What makes a good street photograph?

[Allen Herbert]

<p>Study the pioneer of streetphotography for a minute"<br>

<br />I have and am…. a project of mine.</p>

<p>Phylo, they are not the exclusive holders of the "Holy Grail". Methinks, they have passed it on to a lot of photographers out there doing all sorts of interesting stuff… I would include you, among others on this forum, in that thought.<br /><br />Time warps only exist on Star Trek, Phylo.</p>

[DickArnold]

<p>OK Phylo I agree to the "not necessarily" part but that reduces versatility which includes people skills as they have to do with photography. My point was more that photographers skills should be inclusive and that should be inclusive for street photographers as most of street photography I see on PN has people in it. I guess I meant a broad emotional range(Beethoven didn't much like people) but he certainly displayed an enromous emotional range in his music. Atget took pictures of people. I just looked at some. As one who has owned his own portrait studio there is a lot of skill in capturing emotion even on the street at 28mm, although, I prefer longer as we did with the newspaper. Nothing like a good argument on the street or in a bar to capture some angry emotion. I loved to get a look of absolute anguish when I shot sports for example. I did a lot of tight shooting. So Phylo I agree with you. But I still think if you are going to shoot people it is good know be capable of capturing emotion. Photographs are dull without it. Now Phylo I am an old man. I remember Mann Ray in the 30s and other icons as well. In my PN gallery, there is a B&W of three Russian women during a food shortage in Leningrad in 1991. The second one in has a look for me that, although subtle, was very angry at me. There is some emotion in her glance because I pissed her off. That great but illustrative.</p>

[fate_faith_change_chains]

<p>I don't know what you mean by the Star Trek reference Allen, but I still consider Atget as the main guy or the main dude in ( street )photography, even though he didn't even knew or cared for it himself all that much...Of course, there are different takes, different approaches that are all equally valid, <em>in a way</em>. And I 'll buy that.</p>

[fate_faith_change_chains]

<blockquote>

<p>So Phylo I agree with you. But I still think if you are going to shoot people it is good know be capable of capturing emotion. Photographs are dull without it.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>And I agree with you, but capturing emotion is not the same as capturing people, for people aren't always about emotion.</p>

[Allen Herbert]

<p>"I don't know what you mean by the Star Trek reference Allen"</p>

<p>A popular TV series, Phylo.</p>

<p>On one of the series they explore being locked in a time warp where they endlessly repeat themselves saying and believing the same things to infinitives. Without wishing to blaspheme i have seen many photos on this very forum which i have found, equally, or more interesting than Agat or others with names for that matter.</p>

<p>It’s good to escape from a time warp.Phylo. However, religious folk tell me it is part of human nature to worship.<br />

 

</p>

[fate_faith_change_chains]

<blockquote>

<p>i have seen many photos on this very forum which i have found, equally, or more interesting than Atget</p>

</blockquote>

<p>No, <em>nope,</em> I really don't think so, : ). <em>Seriously</em>. That would be <em>crazy.</em></p>

[sjmurray]

<p>Although I don’t do much street photography, I have done a lot of photography in general. I think that “good” street photography is not different from “good” photography, as someone mentioned above. It is not a total mystery: although just scratching the surface, there are a few obvious themes that you typically see in street photography, such as people with strong emotional expressions (or none at all when they probably should), odd juxtapositions of things, unusual scenes, very usual scenes, strong compositions, eroticism, chaos, images that arouse empathy, or other strong emotion, etc. I attach a few of my own “street” photos, all different and yet all done in public places and each have a different reason for appeal (I hope, anyway!)</p><div></div>

[Allen Herbert]

<p>"No, <em>nope,</em> I really don't think so, : ). <em>Seriously</em>. That would be <em>crazy."</em><br>

<br /><em>That's what the crew of the Enterprise thought when Scotty tried to help them escape. I't near impossible to break from a embedded belief you only have to look humanity to understand.</em><br /><em></em><br />However, to belief that Atget is the word on the street is harmless stuff although somewhat lost in space in my opinion.</p>

<p>But then some folk get excited by Madonna believing she is the final word....for sure she has a bigger fan club than poor old Atget could ever dream of….</p>

<p><br />Perhaps the need to worship is indeed the ultimate need of humanity…..but it would seem anything will do.<br /><br />Now there's a troubled thought..</p>

[Allen Herbert]

<p><a href="http://images.google.com/images?q=atget+photographer&rls=com.microsoft:en-gb:IE-SearchBox&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7ADSA_en&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=xx1uS9nsHYO80gTFk5HiBA&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=4&ved=0CCYQsAQwAw">http://images.google.com/images?q=atget+photographer&rls=com.microsoft:en-gb:IE-SearchBox&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7ADSA_en&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=xx1uS9nsHYO80gTFk5HiBA&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=4&ved=0CCYQsAQwAw</a></p>

<p>The man himself.</p>

[maciek_stankiewicz]

<p>In my Humble opinion it's all about the MOMENT, Decisive Moment...<br>

<strong>First,</strong> It's about something unusual, happening, it's about the being in the right place and the right time, with Your camera ready.<br>

<strong>Second,</strong> It's about ability to BE THERE, close enough...<br>

<strong>Third,</strong> Being cold-blooded and wait for the right moment even when something strange is goin' on. It's all about...<br>

<strong>Fourth</strong>, ... It's all about face, gesture and good croping with the camera.<br>

<strong>I'm far from being perfect.</strong> I didn't find it in the book, it's from my experience and from studying photography of Masters like <strong>Koudelka, Cartier Bresson, Erwitt, Winogrand...</strong><br>

Get Your camera with ISO400 film, fast 50mm lens and <strong>BE THERE :)</strong> <br>

All the best,<br>

<em> M.S.</em></p><div></div>

[Allen Herbert]

<p>Let us be really honest; take away his significant part of the history of photography, the old world look….and what have we got?</p>

<p>Would folk really be bursting with excitement looking at these photos in a W.NW thread?</p>

[maciek_stankiewicz]

<p>One more...</p><div></div>

[maciek_stankiewicz]

<p>O.K. Last one :)</p><div></div>

[maciek_stankiewicz]

<p>Hey Allen, You are right. We may be excited while looking at those classic photographs from the past... I wish I would be able to take a pictures without Mc bars, Toyotas, Adi*** sportswear and crappy commercials everywhere... I don't shoot landscapes...</p>

[Sanford]

<p>www.in-public.com</p>

[tonystokes]

<p>" Photography is the art of not pushing the button" Frank Horvat<br>

What?! That's insane! Street photography is the art of pushing that button and doing it over and over. Shoot it and keep shooting it!<br>

I love the opinions as varied as they are as to what street photography is, but, ultimately is is going into the street and shooting with reckless abandon.<br>

You're not going to get anything unless you push that button. Come on Frank! You idiot!</p>

[Christopher Sperry Photogr]

<blockquote>

<p>Get Your camera with ISO400 film, fast 50mm lens and <strong>BE THERE :) </strong></p>

</blockquote>

<p>Maciek, I like the way that you have boiled this down. OK, not only film, but B&W film. How about ISO 3200 T-Max, a fast 50, and be there <em>at night</em> .</p>

 

[maciek_stankiewicz]

<p>Thanks Christopher. I load my everyday camera ( 1.7 lens) with ISO 400 roll because it's my ,,Notepad". I am not that tuff so I prefer color negative and desaturation if needed but now I got Ilford 400 loaded.</p>

<p>I can promise You I will go with ISO 3200 for a first special event ;) Take Care, M.</p>

[mjferron]

<p>Most street photos I see are rather boring. Of course there are some superb street shots but I have a suggestion. Next time you snap a guy walking down the sidewalk doing nothing or that couple sitting at a table again doing nothing keep it to yourself. I'm not a street photographer but good street captures that special moment, glance scowl smile etc. A decisive moment. The rest belongs in the trash can along with all our bad macros, landscapes and portraits.</p>

[tonmestrom]

<p>you leave the room for a minute and it all of a sudden goes bonkers ;-)</p>

<p>instead of talking about what makes a good (street) photo now all of a sudden I see qualifications I supposedly need to have and ways I need to behave in or which people to look up to to even have a remote chance of shooting one in the first place.<br /> <br /> Well gentlemen, here's the thing. Actually I don't HAVE to do or be any of that, nor do you. I'll go out there and do what I like to do without any pretense or care about things I should do or about ways in which I'm supposed to act. In other words I have fun out there warm-blooded and all.</p>

<p>Phylo, for you Atget may be the "main dude" in street photography but personally I think we moved quite a bit from that since then. He set a benchmark sure, but so have many others since.<br /> <em>(by his own word Atget considered himself a documentarist and that's what he did, he's left us with a great and historically important catalogue of Paris notwithstanding him</em> <em> being taken up by the Surrealist movement)</em> <br /> The point is you're not nor ever will be a Eugene Atget but he wasn't a Phylo Darin either. That answers that I think.</p>

<p>Then there's the Decisive Moment. Forget it, follow your own instincts, be yourself. Have fun.</p><div></div>

[fate_faith_change_chains]

<blockquote>

<p>Let us be really honest; take away his significant part of the history of photography, <strong>the old world look…</strong>.and what have we got?</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Atget didn't build the castle that cannot be taken, but he lay a pretty decent foundation for it, picture by picture. Yes, we are all wondering around in it - <em>underneath</em> it - taking something out and putting something back in, looking for that secret space to make it our own, but the ghosts are there too.<br>

I see his photographs picturing the new world just as much as the old world, that's what makes them both effective and magical.</p>

<p><em>A good photograph is like a good hound dog, dumb, but eloquent - Atget</em></p>

[robert gordon]

<p>I'm partial to black and white street photography. Just a few examples from 45 years of shooting can be seen at <a href="http://rwgordonphotography.shutterfly.com/">http://rwgordonphotography.shutterfly.com/</a><br>

Just keep shooting. Once in a great while one of your subjects might object. Simply apologize.</p>

[sjmurray]

<p>Really beautiful work, Robert!. </p>

[ray .]

Gee guys, you don't have to reject the value of Atget's work to be able to do go in your own direction. Just because

someone lived in the past doesn't mean their work is irrelevant to today or just of sentimental value. I don't think most

musicians are less capable because they recognize Beethoven or Miles Davis as having produced great work, or painters

less capable because they appreciate Goya, Velazquez, or Picasso. More likely, they are enriched, and have more in their

arsenal to work with. That doesn't mean they are trying to duplicate what's been done in the past, but just as well, art doesn't come out of a vacuum. Artists also are often consciously referential to past work and directly include those references in their work.

 

The greats are great because what they produced contains things that are timeless, regardless of the date that is attached to it.

[dan_south]

<p>A good street photograph does one of two things:</p>

<p>(1) It captures a sense of time and place. (e.g. New York in the 1970's, Paris in the 1920's, San Francisco in the Summer of Love, New Orleans at Mardi Gras) When you look at the photograph you come away with a sense of what it would have been like to have been standing there in that place at that time.</p>

<p>(2) It shows something unusual that we might find humorous, fascinating, difficult to believe, or compelling in some other way. (Theoretical examples: A very large person walking out of a gym, a very short guy holding hands with a very tall woman, two tuba players having a conversation.) This is the kind of photo that you want to show to your friends because you think they have a similar reaction.</p>

<p>(3) It shows a socially relevant event or condition. (Examples: A row of abandoned businesses, a tense moment at a protest, homeless people sleeping on the steps of a famous church or building. )</p>