The Best Street Photographer You've Never Heard Of Vivian Maier/John Maloof Collection IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO TAKE measure of Vivian Maier's photos without taking stock of her story. She was by all accounts remarkably private, someone who didn't always enjoy the company of other adults. And yet her photographs feel like a celebration of people—a celebration of what Studs Terkel, the late grand oral historian, liked to call "the etceteras" of the world. (One photography scholar I spoke with suggested Terkel and Maier would have made a formidable pair, like James Agee and Walker Evans.) In the winter of 2007, John Maloof, a 26-year-old realtor who was co-writing a book on his Portage Park neighborhood of Chicago, stumbled upon a box of negatives at an auction house. Maloof posted 100 of Maier's photos to a blog, but when that didn't generate much interest, he posted on Flickr. Unlike, say, Walker Evans—who hid his 35 mm camera behind a buttonhole in his coat while taking photos in New York's subways—Maier wore her camera around her neck.
Street Photography: Peter Jenkins There have been a number of well-publicised cases over the past few years where seemingly normal, perfectly law-abiding citizens (yes, photographers are citizens too, you know) have been stopped from doing what everyone had assumed was perfectly legal and publicly acceptable, that is to take photographs in a public place. Or as we call it, street photography. Is street photography legal?Yes, of course it is. It is no more illegal for you than it was for Henri Cartier-Bresson, probably the most famous street photographer of all. So why do I keep reading about photographers being prevented from taking pictures in public places? “Freedom to photograph/film: Members of the public and the media do not need a permit to film or photograph in public places and police have no power to stop them filming or photographing incidents or police personnel.” Many people think, wrongly, that you are not allowed to take a photograph in a public place. Are there any exceptions? What of privacy?
Henri Cartier-Bresson and Street Photography French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson, the father of modern photojournalism, has inspired plenty of photographers. His raw images capture the emotions of his subjects and his photo compositions are phenomenal. Read more about Henri Cartier-Bresson and his street photography. Henri Cartier-Bresson was a photographer who started out as a painter. One thing that makes Henri Cartier-Bresson an excellent street photographer is that he immerses himself in the places where he shoots. Henri Cartier-Bresson spent a lot of time on personal shoots. Learning to blend in is a big part of street photography. Since he was a painter before becoming a photographer, the composition of his shots can be compared to that of a painting. These are some of Henri Cartier-Bresson’s qualities that make him an excellent street photographer. Henri Cartier-Bresson was also part of a series made by Cornell Capa.
Tips > Cropping Thoughts One learns to avoid mentioning certain topics with people that you don't know well, such as: • Religion • Politics • Cropping. Cropping? Yes, mentioning cropping can bring forth much bile and blather. Two at the Extremes Henri Cartier-Bresson and Walker Evans had differing views on cropping. Henri Cartier-Bresson Behind the Gare Saint-Lazare, 1932 Henri Cartier-Bresson Jamais! Cartier-Bresson purportedly permitted only two of his photographs to be cropped. His printers were instructed to use filed-out negative carriers so that a black line could appear at the perimeter of the photographs. The black edge proved that the photographs were not cropped. Ironically, one of the two cropped photographs was one of his most famous photographs, above. Cartier-Bresson was a surrealist at heart. Apparently, he couldn't discard the "defective" photograph due to the juxtaposition of the puddle jumper and the dance poster. We do like reflections, too. He blinked; he cropped. Walker Evans Walker Evans In a Nutshell Crop.
The F-Stops Here - Street photography: crop or crap? Photographic Psychology: The Decisive Moment I dedicate this article to the memory of Richard Zakia, whose support and insights made it possible. This research was funded by a grant from Rider University. In 1952 Henri Cartier-Bresson, a founder of modern photojournalism, proposed one of the most fascinating and highly debated concepts in the history of photography: “the decisive moment.” This moment occurs when the visual and psychological elements of people in a real life scene spontaneously and briefly come together in perfect resonance to express the essence of that situation. Now that I’ve proposed this deceptively simple definition of the DM, I’d like to explore the concept in more depth. Before beginning an in depth exploration of the DM, let me first briefly summarize my conclusions about what it entails. 1. Cartier-Bresson’s Viewpoint In 1952 Cartier-Bresson published Images à la Sauvette, which roughly translates as “images on the run” or “stolen images.” Manufactured or staged photography does not concern me. 1. 2. 3.
Street Photography Composition Lesson #3: Diagonals For today’s street photography composition lesson, we will discuss a compositional rule that is simple enough: the diagonal. Credit goes to Adam Marelli for teaching me about this important design element which can help street photographers all around the globe. Diagonals are one of the strongest and most fundamental compositional elements– something that we all know quite well. There are 3 types of main lines: the horizontal, vertical, and diagonal line. They also go in degrees of intensity (the horizontal line being the least dynamic and the diagonal line as the most dynamic). 1. The horizontal line. The horizontal line is by nature, flat. 2. The vertical line. The vertical line is much more dynamic than the horizontal line. Imagine a man standing tall. 3. The diagonal line. Now let us go onto the diagonal line. Imagine a man standing up, and you shoved him quite hard. Dynamic Symmetry In one chapter he talks about the diagonal, and cutting the “reciprocal” line through it. 1. 2. Done?
10 Things Not To Do As a Street Photographer (Above image “Untitled” by Christos Kapatos) I just finished reading “The Black Swan” by Nassim Nicholas Taleb, where he discusses many misconceptions and fallacies that we face as humans. He talks from a scientific-philosophical viewpoint, and has many fascinating insights. One of them was about knowledge—and that it isn’t necessarily additive—rather something subtractive. For example, a good stock-broker won’t tell you what to do, but rather what not to do. Therefore for this blog post I will share some of my insights and experiences in street photography in terms of what not to do. 1.Dont shoot standing up One of the things I always advise people against when shooting street photography is shooting standing up. Of course this depends on the situation. 2.Dont shoot street performers or the homeless Shooting street performers or the homeless are easy targets. Street performers have their photo taken all the time, and aren’t challenging to take photos of. 5.Don’t waste time focusing
Amateur street photography: a beginner's guide | Art and design Picture the scene: you're out on the sidewalk – maybe shopping, chatting or just daydreaming. Suddenly, you notice a shifty-looking bloke pointing a camera at you. What's your reaction? Discomfort, embarrassment – anger? Before you lose your temper, spare a thought for the person behind the camera. So why do we do it? We talk about "taking" a photograph, but the process is nowhere near as one-sided as the word implies. City streets are a great place to take photographs. For those who yearn to make the leap from admiring other people's photographs to photographing other people, street photography is the obvious starting point. Ironically, street photographers expose themselves to even more scrutiny than their subjects. Hostility A negative reaction is what every nervous neophyte most expects and fears. Resentment This is often just an expression of self-consciousness. Act naturally. If you do get caught taking someone's photo, you might as well make sure you've taken it. Disapproval Posing
Theater of the Streets, Shot On Google Glass Richard Koci Hernandez—@koci_glass Taken in San Fransisco, an image posted to the photographer's @koci_glass Instagram account on June 24, 2013. More than a century ago, in New York City, Paul Strand began creating some of the earliest candid street photography. His goal was to capture people as they act in public, unaware of the observing eye. Today, “I finally feel like my eye is a camera,” says Richard Koci Hernandez, an Emmy award-winning multimedia producer, photojournalist and professor of New Media. Hernandez spoke to LightBox about his work, the newest tool in his arsenal and what it all means for the future of street photography. You’ve been doing street photography for 25 years. Street photography for me is not so much about going out to hunt for pictures, but allowing them to come to me in my daily life. Take me through the progression of cameras you’ve used. When digital cameras came along, I wasn’t a big fan. What’s it like when you go out shooting with Google Glass?