Prepare to be Lucky !

I missed this shot during the first edit, I have published it today as it illustrates a point I made in an earlier post. (Street Photography First Steps)

I came across the dog tied to this lamp post and thought I would wait and watch to see how the scene developed. I framed up the shot leaving plenty of space in order to make capture of the image easier when the scene matured.

The lady in the pic arrived within 3 or 4 minutes and the dog owner shortly after, this was the first shot of the day and a nice way to break the ice for a two hour street session.

This shot was visualised before it existed, the composition was already planned before the old lady arrived on the scene and filled the space I had created to complete the composition.

I invest a lot of time waiting for these moments and it is not rare for nothing to happen, had the lady arrived from the right of the frame this picture would not have worked.

Shoot Out Of Context !

I mentioned in an earlier post that I would discuss the various visual devices I use to try and make my pictures a little more interesting, so here it goes.

Yesterday I attended a carnival in order to capture a few more images for my "Another Day Off" series and was pleased with what I came away with, however please note that I said attended not photographed as I shot very few pix of the carnival itself because a carnival parade is exactly that and few visual surprises are thrown up by parades because we expect outrageous outfits, behavior and mass colour as that is the format of such events .

Once the parade was finished the picture opportunities I was anticipating started to reveal themselves as the participants could be shot in isolation against backgrounds that did not tell the full story and made the "context" ambiguous and in some cases surreal.

This is a much used device in SP as a guy wearing a unusual outfit in a parade is not unusual but as soon as he arrives in what appears to be a everyday scene a level of humour or mystery is added to the work that makes the viewer search for context and explanation.

The lesson here is  is to realise that what is left out the frame is quite often as important as what is included, it is not a bad thing to make the viewer ask why or how ?

In short it is not a bad thing to only tell part of the story.

The picture below was taken at yesterdays Gloucester Carnival, the background suggests that it may have a religious context.

My Lucky Camera !

Let me start by saying this post is not a plug about cameras, I deliberately stay away from such nonsense and will not "plug" kit on here as this blog is about photographs and photography on the streets, if you think the latest bit of capture machinery is going to make you a better tog your delusional.

In my street kit I carry 2 almost identical cameras not because I ever use them at the same time but because I don't want to waste time when batteries fail or cards fill. This is probably a throw back to when I used to earn my living from photography and would try to have back up kit for almost every eventuality.

Yesterday I went in search of "Masterpieces" and stuck my hand in the bag and pulled out one of the cameras, I don't really care which one comes out as they are so similar and both are loaded with fresh battery's and cards. The 2 hour session started slow as nothing was sparking my interest and then within a 20 minute period I had captured a couple of pix that I was pleased with, the picture below put a huge smile on my face as I managed to squeeze off 3 frames before the moment was over. I normally have to search must harder for my pictures than I did yesterday especially when using the "other" camera.

I have realised that most of my favourite images have been captured on my "lucky" camera despite using both models equally, I am beginning to wonder if this bit of kit might have a secret SP mode that makes folk behave in an odd manner every time I point the lens.

I wonder if Gloucester is an odd place or is it me and my lucky camera that trigger such visual events.

The other shot  from yesterday has been posted on the Another day Off section of the site.

Does The World Need Another Street Photograph ?

I remember watching an interview with Martin Parr years ago, when he asked the question "does the world need another sunset photograph" ?

The same question could and maybe should be asked of SP. The answer to me at least is a definite "NO" !

Despite the almost infinite supply of SP created by fantastic artists from all over the world togs like you and I habitually create images that have no significant use or perceived value to most of the global population.  The street tog community have already limited the subjects that are acceptable, no homeless, no posters, balloon covered faces are cliched etc. The truth is that SP is almost undermining its own importance due to its popularity with photographers, the fact remains that few living togs manage to create a meaningful income from print sales. Could this be due to the natural laws of supply and demand ?

The people who value street photography most are the photographers who create SP, this is an almost incestuous relationship with our own art form.  The way that most of us work does not help the situation, the majority of togs shoot digital and most of the others have  a analogue/digital work flow. The situation is compounded by the nature of SP which embraces a purist approach and discourages any form of deviation as it diminishes the element of truth/reality we hope to bring to our works. Most of us seem to favour the same focal length lenses to work with, if you do things the same way repeatedly you will achieve the same results.

In short much of the street images I see and indeed create are starting to look and feel a bit too familiar for want of a better word. (Street Photography Fatigue ?). The general public do appear to buy into "generic" street imagery at places like Ikea but this could be linked to the nostalgic nature of the mass produced products available rather than a real appetite for contemporary SP from the man/woman in the street.

I have realized that the world may not need or want the images that I create but that I need to create these images.  Why ?  Street photography helps me to understand my place within the world and hopefully it may help others to understand me and how I live or god forbid lived. The work of Vivian Maier, Jimmy Forsyth and Tony Ray Jones has made me think a lot about the lifespan of my work and of myself, I have already sold image licenses that will exist long after I have gone and must admit that its quite a strange scenario to get to grips with.

On a more positive note I must confess that creating street pix makes me happy and that is the best reason to shoot "street", but I do recognize that at the end of the day its all about the images and that capture is only part of the process, it is becoming more difficult to create original work despite every moment on the street being unique,  Those who are brave enough to do things in a new way will lead the way in street photography and could be remembered as those who define our time visually, the rest of us will be of our time !

My personal photographic plan for change is not complete but I recognize a need for change, it might be time to start doing it "wrong" !

When the world goes ZIG it may be time to ZAG !

The Dalmatian Contagion                                                                                                                                    David Barrett

Street Photography (First Steps 1 )

You've seen the pictures and now you want to give it a go .

The best camera for your early steps onto the streets is probably the one you already have, it may be your camera phone or the one you take on holiday.  ( I rate the old Olympus Trip film camera as a great street camera.)

The most important thing is the mind set you bring to your new photographic efforts. You should ask yourself what you are trying to achieve  from your early SP efforts, looking at the work of other street togs will help you understand the medium and give you a few ideas.

The first thing you will realize is that its not as easy as it first appears, organizing the chaos of life into meaningful frame sized chunks is demanding and your "failure" rate will be high in the early days, to be honest the failure rate will always be high, that is the nature of SP.

Remember that SP is art photography don't get bogged down with the technical stuff, find a scenario that might develop into a picture opportunity and be patient, wait and watch and then watch some more, the right moment will present itself and you will be ready to capitalise on the moment, a gunslingers reactions are not  necessary if you have visualised how a scene might develop correctly. 

In short become a people watcher, notice what is happening and try to predict what might happen next and be prepared to capture it. Don't let the photographic technicalities get between you and the moment, keep it simple move slowly and blend into the scene.

This is a personal journey, learn from your failures and understand why the good pix are good and think about how you can make them better. Treat your subjects (strangers) with respect and a smile, do not photograph children during your early days as society does not embrace nervous looking adults pointing lenses towards kids.  The paranoia of  society is on the rise and you should realize  that street photographers are viewed by some as either terrorists or pedophiles.

Street Photography is a lawful activity in public places and is protected by article 10 of the European Convention. This does not give you license to run amok, remember the idea is to blend in and create candid real images.

Street Photography should be thought of as  "JAZZ" rather than classical and the creative freedom of street should be enjoyed and exploited.

Good luck with your early efforts and welcome to the street photography community.

Gardening & Street Photography !

With the recent downturn in the British weather I decided to undertake a few chores that I had been putting off, I decided to cut the grass and trim the hedges, jobs that I hate but needs must.

I had convinced myself that if I bit the bullet I would be free to hit the streets in search of my next "Masterpiece" when the weather improved. My torturous gardening session was almost complete when I spotted this view, I knew immediately that my day had not been a total waste and that my gardening efforts would be rewarded with a unusual addition to my portfolio.  

It's not everyday that you manage to capture what appears to be children falling from the sky into a neighbours garden.

Yes I know my hedge still needs a trim but it started to rain .

Keep it real !

Cheltenham Reflection

Trawled around the fashionable spar town of Cheltenham the other day and came back with this. Not a lot happening on the streets, this image was quite hard to find.

Reflections often work best in bright sunlight as the contrast is increased and its not very often that UK based togs can top up the tan and try a few experimental shots.

It looks like a multi-exposure but its not.

Another Day Off

This  series of pictures investigates how the English use recreational time

The subject was originally explored by Tony Ray-Jones  in his 1974 posthumously published book "A Day Off".

I started this series  in 2012 and expect to complete the project in 2014,  These pictures record  many of the subtle changes that have taken place in England over the last forty years but more importantly I believe they prove that the eccentric spirit of the English that Ray-Jones captured still exists today. 

At first glance these images should appear ordinary or even mundane however I believe they contain small collisions of coincidence, surreal elements and even a little humour for those that take the time to look. The more I look at these images the more I begin to realise that the English are in danger of becoming hostages to nostalgia.

Thanks for taking the time to look at my work.

Why ? Street Photography

As a photographer who has "enjoyed" a commercial photography career and a formal photographic education I am attracted to street photography because it represents a freedom that commercial commissions rarely provide. Street Photography is always a surprise to me which is in total contrast to commissioned work where the the little surprises are usually bad news.

I find the unplanned nature of SP exciting as all I ever really know before a shoot is the location, I have no idea who will feature in my pictures or what they will be doing. The pictures that work best appear to have an element that is beyond my control or expectation, some might describe it as luck !

I'll be the first to admit that serendipity plays its part in my photography however it should be remembered that the more time I invest in SP the luckier I become.

I will try to expand on my photographic thought process in future blogs as I believe an awareness of various visual devices can help togs make sense of what appears to be chaos.

Keep it real !

Welcome

First of all thanks for taking the time to check out my site.

I thought I would open this blog by asking the age old question What is Street Photography ?

Unless we understand our medium we have little chance of creating successful images.

Street Photography is a form of art photography it is not created with a vision of historical relevance that is documentary photography however the images may develop historical relevance in the future as any art form reflects the time of its creation.

Street Photography is not meant to address social injustice or try to change the world that is the job of photojournalism although everyday life is our subject in all its various forms.

Street Photography should take place in public places and usually include a reference to life but this can be indirect, most street togs believe "SP" should be candid and that the great street pictures expose the small truths of life. SP is not better or worse than documentary photography or photojournalism it is just different and can be difficult to identify along side each other.

Share your thoughts.