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Author Topic: On Street Photography  (Read 10054 times)

RSL

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On Street Photography
« on: December 04, 2015, 12:16:17 pm »

LuLa just published my article. You can see it on the main page.
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Slobodan Blagojevic

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Re: On Street Photography
« Reply #1 on: December 04, 2015, 01:01:04 pm »

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.

petermfiore

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Re: On Street Photography
« Reply #2 on: December 04, 2015, 01:09:57 pm »

Excellent!!! Great job...

Peter

Eric Myrvaagnes

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Re: On Street Photography
« Reply #3 on: December 04, 2015, 01:32:44 pm »

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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Rob C

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Re: On Street Photography
« Reply #4 on: December 04, 2015, 01:57:00 pm »

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

frankennefr@yahoo.fr

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Re: On Street Photography
« Reply #5 on: December 04, 2015, 03:00:52 pm »

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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RSL

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Re: On Street Photography
« Reply #6 on: December 04, 2015, 05:08:40 pm »

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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churly

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Re: On Street Photography
« Reply #7 on: December 04, 2015, 09:20:16 pm »

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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Chuck Hurich

fdisilvestro

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Re: On Street Photography
« Reply #8 on: December 05, 2015, 01:37:21 am »

Great article and photos Russ, I enjoyed it

Cem

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Re: On Street Photography
« Reply #9 on: December 05, 2015, 03:54:27 am »

A very good article, thank you very much Russ.
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stamper

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Re: On Street Photography
« Reply #10 on: December 05, 2015, 04:51:14 am »

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?

RSL

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Re: On Street Photography
« Reply #11 on: December 05, 2015, 03:39:58 pm »

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
« Last Edit: December 05, 2015, 04:12:53 pm by RSL »
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Eric Myrvaagnes

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Re: On Street Photography
« Reply #12 on: December 05, 2015, 04:15:47 pm »

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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Rob C

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Re: On Street Photography
« Reply #13 on: December 05, 2015, 04:48:47 pm »

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

Eric Myrvaagnes

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Re: On Street Photography
« Reply #14 on: December 05, 2015, 06:15:59 pm »


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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rdonson

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Re: On Street Photography
« Reply #15 on: December 06, 2015, 12:24:46 pm »

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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Regards,
Ron

GrahamBy

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Re: On Street Photography
« Reply #16 on: December 06, 2015, 02:15:02 pm »

Russ, I've just been looking through 1968 on your site : enjoyed it very much, thanks :-)
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Rajan Parrikar

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Re: On Street Photography
« Reply #17 on: December 12, 2015, 05:09:35 pm »

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.

hermankrieger

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Re: On Street Photography
« Reply #18 on: December 12, 2015, 05:55:21 pm »

Photo essays in black and white
www.efn.org/~hkrieger
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PhilippeV

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Re: On Street Photography
« Reply #19 on: December 15, 2015, 06:47:29 pm »

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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