay!
You know, this place isn't the same without you. There are a few people who were here a decade ago, that I will be very sad to see go, and you're one of them. Thanks for your continued contributions.
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You might enjoy this:
https://www.google.es/search?q=leon+levinstein&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=ACf-U4fOHYGn0QWsyoCABA&sqi=2&ved=0CCAQsAQ&biw=1249&bih=886#facrc=_&imgrc=ncVDNODRKsYV5M%3A
Rob C
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Yay!
You know, this place isn't the same without you. There are a few people who were here a decade ago, that I will be very sad to see go, and you're one of them. Thanks for your continued contributions.
Thanks Jan, After three epidurals I'm now able to walk pretty well. I've been walking about a mile every day along our river and streets. Of course I'm carrying a camera, but so far there's not much to shoot other than the kind of thing I've posted here. I hope to be able to get over to St. Augustine before too long and do some street shooting.