from the front page: adam krawesky

[amolitor]

Josh has put up an interview with a street photographer friend of his from Toronto, one Adam Krawesky.

What say ye, street fans?

[RSL]

Sorry, Andrew. I don't know where to go to read the interview. You didn't tell us.

[amolitor]

On the front page! I admit, I just mentioned it in the title which one tends to  gloss over.

Here is the direct link. I don't think you even need to be a subscriber to read it?

https://luminous-landscape.com/profile-looking-for-light-with-adam-krawesky/

[John R]

I like the work overall. What strikes me is the light seems to be perfectly suited to each subject within each image. I think Adam Krawjesky makes reference to light being his primary consideration, and this shows. Good overall balance of elements within the images. And many compositions seem to be well considered while still appearing spontaneous. I would agree, there is good rhythm and play of light in the images. And the work is interesting, not just some random looking images of urban street elements!!!

JR

[Ivophoto]

I like this a lot.
This is an intellectual approach to street Photography.
The elements are not only graphically placed but as example the humans are placed according to the photographer humanist insights.
The images are nicely layered, light, composition, color, division of the surface, timing.
Great work.

[Rob C]

I must have ice in my veins.

[TommyWeir]

Interesting piece and work, enjoyed that, I'm liking this new approach here.   Adam has an unusual site with other interesting photographs, it doesn't appear to have been updated in a while but social media can do to a lot of photographers.

[Ivophoto]

I must have ice in my veins.

You don’t have ice in your veins, Rob.

I think I recognize a pattern in what you like and what not.
Am I correct to say you are more into romanticism (in its broadest form) as visual language?

[32BT]

I like the work overall. What strikes me is the light seems to be perfectly suited to each subject within each image. I think Adam Krawjesky makes reference to light being his primary consideration, and this shows. Good overall balance of elements within the images. And many compositions seem to be well considered while still appearing spontaneous. I would agree, there is good rhythm and play of light in the images. And the work is interesting, not just some random looking images of urban street elements!!!

JR

+1

It seems a good play and rhythm on light and color, more so than an emphasise on storytelling narrative.

From these few images though, this one stands out for me. Utterly powerful streetphotography.

[Ivophoto]

+1

It seems a good play and rhythm on light and color, more so than an emphasise on storytelling narrative.

From these few images though, this one stands out for me. Utterly powerful streetphotography.

I sometimes call this: stills of life.

[brianrybolt]

I must have ice in my veins.

Get a few hot water bottles.

[Rob C]

You don’t have ice in your veins, Rob.

I think I recognize a pattern in what you like and what not.
Am I correct to say you are more into romanticism (in its broadest form) as visual language?

Romantic, as against brutal, and without positive visual emotion?

However, some street turns me on whereas much of it seems, to me, not to be about street at all, but simply about wanting something to be about street even when it's not.

Quite why anyone would imagine that a sunny picture of a person with a deformity is street beggars belief - for me. I would never have felt I wanted to make such an image and outwith medical phography, I think it gratuitous and invasive, whether or not the subject is willing. The exhibiting is as bad as the shooting, if not worse. But hey, I'm old-fashioned and don't understand the anything goes concept.

When in doubt, my mind goes to Klein's New York, and then I am sure of my ground again, and also about the fraudulent.

Rob

[Rob C]

Get a few hot water bottles.

I have an electric blanket, and the bed is like an oven when I get in, but my feet and hands remain fozen. Raynaud's

;-(

[Ivophoto]

Romantic, as against brutal, and without positive visual emotion?

However, some street turns me on whereas much of it seems, to me, not to be about street at all, but simply about wanting something to be about street even when it's not.

Quite why anyone would imagine that a sunny picture of a person with a deformity is street beggars belief - for me. I would never have felt I wanted to make such an image and outwith medical phography, I think it gratuitous and invasive, whether or not the subject is willing. The exhibiting is as bad as the shooting, if not worse. But hey, I'm old-fashioned and don't understand the anything goes concept.

When in doubt, my mind goes to Klein's New York, and then I am sure of my ground again, and also about the fraudulent.

Rob

I mean romantic as in romantic, not as the only choice against brutalism. Their is more between earth and sky than only air.
Different is not synonym to fraudulent.
It is good you say for yourself you are old fashioned. I guess we all come to that point. It’s just a matter of time.



.

[RSL]

I’m  with Rob on this one. To make a show out of somebody’s deformity sort of eliminates the shooter as a serious street photographer. This is a shooter going for a shock reaction.

But the other thing that bothers me about this guy is the fact that there’s a kind of un-photographic stasis in all his pictures. It’s almost as if he’s trying to do Edward Hopper with a camera, and not managing it.

[amolitor]

I am also not seeing it. These pictures strike me as exactly the kind of thing hipsters shoot as "street", graphically pretty strong, but from a safe distance and generally there's not much going on. They appeal because of the graphical qualities, the strong color, and because of timing - the shutter opens at the top of the jump, the instant the foot steps off the curb, and so on.

They're appealing pictures, for sure. But this stuff is pretty easy to knock out, and doesn't say much about anything.

As you can see from Adam's web site, the main difficulty with taking these photos is finding an uncluttered frame to put people in to. Cities are very inconveniently cluttered. When you can find an uncluttered wall with whatever light you favor in play, just stand there and shoot everyone who goes by.

[Ivophoto]

I am am also not seeing it. These pictures strike me as exactly the kind of thing hipsters shoot as "street", graphically pretty strong, but from a safe distance and generally there's not much going on. They appeal because of the graphical qualities, the strong color, and because of timing - the shutter opens at the top of the jump, the instant the foot steps off the curb, and so on.

They're appealing pictures, for sure. But this stuff is pretty easy to knock out, and doesn't say much about anything.

As you can see from Adam's web site, the main difficulty with taking these photos is finding an uncluttered frame to put people in to. Cities are very inconveniently cluttered. When you can find an uncluttered wall with whatever light you favor in play, just stand there and shoot everyone who goes by.

It is not that easy, Amolitor.

What you call ‘safe distance’ is in fact ‘observation’

Question:

Does you description also apply on this picture of a famous hipster?



You do have a point about the style of street you are describing, check out the ‘esp’ group at Flickr.

https://www.flickr.com/groups/extremestreet/

 But there are differences in this kind of catchy street Photography.
One image will be only the trick, and the other will carry a story, be it literally or abstract.

[amolitor]

There is a great deal more going on in the HCB picture than in Krawesky's pictures. I could go on at length, but there are already millions of words of analysis of Behind the Train Station out there already, waiting to be read.

It is not merely the "safe distance" that is the trouble. One can make good pictures from any distance. The point is that when you shove "safe distance" in with a few other properties, you get a genre that is lightweight, appealing, and easy.

[Ivophoto]

There is a great deal more going on in the HCB picture than in Krawesky's pictures. I could go on at length, but there are already millions of words of analysis of Behind the Train Station out there already, waiting to be read.

It is not merely the "safe distance" that is the trouble. One can make good pictures from any distance. The point is that when you shove "safe distance" in with a few other properties, you get a genre that is lightweight, appealing, and easy.

Nono, Amolitor, not the generic reference to what is already said about this HCB picture. That’s to easy.

What is going on in this picture of HCB, and leave out the projection, please.
The issue is that there is a lot to read, but much less to see. (Blasphemy, I know)

If the same willingness to see would be applied to contemporary street Photography, men could fill another million of pages.

If we don’t see it (I often have the same reaction) it is because we look with expectations.

[faberryman]

Meh to the article; meh to the images. This is not content worth paying for.