Is everyone a street photographer now?

[Spearhead]

<blockquote>

<p>it's pretty much a joke when anyone with a smartphone takes a photo wherein there is rarely any thought to composition.</p>

</blockquote>

<p> <br>

Smartphones don't take photos, people do.<br>

</p>

<blockquote>

<p> This is photography? No, afraid not. </p>

</blockquote>

<p><br />Sorry, you're wrong. Photography is anything that makes a photograph.<br>

</p>

<blockquote>

<p>To raise up a smartphone and claim to have taken a good photo is as ludicrous as digitally changing a color photo to B&W simply by choosing greyscale.</p>

</blockquote>

<p> <br>

Take a look at <a href="http://www.citysnaps.net/blog/page/6/">Brad's blog</a> and come back and tell us the same thing. The square ones there are taken with a phone.</p>

[Uhooru]

<blockquote>

<p>Brad, it's pretty much a joke when anyone with a smartphone takes a photo wherein there is rarely any thought to composition.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>So is it the phone or the photographer that doesn't think about composition. I've assuming all these years that a photographer composes a photo not the camera. Really, I've seen photos from camera phones. Jeff mentioned Brad's phone cam photos, which are lovely no matter what. My sister traveled S.E. Asia with her iPhone. She's not trained at all, never used a camera, yet she smartly composed and shot a scad of really beautiful photos. Ken your assumptions really are without basis.</p>

[chiragwakaskar]

<p>I think photography is more about the story than the gear. Ive been shooting consistently with the iPhone & instagram for the past year mostly shooting street images. I think the phone has helped me to 'see' more than I usually do & shoot in places or shoot people which I would be a little apprehensive (on both ends) if I had pointed my dslr with 24-70 at them. Ive seen some brilliant street photographers shooting with phones & some really bad photographers with high end equipment. The phone enables one to be part of the scene & be invisible enough to capture moments of life that would perhaps be difficult with lugging around a huge camera.<br>

If there seem to be more people doing it, Id look at it as more people seem to be interested in photography & life rather than gear which is a good thing.</p>

 

[dan_south]

<blockquote>

<p><em>Lex</em>: I suppose I'm not particularly concerned about photographers snapping pix in public because we're under almost constant surveillance anyway.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>That's a great point and a subject that has been on my mind quite a bit recently. "Excuse me! You can't take photos here!" "Oh, really? What about that camera over there? And that one over there? And that tourist who's filming us right now from across the street?" :-)</p>

<p>I apologize, but I forgot about this thread. Lots of interesting ideas have been posted since I last looked. I promise to read every post when I get some time. All of your contributions are appreciated!</p>

[jonathan_reynolds]

<p>I think the whole problem is that defining genres is a retrospective act. You can recognise a vogue for street photography in hindsight, but to set out to do 'street photography' like those of the past is to behave like a sheep.</p>