Why street photography is facing a moment of truth

<p><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2010/apr/18/street-photography-privacy-surveillance">Why street photography is facing a moment of truth<br /></a><br>

(The Guardian)</p>

<p>"It took root in New York in the 60s and 70s with compelling images of street life that captured the heart of the city. But anxieties about privacy, terrorism, and paedophilia have conspired to make the art of street photography ever more difficult. Sean O'Hagan recalls the movement's heyday and charts today's pioneers."</p>

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<p>...The evidence would suggest otherwise. "You are looking for that brilliant moment that 99% of the time you don't get," says Stuart, "That is exactly why it is both the most accessible and the most difficult kind of photography."</p>

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<p>I think these last couple quotes from the article describe best SP most. It also describe why most pics here are forgettable. My only other suggestion is try shooting in Asia if you are interested in this genre. There is so much more street life here without the boredom / terrorists / pedophilia driven paranoid defensive mentalities of the west. </p>

<p>Leslie, on shooting in Asia, I was thinking the exact same thing while reading about all the problems street shooters face in the West.</p>

<p>Thanks for posting the article, Clive...</p>

<p>I was just reading a book about the "surveillance society" in Great Britain called "The Road to Big Brother" by Ross Clark... a relevant and pretty amusing take some of the things that were touched upon in the article posted.</p>

<p>Since it's not illegal to ply our trade here in the States, it's good to know the law, your rights, etc... What may be considered unethical is subjective but what's unlawful isn't (or shouldn't be). What used to part of street life in the States has been taken in-doors. I've had friends who lived in Vietnam, traveled around Japan, Hong Kong (in the old days), and Thailand and they never had trouble. They didn't feel the same freedom in parts of China or Tibet. And they couldn't get into North Korea even if they tried... But it's true. Street life may be a thing of the past in the States and there are a variety of reasons and, I think, it all begins with technology. Seems when technology met entertainment in the form of television, it put a huge dent in the life of the street (just a thought)...</p>

<p>I'll venture to say that if they dropped you anywhere, Clive, you'd come up with good pictures. Leslie, I've checked out your page and I'm sure you can take pictures of your friends with impunity even in the most paranoid and defensive cities the west has to offer.</p>

<p>My experience tells me that Leslie is right that Asia (Tokyo, Hong Kong, Seoul, Busan, Taipei) is an Eldorado for street photography - although I have personally never experienced any of the horror stories when photographing extensively in cities like Paris or Rome.</p>

<p>LA has a been a pretty good place for me. Sure there have been the occasional shop owner throwing a hissy fit but that's not the rule but the exception. There have also been a couple of kooky characters on the subway that had issues with my camera. There is also one place that allows photography but whenever I go there to take pictures (which isn't very often) I still get bothered by the security guards. I guess they are trained to assume that anyone with a camera other then a cell phone or small digital point and shoot is a professional and are going to sell the pictures taken. The funny thing I've noticed is that for the most part whenever someone gets in my face about taking pictures, I'm not actually taking pictures. I happen to be going from point A to point B while carrying a camera but I'm not actually shooting at the moment. Still, that doesn't stop some people (usually security guards of course) from copping an attitude. All part of the experience I suppose.</p>

<p>Thanks, Clive.</p>

<p>Worthwhile reading, though it jumps a bit from building to building as the author discusses restrictions, the art, the marketability, etc.</p>

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<p>To be a street photographer today, you need, as Martin Parr recently put it, "obsession, dedication and balls"</p>

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<p>would one be permitted to change the last one in common sense and people skills which I for one think are far more important and usefull than having "big balls"</p>

Agree with Michael, in that I was looking for a focus in the article and instead found it pretty scattered. With respect to sp

facing a moment of truth, while I think that's a catchy story title, from my experience (and others I know) it's a huge stretch and misleading; speaking from shooting in the US (the story is UK-based, but references the US). And is more a projection from a

writer that probably does not engage in street photography, but assumes recent events must logically have a large negative

impact on the activity. Also agree strongly with Ton; hassle-free (as close as you can get anyway) is mostly about how you

carry yourself. Be sneaky = expect some problems.

 

There have always been issues shooting on the street; even Robert Frank was jailed in the mid '50s in Arkansas on his Guggenheim Fellowship for essentially being a foreigner with a foreign camera (my own paraphrasing). If people expect perfection, because somehow they're lucky enough to encounter perfection

in every other facet of life, then they shouldn't be shooting on the street.

<p> </p>

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<p>Leslie, I've checked out your page and I'm sure you can take pictures of your friends with impunity even in the most paranoid and defensive cities the west has to offer.</p>

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<p><em><strong>Fi Rondo</strong></em>---<br>

Just to be clear, I was only referring to the paranoid defensive mentalities as per article. I personally almost never have problems shooting in the west. There is, however, probably a sense of paranoia in general because I read about them every so often here, in newspapers and magazines. Furthermore<strong> </strong><em><strong>, </strong></em>I don't post pics here anymore because I think the pics here are forgettable except the likes of <strong><em>Clive F, Brad-, Mike Dixon </em></strong><em>and a couple others</em>. More importantly, I'm recuperating from a very bad motorcycle wreck in Asia. All my computer/photo related stuff are at home in the US but If you really need to see a few...just look me up WNW threads maybe 4 or 5 years ago on PN. Sorry, but I like traveling, motorcycling and shooting more than organizing, editing and posting my photos in front of the computer.</p>

<p><em><strong>Clive</strong></em>--- not counting Mexico and Canada, like 11% of Americans traveled outside of the US. I'm Asian but raised in the US and I thought SF and NYC were "it" for photography until I visited China, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia etc...<br>

Street life is colorful, beautiful and so life affirming here. I love it. One can spend an entire month, say, jut shooting crazy Bangkok traffic. Can you imagine shooting traffic in the west? Or, say, imagine <strong>Brad-</strong> doing his street portraits thing but in Osaka or perhaps Calcutta? It would rock!</p>

<p>Gentlepersons....</p>

<p>Street photography is truth. </p>

<p>The moment that we are facing is not truth, but is one of government control. Yes, there has always been some government control. It is a question as to how much and how appropriate, and is it for the benefit of the citizenry or the benefit of the government? </p>

<p>Life is choices. Are we going to choose an out of control government, bent on making things easy for them and oppressive for us, or are we going to resist and try and act like free people? Around the world, there are different cultures and different traditions. For instance, a survey was conducted both in a western state of the U.S. and an English-traditioned province of Canada. One question asked the citizen to choose their relative importance of several social characteristics. The western state listed number 1 as freedom. The province listed number 1 as good order. </p>

<p>Not only am I of generations past, but I am a U.S. southerner of traditional values. My vote would be Freedom with a capital F. If I have to fear incarceration for it, so be it. It's still my choice. </p>

<p>A. T. Burke </p>

<p>P.S. The article, as glad as I am to see the discussion, was typical of today's journalism, wandering, poorly written, with little information buried among a lot of fluff. </p>

<p>Clear as an unmuddied stream, Leslie... swift recovery, by the way...</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Leslie — while I do now realise that Asia in general is much less paranoid about street photography, I have been questioned many times in HK (although, I live there). Mostly by parents or the people I was making photos of; almost never by security (the police, however, are a totally different story…)</p>

<p>Just came back from mainland China a few hours ago and, while I didn't make many photos, no one seemed to be surprised, intimidated or even, in many cases, aware that I had 2 cameras on me. In many ways more relaxed than HK — somehow, life feels more open there. Could just be the bigger streets.</p>

<p>I can say that in both mainland China and HK, I've never heard of people reacting to photographers with terrorists in mind.</p>

<p>Clive, thought-provoking article. Thanks for the link. I think we suffer a little from over-genrefication. I've said this before: The elements which comprise 'good' photography do not differ significantly due to location or subject. Lighting, composition, exposure, and timing among other things combined make an appealing photograph. It doesn't matter if it's a photo of a mountain or a toddler in the ghetto; well made photographs can stand alone as such.<br>

Photography is like Tai Chi: Watching it, critiquing it, reading and writing about it does not make you a better at it. Only practice does. That's what we do here, we practice our skills. That's one of the great things about the PN S&D forum: the freedom to self-express our 'art'. The oddball, ascerbic 'critique' some occasional participants throw out serve no positive purpose, and are exactly the thing which should be forgotten about. </p>

<p>Unless there's a represssive regime, which includes the North Koreans, (I've not tested the Russians lately), China when it's on a tear against foreigners and certain Middle East (sharia law) countries, places full of deadly force theft like Brazil, and maybe the London Metro where in the past police shot a guy in the back of the neck to death on the (wrong I recall) suspicion he might be a terrorist, so that the sympathetic nervous system can't react and trigger a bomb . . . . with any left over energy, I'm just going to shoot, and shoot and shoot.<br>

It doesn't matter whether the 'good times' are here or gone.<br>

I'll shoot.<br>

And shoot.<br>

And generally get a great reception.<br>

I've shot in Metros around the world, and never asked if it was legal or illegal, even in one former Communist country took photos of the police as they were trying to 'read me my rights' about photographing. <br>

They just couldn't hear over the not too loud din the snapping of my motorized shutter . . . my cameras are set not to show an image when I release the shutter, lest it illuminate my face in dark circumstances and give me away . . . in case someone might take umbrage or it just might otherwise reveal me with a flash of white on my face as I snap a shot.<br>

All that being said (written) however, I just stepped off the street from a 3-hour shoot (479 shots) and believe I met between 50-70 people, had a real heck of a great time, didn't have one bad encounter and sure as heck I know I made a very big bunch of friends who not only took my name and will be looking at my photos tonight or soon (with all their friends), and many will be hoping to find their own in one of some really fabulous captures I got (I don't always get fabulous captures but today was a red letter day -- Spring weather, lots of people on the street, lots of young people, everybody celebrating the first REAL weekend day of Spring and lots of good humors and fueled by some of the start of a summer long of drink.)<br>

Spring/summer in Eastern Europe almost always has a festive air in certain center areas where people gather, after a long, long, long winter (this was the worst in 35 years all over Europe).<br>

I felt the freedom just to stop total strangers in the street who didn't speak my language (or better, I hardly spoke theirs) and ask 'Moshne, portrait?" (which roughly translated means 'may I take your portrait *photo*?) and met with fabulous success.<br>

I simply got some wonderful responses.<br>

Ton is correct about people skills, but I also photograph at times in much more edgy circumstances where no matter how good people skills are, they won't save your bacon . . . . and often that's in the USA.<br>

However, even after six years posting here, I feel my 'street skills' have taken a quantum leap in the last year, after some truly wonderful years over the past five . . . . and it shows. <br>

I got a remark yesterday from one PN longtime member (whom I won't name since I don't have permission) noting for a street portrait, that he believed was mine before he ever saw my name in the anonymous queue (though not typical of my style at all) because of the intimacy involved and my 'knack', he said, for establishing that with the subjects.<br>

I wrote back that all happens often in a matter of minutes or faster, then my subject and I part, often never to see each other again.<br>

Time and time again today, armed with two cameras, one with super wide angle, I was able to approach people and and speaking their language only rudimentariily, get them to allow me to place my lens within 10 inches of so from their eyes for full face wide angle portraits, over and over and over again.<br>

Imagine how much trust that implies that these strangers give me such freedom, and how innucuous I must be to allow them to let me do that.<br>

Now, you must be saying to yourselvs, that's Eastern Europe but what about really difficult places to photograph, like the U.S., especially (since I'm white) ethnic neighborhoods, such as LA's South Central or areas considered 'difficult' or even dangerous.<br>

Well, the same applies. <br>

I go into such neighbhoods, armed only with my camearas, and driving an old beater car, don't go far form the car, take a photo or two of a prominent neighbhood resident whom everybody knows or recognizes, and then if my bona bides elsewhere in the large vicinity are called into question I just invoke my first subject's name, some facts from my conversation with that first subject, then flash my digital readout to show the skeptic the neighhood 'tough' leaders getting intimate with my lens, and it is almost sure to quiet any potential troublemakers or reluctant subjects.<br>

I photograph often in Venice Beach with great ease, and often in South Central, though many Angelinos ask me in all seriousness 'I've never been there, isn't is really dangerous?<br>

'In fact, one of the best supermarkets in LA is a Ralphs in South Central, as I've told the manager and staff over and over again, and a with a great and predominently black clientele . . . some of the most wonderful and graceful customers a fellow customer with a camera could ever encounter. Half of South Central shops there, I think (it's behind Magic Johnson's).<br>

I cut my teeth street shooting in NYC when everyone carried a 'box cutter' in their pocket, like a switchblace for what they felt was going to be the inevitable mugging. Apartments routinely had four and five locks on doors.<br>

I knew friends stabbed on subway platforms (and saw flash of knife blades on those same elevated platforms in the other direction). More than one I saw penlight pencil thin beams of light at 3:00 a.m. as I walked dates home past shuttered stores indicating busines were being burgled (and when I later lived in Manhattan) helped a screaming, sobbing woman whose apartment had actually been broken with its door kicked in at the frame to determine if her husband had been murdered or not (he was in bed and had slept through the whole thing, just four doors down from my flat on West 87th Street, in what is now a very, very tony neighborhood from where I had five rent conrolled rooms for $350 a month).<br>

I was shot on board a Penn Central train headed for the Martin Luther King riots in Washington, late at night to arrive after the curfew over Washington, D.C., lifted at dawn, only to learn the man who shot me (when he learned his real target was alive despite being hit by a bullet, then went back and 'shot him again' (he was arrested soon afterward'.<br>

Then in that strange city where the train shooting took place (Trenton), after a hospitization where strange visitors offered to 'bump off' my assailant (who was black -- the prospective bumpers were white -- I declined), I was driven to the cop shop during the middle of a developing riot, which eventually engulfed the police station where I was attempting to give my statement to the lone police officer on duty as the sole dispatcher on duty called all the cops back to the police station just as the rioters broke in, some wielding axes.<br>

My cop stood off the rioters at the top of stairs with a double barrelled shotgun, me at his side, scared out of my wits, until help came . . . . . (two died that night).<br>

Later, I toured the lockup and because I was white got all sorts of racial epithets hurled at me solely on account of being white.<br>

(regrettably I had started my journey with no film and had not chronicled this fantastic and real tale, or I might have won a photo Pulitzer for photographer for my three-day Odyssey).<br>

I got back to Columbia Univ., and after several weeks in hospital student rioters took over the school, police eventually swept the campus, batons swinging (me with my cane in the middle unscathed), and on returning home to Oregon, got a ship to Viet Nam and the war, with a camera, all as a civilian (this time with film).<br>

I'll be damned if I'll let a few scare stories about paedofilia, about 'how tough it is out there to get 'street' photos', or any other troubles get in my way.<br>

I once for a year had a job at a business publication that had me as an occasional job duty between writing nationwide stories about major retail chains actually visit those chain store locations, in places sometimes like downtown Detroit, take out my camera and start photographing displays only to find out all eight or ten 'customers' actually were store detectives.<br>

(A call to their store superiors quickly cleared things up, but I knew my rights, and learned not to back down . . . . the worst they could ever do was throw me out . . . and since I almost alwys knew their boss's boss, that never ever happened, and eventually I wandered around taking those otherwise forbidden photos).<br>

People can write all they want about the 'golden age' going away. <br>

Cartier-Bresson always was afraid to have his photo published on the claim that his anonymity was his cloak, that if his photo were circulated his life would be in danger as he toured SE Asia hot spots, as Gandhi was assassinated, as the Kuomintang fell in China, and as Indonesia gained independence. (and a myriad other things he witnessed and photographed . . . how much was 'show' and how much was 'real' no one really will ever know. .. . he famously is said to have said he has felt he was a citizen 'escapee' (having escaped from the Nazis three times, to final freedom and false papers in Occupied France), from a POW camp that scarred him for a lifetime.<br>

Compared to his experience, my life's been a cakewalk.<br>

And anyone who fears being called a paedophiliac, or being charged with taking photos in or arround a store or a mall (which surround everyone with big cameras and little, hidden surreptitious ones), should reconsider whether they are really cut out for 'street'.<br>

If you truly fear the ugly encounter with the escaped con or parolee who's violating his parole caught in the background of one of your captures, then you may not want to be taking 'street' photos, because if you take enough, sooner or later there's going to be a 'jackpot' and 99% to one, it's not going to be witha subject, but with someone else, either a self-appointed 'guardian of others' rights, an escapee or parole violator, or someone else who has serious psychiatric problems and singles you out beause ,well, you're visible . . .<br>

'Street' is not always a gentleman's profession, even though I wish it were. Bikers have to be photographed from time to time, and sometimes one will end up photographing someone who is escaped from the hoosgow (in the background and not know it, but that person will certainly be hyperaware of your photograph of him, fear being 'found out', and the trouble will begin'. <br>

It's just part of the nature of things, and no amount of schmoozing is going to stop all trouble from ever happening.<br>

That being said, I took a neophyte out to teach him street in LA about seven weeks ago, and I think he'd agree we didn't have one bad encounter in two days and I also think he'd own up that my reception on the street was nothing short of phenomenal -- just what he'd been looking for to help him overcome his innate shyness about approaching people.<br>

(I didn't always have this ability . . . it came to be that the more others of worth began to identify 'worth' in my captures . . . and the more 'worthiness' they found in them the more bold and assertive I have become, and at the same time, the more people on the street have been willing to accept me as a person who 'belongs' without more than this simple introduction:<br>

'I am a photographer'<br>

And followed perhaps by a flash for them of a recent good capture on my digital screen for them to glance at.<br>

Yes, times may be harder, but so what . . . . ?<br>

I have more success now in LA after spending parts of years in Ukraine among more friendly people and polishing my street skills than I ever had four years or more ago.<br>

Parenthetically, the black distrust of whitey with a camera seems to have dissipated greatly now more with Obama as president, which has inured greatly to my personal benefit, -- perhaps to others as well. (my surmise).<br>

You guys can all fret about the troubles of 'street', if you want or think of going to foreign countries.<br>

I photograph both in a 'foreign country' and in the USA in each month generally, and I am literally having the time of my life, and find that it's getting easier and easier and easier.<br>

There surely are the impediments written of by others, but however much they may raise my hackles when they arise, my hackles just go down the minute they're resolved -- they're just part of the territory.<br>

It's all better than shootin 'street' in Rwanda during the genocide . . . . or doing documentary during one or the other Allied invasions of Iraq.<br>

In fact, if you play your cards right in street, you can be mostly a pretty revered and loved individaul by the vast majority of people you meet -- show me any other occupation (outside of Amsterdam's famous orgaan grinder) who can walk 100 meters down a street and make friend after friend after friend as I do and as I am sure Ton Mestron also does.<br>

The ability to deal with those we meet on the street AND come up with the occasional wonderful capture is for each of us (I think) a vital force. (Ton, do I speak for you as I think I do?)<br>

john<br>

John (Crosley)</p>

<p>A. Thomas Burke, Jr. wrote:<br>

"...a survey was conducted both in a western state of the U.S. and an English-traditioned province of Canada. One question asked the citizen to choose their relative importance of several social characteristics. The western state listed number 1 as freedom. The province listed number 1 as good order."<br>

For a Canadian the results of this survey are no more surprising than discovering that that the colour of a greenback is green. While Americans cite "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness from their Declaration of Independence" Canadians refer to "peace, order, and good government" from the Constitution Act, 1867. That's just the way it is: different strokes for different folks. As a photographer and as someone who has lived for decades in both countries, Canada's peace and order feel like freedom. Wouldn't want it any other way.</p>

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<p>I just stepped off the street from a 3-hour shoot (479 shots)</p>

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<p>Jeeze, where do you live, Sodom?</p>

 

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<p>As a photographer and as someone who has lived for decades in both countries, Canada's peace and order feel like freedom. Wouldn't want it any other way.</p>

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<p>The only photography-related experience I have with authority in Canada is a policeman pulled over once to tell me where all the photogenic places were in his precinct or whatever you call it. Oh, once I trespassed on railroad property and a guard pulled over to tell me I should be wearing boots and sunglasses. Then he drove off. Gosh I think I'll go salute a Maple tree now and pay extra taxes.</p>

 

<p>Mr. Lee....</p>

<p>Exactly my point. I was not saying that my way was right and their way was wrong. I was just pointing out that sometimes rules, regulations, law, mores, and acceptable social behavior can vary from one area to another. I think one of the reasons there has been a lot of talk about photographers' rights in England is that time also changes social custom. It seems as though at least a portion of the population is tending away from good order toward an abundance of rights philosophy. Often traditional governments are slow to change and are supported by traditionalists among its citizenry. </p>

<p>Speaking of time changing attitudes, in my lifetime I've seen a lot of that here in the U.S. Mores and values seem to be changing more towards a collective or social philosophy and away from the independence and self-sufficiency philosophy more prevalent in years past. I see this as neither right or wrong intrinsically. However, I still feel that Americans should be entitled to an opinion and preference (unlike many of my newer fellow citizens) and I personally tend towards freedom and self-sufficiency as important values. I find it ironic that slowly we are moving more in the direction that England was, while England moves more in the direction that we were. Although I don't have a broad experience of either culture, it seems to me the traditional English areas of Canada tend more to support the English values of years past. There are exceptions of course, like Vancouver BC, which is quite the melting pot and tends to be more multi-cultural than traditional, especially as the population changes in make up. </p>

<p>I'm old and still cling to the ways of being a free and independent Southern man. I'm willing to, and have in the past, risked some freedom and fortune to continue these values. Like you say, different strokes for different folks. I certainly intend to stroke exactly how I damn well please. </p>

<p>A. T. Burke</p>

<p>P.S. If the state wants to get too uppity about it, they will then have the privilege for paying for my heart medicine, liver medicine, kidney medicine, in addition to my room and board. They're welcome to save my family the cost of burial. </p>

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<p>...I think we suffer a little from over-genrefication. I've said this before: The elements which comprise 'good' photography do not differ significantly due to location or subject. Lighting, composition, exposure, and timing among other things combined make an appealing photograph. It doesn't matter if it's a photo of a mountain or a toddler in the ghetto </p>

</blockquote>

<p><em><strong>E. Short---</strong></em> Yeah, but you are forgetting street photography is about subjects in the street among other things. You can't have appealing SP with no one in the streets (say, Atlanta, GA for example) just like you can't shoot mountain landscapes in flat southern Florida. Sure, I have no doubt, you can still get a great street pics shot anytown, in any country but there are just <em><strong>more </strong></em>street life in Asia.</p>

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</blockquote>

 

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<p>Photography is like Tai Chi: Watching it, critiquing it, reading and writing about it does not make you a better at it. Only practice does. That's what we do here, we practice our skills. That's one of the great things about the PN S&D forum: the freedom to self-express our 'art'. The oddball, ascerbic 'critique' some occasional participants throw out serve no positive purpose, and are exactly the thing which should be forgotten about.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>You might be over over-genrefication now. Practice certainly does matter but one still need to learn by reading, analyzing what makes good photo, SP is no different. Maybe seeing the different styles and approaches employed by different masters, say, Winogrand vs. Klein vs. HCB helps. I would say the average street pics poster here would benefit enormously by having their photos critiqued / trashed by editors, rather than, just keep shooting and expressing their "art."</p>

 

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<p>would one be permitted to change the last one in common sense and people skills which I for one think are far more important and usefull than having "big balls"</p>

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<p><em><strong>Ton</strong></em>--- I agree but if, say, Winogrand had such good people skills, would he have been so obsessive, delicated about art and street shooting? I think probably not. Most of us photographers are voyeur because we would look rather than chatting it up in the first place. </p>

<p><em><strong>Hugh Poon---</strong></em> I love HK but it, at times in some places, can be too orderly for me. The mainland is less strict sure, even neighboring Guangdong is vastly different just over the border... </p>

<p>I meant <em><strong>Hugo Poon</strong></em>, my bad:)</p>

Funny thing is there is more street photography done now than ever. Seems like everybody is a street photographer these

days.

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<p>Funny thing is there is more street photography done now than ever. Seems like everybody is a street photographer these days.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>A little off topic, but I think digital has made photography more accessible to a lot of people. There are a lot more photographers in every genre. </p>

<p>That said, I agree with Leslie. My work takes me across Europe, Africa and Asia. In general, The Asian cities seem to present more opportunities for interesting faces and street life. In particular, the Indians, Chinese and Thais seem to be very camera friendly. Just my experience...</p>

<p>Do you need balls for street photography? If so, you can wonder why. I don't like street photography if street photography is sneaking up on people and taking pictures without them knowing it. In my humble opinion that's plain voyeurism and unethical. I know a lot of non-photogs who doesn't like walking through a city nowadays while boys and girls with cams (most of the time weekend warriors with half-decent camera's) taking their pictures without asking it. And I (30 years of experience in journalism) understand that irritation. For what I hear and read, that irritation is growing worldwide as the numbers of street photographers increase. It gives photography in general a bad name. And as Ray says: Seems like everybody is a street photographer these days.<br>

Is street photography art? Well, some is, some isn't. Don't have to spend many words on the subject. All too soon the pro arguments sounds like trying to justify a lost course. I like (some) street photography for its social value. Sometimes for its architecture, street life and/or documentary value. Most of the time I like good street photography for aesthetical reasons.<br>

It is typical that the real ethical pro's - the photojournalists, seldom talk about among eachother about 'street photography' as a genre.<br>

But for those who practise it with love and passion, and talk about it in several fora, one can say: at the end it all comes down on common decency.</p>

<p>It would appear from reading the above that professional street photographers need courage, ability, superb people skills, and a willingness to have (hopefully infrequent) confrontations, sometimes violent with people who feel the photographer is doing something wrong. Increasingly that is the police or security guards with concerns of terrorism or copyright infringement.</p>

<p>Those aren't the characteristics that would tend to make street photography something the average joe is likely to do for fun on a Saturday afternoon. Perhaps it was always so. It seems to me that at the least that makes the professional a bit more obvious, without all the amateurs to make the activity seem "normal." It seems to me also that without the average person feeling that street photography is valuable to us as a society -- with more people feeling more like Cees above, that increasingly few people will literally put their lives on the line to do this and I think that is unfortunate.</p>

<p>It's also why as an amateur, I shoot landscapes. </p>

<p>@David: Wise words.</p>