Street photography and fine arts, I need to find some spot in between.

I started trying street photography several months ago, after I feel tired of landscape or still life (not I am

any good at those). So I starting shooting on the street, and looking others' works. I spend a lot of time on

in-public.com. There are several artists whose work I quite admire. Nils Jorgensen, Narelle Autio, to name

a couple. There are also some work that I simply couldn't get. For the rest majority, I have this strange

feeling that there is something missing. The same feeling bothers me all the time when I look at my own

shots. For example, below is one of my favorites shots since I start shooting on street, and others like it

too. But the more I look at it, the more I feel that it is not the kind of photography I want to do.

 

<img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2273/2225525964_3408dd2a0a_o.jpg"/><br>

 

I am not sure exactly what is bothering me until I watched "The Impassioned Eye" a couple of days ago. I

can't say that I appreciate all of HCB's work. But a large portion of his work has such an elegant fusion

between fine arts and documentary. For example <a

href="http://www.magnumphotos.com/Archive/C.aspx?

VP=Mod_ViewBox.ViewBoxZoom_VPage&VBID=2K1HZO6ETWV7S&IT=ImageZoom01&PN=40&STM=T&DTT

M=Image&SP=Album&IID=2S5RYDILGK_N&SAKL=T&SGBT=T&DT=Image">this one</a> and <a

href="http://www.magnumphotos.com/Archive/C.aspx?

VP=Mod_ViewBox.ViewBoxZoom_VPage&VBID=2K1HZO6ETWV7S&IT=ImageZoom01&PN=39&STM=T&DTT

M=Image&SP=Album&IID=2S5RYDIPAPAP&SAKL=T&SGBT=T&DT=Image">this one</a>. That, I think, is

what is missing in lots of street work we see today. What gets on my nerve most is the statement that, to

do good street photography, you need to get close. No, that will make your photo bold, shocking,

interesting, or maybe funny (like the one I posted). But that will not necessarily make it aesthetic, or make

it a good piece of visual arts. If street photography and fine arts photography excludes each other (which I

don't think is true), then I need to find my balance point.

 

I am not good at writing, even in my mother tongue. But I feel that I need to put these thought into words,

so I know clearly about the direction I am heading. Also I'd like to hear opinions from you guys. Please

bear with me if this makes an awful reading.

From examples you showed here, I think the problems you faced are composition problems. Probably you need to learn how to make your photography composition better.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/robert_m_johnson/633105832/" title="Untitled by Robert_M_Johnson, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1280/633105832_a5e86388e6_o.jpg" width="802" height="535" alt="Untitled" /></a>

<p>> <i>I started trying street photography several months ago, after I feel tired of

landscape or still life... But the more I look at it, the more I feel that it is not the kind of

photography I want to do.</i></p>

 

<p>Too many photographers I know are like this. They first start out in photography

because they like taking pretty pictures; then they realize that a "pretty picture" is not

enough to bring them any serious recognition; and so they fall to the charm of the

supposedly anti-aesthetic grittiness and artiness that street photography exudes (BTW,

this "grittiness" forms an aesthetic of its own, thus contributing to the SP's downfall by not

making it fundamentally different from pretty-picture photography).</p>

 

<p>After a while, they realize that SP is only a very marginal genre, with its own group of

followers who are mostly middle-aged men who meet mostly on the internet, and who fall

into the either the category of hobbyists or outsider artists, and that SP does not and will

not give them a ticket to the mainstream art establishment they hoped it would.</p>

Eugine, your biological clock is ticking, time is running out to create that masterpiece hidden within you! :-) At 24 you should have a body of work by now.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/robert_m_johnson/793197980/" title="Untitled by Robert_M_Johnson, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1122/793197980_241d9a51ec_o.jpg" width="802" height="535" alt="Untitled" /></a>

I think Eugene is on to something.

I'm actually 25. Some people can't do math...

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/robert_m_johnson/463014406/" title="Untitled by Robert_M_Johnson, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/172/463014406_bb2e5289fb_o.jpg" width="802" height="534" alt="Untitled" /></a>

And some have an obsessive-compulsive irrelevant picture posting disorder.

tick, tick, tick... :-)

"I'm actually 25. Some people can't do math..."

 

TICK, TICK, TICK! :-)

Is that a Geiger counter in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?

<p>I prefer to take things easy...</p>

<center><img src="http://eugenescherba.com/medium/4789c769798ef"></center>

Jia, I agree with Robert and Xiao. Compositionally it is too busy and the relation between the person and the bikes is unclear. There are also some tonality problems. But also I think you should give some thought why did you take this picture. Why do you want to have a person walking past the bikes? What does it tell the viewer?

Street photography is no different than anything else in life; you have a few original talents,

and then there's a whole bunch of folks whoexcel at imitating those talented people. The

secret is to have enough talent and soul to cut your own path. Ofcourse we all sometimes

borrow someone else's machete to do so.

Xiao,

> Probably you need to learn how to make your photography composition better.

No doubt about that. But are you implying that I should take your class? :-)

 

Robert,

> Keep it simple...

I hope it is that simple.

 

Eugene,

> then they realize that a "pretty picture" is not enough to bring them any serious

recognition. ... that SP does not and will not give them a ticket to the mainstream art

establishment they hoped it would

 

I am not trying to do arts for a living. But I think you are right. At first, mainstream

photography (or at least my mainstream photography) start looking boring and too formularized. So I seek for fresh air in SP. But then I realized it is a completed type of

visual art. Someone says HCB is one of the forefathers of the genre of SP. But seems to me

his work is far different from today's SP. I guess I am just looking for something fresh yet

aesthetic (in conventional sense).

Jia, visit Orville's site...

 

http://www.newyorkstreetphotography.com/Orville_Robertson_Web_Site/Home.html

<p>> <i>At first, mainstream photography (or at least my mainstream photography)

start looking boring and too formularized. So I seek for fresh air in SP.</i></p>

 

<p>Two points. One, how are you, then, saying above you're not sure SP is the kind of

photography you want to do? -- SP is as full of stale air as film noir. Two, a composition

and an allusion to simple life with an exclusion of contemporary elements (what you see in

many of HCB's photos) does not a good photo make. HCB is way overrated. If someone

were to take HCB-like pictures today, he/she would be considered an amateur not worth

looking at. Not because HCB has done this or that first, but simply because the pictures

would not be saying much. What do, for example, any of HCB photos say to you? To me,

they say very little except that HCB was one of those nostalgic people who dream of

retiring in a cottage where milk is delivered every morning and who like to exclude

telephone wires from their photos.</p>

Robert -- do you really think a portfolio with "I sell prints for $ blah blah" and little cute Mac

Pro buttons is worth visiting?

It looks like you're in San Francisco. If you want to focus, find an aspect of life there that

interests you and explore with your camera.<P>

 

<center>

<img src= "http://www.citysnaps.net/SFWeb%206-14-06/image/p6.jpg">

</center>

"worth visiting?"

 

I think that it might be the kind of work that Jia was eluding to. You can't have it both ways Eugene, you now have a problem with someone selling street images that are beautiful in all respects?

 

And Eugene, when my son was your age he was helping program that little video game called Bioshock!

 

tick, tick, tick... :-)

"When my grandpa was your age, he wasn't trolling on the internet."

 

tick, tick, tick... :-)

<p>> <i>You can't have it both ways Eugene, you now have a problem with someone

selling street images that are beautiful in all respects?</i></p>

 

<p>Doesn't matter. When an artist advertises prints for sale, that always lowers my

opinion of him/her.</p>

 

<p>> <i>when my son was your age he was helping program that little video game called

Bioshock!</i></p>

 

<p>I'm currently programming an online CMS (content management system) for

photographers and artists. <a href="http://eugenescherba.com/design2/">A non-public

preview</a>.</p>

>>> Robert -- do you really think a portfolio with "I sell prints for $ blah blah" and little

cute Mac Pro buttons is worth visiting?

 

I just took a look. It's an outstanding portfolio and definitely worth visiting. So where's

yours?