The pursuit of a decent Christmas themed Street Picture is one of my established festive activities , I don’t always find one but I enjoy the search !

This blog has received minor modifications for 2022

Street Photography has a long tradition of the Christmas Pic , despite the abundance of opportunities around the world The Christmas Street pic is not as easy to find as it looks , here are a few of my efforts from previous years .

The festive period usually delivers the time , positive mindset and opportunities to find something that reflects a bit more than the traditional Christmas imagery , the challenge is to find something that goes beyond the familiar “Ho , Ho , Ho and looks a bit deeper , social comment , humor or surrealism perhaps ….

Find something that goes beyond the “Ho , Ho , Ho ….

As a busy blogger I have a need for seasonal Xmas imagery but my motivation goes a bit deeper than that , its a bit like wanting to write a successful Christmas song , I hope to create a iconic festive Street photograph every year , I want to make a pic that goes on to have a life of its own ,

I’m looking for something that makes me smile or subverts Christmas traditions , truth be told I don’t know what I’m looking for but I hope to recognise it , when I see it !

What is the recipe for a “good” Christmas Street photograph ?

It’s no surprise to me that classic Christmas iconography appears to be the reoccurring feature of all Xmas themed pics , finding the twist , surprise or irony seems to be the challenge . The misaligned chimney attracted me to the view below , without that I would have walked on …

Themes of excess , commercialisation and superficiality are all viable routes for exploration for those wanting to put a bit more jingle in their Street Photography bells !

This Santa was on stilts that were hidden beneath the chimney , no need to bend for this low view point !

Many of the great Street togs have juxtaposed the festive season with a economic uncertainty theme , Christmas is not a great time for everyone , this approach demands high levels of sensitivity , sincerity and integrity , don’t play at this approach , it demands respect and thought , tread carefully …

You do not have to look too deeply to discover the dark under belly of Christmas unfairness , loneliness and need , Christmas will not be merry for everyone …

A festive image from my State Of Britain series …

Generous quantities of snow tend to appear in many of the “Best “ Christmas themed Street pics , The white stuff can be much harder to find here in the UK nowadays , New York gifted Saul Leiter and others opportunities to make some of the greatest festive Street pics ever , back in the day , snow is not as reliable in the UK as it once was, Santa is much more dependable than snow these days and he’s fictitious , only joking , he’s real , he’s real , honest … oops ?

Like it or loath it, snow looks great in pictures , if it comes, make the most of it …

It never ceases to amaze me how a visual re-examination of reality can create a alternative reality , a super reality where order gives way to visual chaos , the eye of the surrealist can subvert truth and suggest alternative “Visual Facts” , is reality stranger than photographic fiction ?

The picture below is probably my fave Christmas Street Pic , it possesses surprise , humour and Surrealism , I don’t get these gifts very often !

Thanks are due to the Street Photography Gods , they even threw in a big red focal point too …

All of the pictures above were captured during pre-Covid times , things seemed better then , my Street ethos feels damaged now , personal freedoms , picture opportunities and the inner smile are all ebbing away, slowly …

Congratulations if you’ve managed to keep on , keeping on with a smile on your face following the Covid crisis , in fact just “Keeping On” is worthy of applause , maintaining a appetite for creativity is difficult right now but the alternative is worse …

Finally the last Christmas pic for this blog is a picture “of” and “for” our times , this pic turned up in 2020 , its a outtake from my Testing Times project .You don’t always get what you want but if you try , sometimes , you might find , you get what you need ….

Keep an eye out for my 2022 annual review, its a hefty volume and has been weeks in the making , 52 weeks in fact and is well worth its ticket price (Free) , its a classic tale of triumph over adversity , victory in the face of danger and lethargy in the name of apathy …

Many thanks to everyone who has followed this blog and my work this year …

I’m unsure if this years pursuit of the Christmas Pic will be successful , its much harder nowadays and getting harder as I write , I’ve asked Santa for a good Xmas pic this year and will try to find one myself …

Take care if your out and about , keep it real and stay safe…

Merry Christmas …

MORE…

If your blessed with a bit more time feel free to visit highlights from my Another Day Off project , The State Of Britain series and The Testing Times pictures , they represent ten years of my life and the most turbulent years in modern British history …