Luminous Landscape Forum
The Art of Photography => Street Showcase => Topic started by: RSL on June 16, 2022, 10:15:43 am
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Ambiguity reigns
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Those are both excellent. (No surprise.)
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Window
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That one is VERY cool!
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Window
Excellent. Demands that the viewer take a long look.
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Waiting for Mom
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Waiting for Mom
Another excellent one.
Mom's are so thoughtless, especially when the start shopping!
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Great set of street. Thanks for (re-)posting them.
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San Francisco Street Vendor
This was in the late sixties, hippie days. Note the VW bug in the background. At least in those days you could walk the streets without getting shot.
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Guard Dog
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Guard Dog
The little doggy doesn't like photographers ;D
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St. George Street at Night
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Interesting contrast between those "pirates" and the woman on the right…
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Shine
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That's a fine collection, Russ.
Have you considered a book?
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Thanks, Eric. There's at least thirty more to come. I'm 92 now and it's just too much hassle to think about a book.But I appreciate your suggestion.
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Couture
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"Couture" is so good. Certainly the decisive moment for her expression !
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Definitely a winner!
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Lunch in the Sixties
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The Circle
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Both very fine.
I remember the circle, but not the other one.
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The lunch and the circle are intriguing and I like them both.
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Here's one from 1954.
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Here's one from 1954.
Obviously, the train is late!
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No, Francois. This is Japan. The train is NEVER late.
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Serious Bowler
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Man with Crying Child. Taegu, Korea, 1953.
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No, Francois. This is Japan. The train is NEVER late.
Much better than in Switzerland where trains are supposed to be on time but in reality never are!
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Ice Cream
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Man with Crying Child. Taegu, Korea, 1953.
Excellent timing. Interesting picture.
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Two Girls. Korea, 1953
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The Smile
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Two Girls. Korea, 1953
Superb… Taking care!
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Thanks, Francois. I've turned up several more favorites from Asia. This is one of them. Kids Walking Toward the Sun, Vietnam, 1965
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This one is also wonderful… Your "Asian" photos have a particular atmosphere that I like very much.
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Thanks, Francois.
Here's "Monologue"
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Pizza
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This one is also wonderful… Your "Asian" photos have a particular atmosphere that I like very much.
+1!
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A Heartbreaker. Korea 1953.
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No one should have to see this…
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I agree, Francois, but it's what war always produces. Were I to go to Ukrane I probably could reproduce this picture over and over.
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Moretti
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Moretti
Moretti, it's an old classic! :)
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Lunchroom. Up-country Thailand.
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Memories. Hasn’t changed much from that scene in fifty years. More electricity, concrete, and farangs of course. Less water in the Mekong thanks to China taking over Laos and Cambodia. Used to eat at a place like that on the way home from work in Rayong.
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Hi Frank, Now that I'm 92 I'll never get to see it again, but it was an experience -- both tours, 1964 and 1973-4. You might like one of the short stories I wrote after I got back the second time: http://www.russ-lewis.com/asia/Shorts/S-monsoonseason.html. It includes a bit of Ubon ratchathani color from the sixties.
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Many of us have been “Ben” in SE Asia. Never enough, but sometimes makes a small difference.
When you are around their hard, just surviving, lives one can comprehend a little where “mai pen rai” comes from and why “living in the moment” is a way of life. A credit to the persistence of the species.
Never say never, Russ. Bali Hai is still there, somewhere.
Frank
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Washtub
Taegu, Korea, 1953, 69 years ago. I can imagine these two ladies today at a public bath, carrying on the conversation they started here.
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Albuquerque Wedding
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Bus Stop.
Taegu, Korea, 1953. The major knows that if he gives the kid anything there'll be at least 15 kids surrounding him within a second or two.
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This major seems cruel but you're right, giving once means giving dozens of dozens. It's sad, of course.
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Over There
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Over There
Excellent. Classic "street."
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old woman with pipe. Korea, 1953
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Window Light
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At Home in Ubon. Ubon Ratchathani, 1964. I shot this from my back porch.
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Old lady on road. Korea, 1953.
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Old lady on road. Korea, 1953.
She must had a rough life behind her…
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Boy and Dog
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Instant connection between the dog and the young boy…
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Strategy
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This is a wonderfully evocative set of images, Russ.
Thanks for sharing them.
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Strategy
I wonder whether the man with the ponytail tries to understand the game dynamic or tries to understand the kids!
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Thanks, Eric, and Francois, I don't know the answer.
Here's another from Can Tho, Vietnam, 1965.
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Parade
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Thanks, Eric, and Francois, I don't know the answer.
Here's another from Can Tho, Vietnam, 1965.
I like it a lot. The place seems very empty at first sight but in fact, there's many faces to discover. There's life everywhere.
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War Victims. Vietnam, 1965.
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These are all excellent, Russ.
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Thanks, Eric. The Korean stuff goes back almost 70 years. The Vietnamese stuff goes back 57. Street always has been my favorite thing.
Here's a new one: Western Shop
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Wonderful shot. I like th general atmosphere and the geometry (with the bucking horse).
Sharp eye, once again, Russ.
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Thanks, Francois.
Here's another from Vietnam, 1965
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Ambiguity is an important element in effective street photography.
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Farmer in Green Field. Korea, 1953.
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Ambiguity is an important element in effective street photography.
I wonder what those two are saying/thinking…
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Another fine one.
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Boatman. Can Tho, Vietnam, 1965.
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Boatman. Can Tho, Vietnam, 1965.
Nice portrait, this man is resting!
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Another good catch.
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Joke
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The joke looks captivating… I like the intensity in the joke-teller's posture!
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In the Park. I was walking by. Had about a second to frame and shoot.
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Boat People. Vietnam, 1965.
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Those ones look happy and smiling!
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The Thinker Thinking
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Korean temple grounds, 1953.
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I always love those scenes from a normal life… so much to discover.
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If it were my shot, I'd be tempted to rename "The Thinker Thinking" to "The Thinker Thinking and the Photographer Lying (Down).."
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I love those scenes too, Francois. And Eric, I agree that's probably a better title.
Here's Museum Visitor. More stuff from when I was shooting my Leica M4.
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Injured Model
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It's a real treat seeing this selection.
Great stuff.
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Injured Model
Maybe that's why she is so patient…
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Downtown Can Tho, Vietnam, 1965
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Excellent.
Lots of interesting detail.
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Downtown Can Tho, Vietnam, 1965
Lots of small individual stories in this shot.
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yeah, like "which are the VC and their spotters ?"
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nice
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Regarding Frank's question: They're there, Frank. They're there.
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Silver State Savings
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Brilliant.
The diagonal corners are riveting.
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Thanks, Eric. As HCB said: "It's always luck. You just have to be receptive."
Here's Lion and Prey
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Another fine catch.
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Thanks, Eric. As HCB said: "It's always luck. You just have to be receptive."
Here's Lion and Prey
Fantastic, I love it!
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Thanks, Francois.
Here's Mahjong Players. Taegu, Korea, 1953
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You should make a book of these.
They are all so good.
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Thanks, Eric. Problem is, I'm 92, and putting together a book is just too much hassle. Maybe one of my kids will do that after I'm gone.
Here's another: 381.
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That could be me. I walk with a cane these days, but I don't have a shirt like that.
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That could be me. I walk with a cane these days, but I don't have a shirt like that.
That's easy to fix, I guess! Well, I mean the shirt, of course. ;D
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;)
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Vietnamese Girl, 1965
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Sleeping and Waiting
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Sleeping and Waiting
Good to rest but his shoe has seen better days!
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Roofing. Korea, 1953
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Another winner.
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Another winner.
Yes, really another fantastic glimpse on the life in Asia.
Bravo again!
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Water Carrier. Vietnam, 1965
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Water Carrier. Vietnam, 1965
Lovely woman!
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Missing your postings, Russ...
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Missing your postings, Russ...
Me too!
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The MIdnight Guitarist
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Good to see you back, Russ.
Nice street BTW ;)
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A great shot… also, I like the woman with a mobile phone vs the guitarist!
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Thanks guys. Here's one that's more photojournalism than street:
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The MIdnight Guitarist
Nice!
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I am so enjoying these posts, Russ. Keep 'em coming!
-Eric
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Only 16 left after today, Eric. Wish there were more. There won't be. I'd love to go over to St. Augustine where I did some of my best work, but it ain't gonna happen.
San Francisco Window Shopper
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San Francisco Window Shopper
Excellent!
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Yes! One of the best yet!
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San Francisco Window Shopper
Great catch… Probably some nose prints on the shop's window!
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Man on the Street Korea, 1953
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Mariachi Band
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Man on the Street Korea, 1953
Portrait of a wise man.
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Mariachi Band
I wonder what catches the attention of the young boy?
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Bus, Vietnam, 1965
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On the Jetty
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Bus (Vietnam) vs on the Jetty: frantic life vs calm & relaxation.
Wonderful.
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Rice Market, Korea 1953
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Hard won grains and beans, cut by hand i expect. Grandmother wondering how many boxes she can afford.
Any idea what that rope is about ? i see the rope pot, but i guess it is just incidentally hanging there and not related to the rice container on the ground.
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Thanks, Frank. I don't know what the "rope" is about, and it's been almost 70 years since I made this shot, so I can't rummage around in my memory and come up with it. It almost looks like an electrical cord to me, but I just don't remember.
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Bikers
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Photoengraver
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Photoengraver
Fine snap of a worker in his very personalized environment. Great ambience!
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Yes!
And great job of dealing with the difficult light situation.
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Yes!
And great job of dealing with the difficult light situation.
I agree, the last one is a difficult one but what a nice shot.
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Thanks all. Here's another one. Not so much ambiance. Official Boy Watcher
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Thanks all. Here's another one. Not so much ambiance.
Ambience be damned: this is classic "street." (By the way, if I recall correctly you have posted it before, either here on on That Other Site.)
This picture also is an example of what I have always found to be so challenging about the genre: the momentary expressions and postures of all three subjects are what make it work.
To succeed with this kind of photograph, you typically only get one chance to make a great shot and if your timing isn't perfect, you wind up with an also-ran. I can't begin to count how many of my efforts at street photography have failed because I was a second or two slow in hitting the shutter release.
These days, you can stack the odds in your favor with a digital camera by using the sports and photojournalism shooters’ "spray and pray" technique. But back in the film era, you needed a hair trigger—and preferably to be well-caffeinated.
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Thanks, Chris,
I wrote about this for LuLa quite some time back. You can reach the article here: https://luminous-landscape.com/on-street-photography/
Yes. I posted most of these street shots earlier – along with many others that don’t qualify for my collection of best street shots. These are what I think are my best out of 70 years shooting street.
You’re right. You only get one chance. It’s not like the picture of the lake, where you can come back when conditions are better. If you’re lucky you may have up to four seconds to frame, focus and shoot. You miss many, many, many for each keeper.
By the way, “spray and pray” never has worked for me. I tried it a couple time, but what was on the camera bypassed the instant I wanted.
-Russ Lewis
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Clay Block Carrier, Vietnam, 1965.
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Lunch Over
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Clay Block Carrier, Vietnam, 1965.
Wonderful… I'm a big fan of your asian photos!
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"Lunch Over" is another winner.
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"Lunch Over" is another winner.
Yes, so true!
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Marketplace, Korea, 1953
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Packed with life and nobody pays attention to the photographer!
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Hot Car
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That's the right way to go, especially on a day like today!
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Checkmate
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Vendor, Vietnam 1965
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The expression in "Checkmate" is priceless.
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I Ching Readings
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Nice!
But he should put on his philosopher's hat to read the I Ching.
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Interesting posture… He isn't rich yet.
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Marketplace Vietnam, 1965
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Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand, 1964
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Street Photography
By Russ Lewis
And so we come to the end of my favorite street photographs, a collection that spans nearly seventy years.
I became interested in photography in 1943, but I didn’t see it as a serious pursuit until ten years later when the Korean war ended and I had time to go downtown in Taegu and shoot pictures. I found that what interested me most was people: their interactions with each other and with their environment. That interest has never faded.
I shoot landscape, same as any photographer. After all, landscape is there. It stays still, lets you come back again and again until you have the light you prefer, and doesn’t complain if it catches you shooting its picture.
Old structures are another favorite, especially abandoned mining structures in Colorado. There’s a world of history, jubilation and pain in those old structures.
But it seems to me that street photography is what the camera really was invented for. It wasn’t, of course. The first cameras were infernal things that required you to compose upside-down under a hood. Exposures were long enough that a picture of someone blinking would show a blur instead of a blink.
But then Oskar Barnak invented the little hand camera that became the Leica, a camera that used movie film and had a relatively fast lens. At that point photography took on a new dimension. As Andre Kertesz, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Garry Winogrand and others demonstrated, the new camera could capture life as it’s actually being lived on and off the street.
Even with the tools we have today: ISOs that climb into the stratosphere and resolution beyond anything possible with film, only a vanishing few photographers do real street photography or even bother to learn what real “street photography” actually is. On the web you’ll see landscape after landscape after landscape; rarely anything else. There’s nothing wrong with landscape of course. Landscape can be lovely. But no landscape photographer can do what a really good painter is able to do: bypass problems with color relationships for instance and distort linear perspective for better effect. Yes you can approximate some of these things with Photoshop or Lightroom, but any experienced photographer can recognize the changes immediately.
Reality is reality, and that’s the reason the camera is such an effective tool for recording human behavior. Paintings such as Renoir’s “Luncheon of the Boating Party” were street photography’s predecessors. They’re beautiful and effective as an artist’s conception of reality, but they aren’t reality as it’s lived.
I sometimes hear arguments about why I shouldn’t do street photography. The most common complaint is that street photography interferes with people’s privacy. But someone in a public place has no expectation of privacy and United States law recognizes that fact. It’s shocking to think that nowadays Cartier-Bresson might be sued in France for publishing “Behind the Gare St. Lazare.”
Before street photography we had a world of relatively stiff, formal photographic depictions of human interaction, but never unposed images of life as it actually was lived. Nowadays we can show human behavior as it really is. No artistic genre is more important than that. No photographic genre is more consequential than street photography.
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No photographic genre is more consequential than street photography.
And now that everyone is carrying a quite capable cellphone camera, you might think more people would try their luck at capturing the often amusing behavior that is visible all around them. Instead, you mostly see them shooting selfies or posed snapshots of themselves, their families, and their friends—"smirks," I call them, because all they capture are repetitive pictures of faces smirking at the lens in front of more-or-less interchangeable backgrounds.