From the street photographer’s point of view:
The technical and the human approach
Throughout the last couple of months I’ve received several questions regarding what you actually can allow yourself to do as a street photographer. The many e-mails have stimulated me to begin a small paper on the psychological and social aspects of street photography.
Not wanting to keep Simon and everybody else waiting too long for an answer, I’ll present my provisional considerations ...
Typical questions are:
Where do you draw the line? How far can you go? Can one just like that start shooting portraits of other people? And what about photographing poor people, mourning people, slum districts?
Personal considerations
Of course, I do not possess the final answers. However, I can say a few words about how I look at the topic.
As you will know, if you have read “The Street Photographer’s DNA”, I tentatively describe street photography using three parameters:
“1. We're talking street photography when our purpose is to show people's behaviour, actions and activities - such as they unfold in the public space when they are left to themselves.
By public spaces we mean all the places people frequent and gather. Underground stations, concert halls, market halls and football stadiums are therefore also public spaces.
2. The street photographer will typically endeavour to be as anonymous as possible, to blend in with his surroundings and to avoid impacting the situation.
If the people photographed are aware that they are in the street photographer's viewfinder, the situation changes from being natural and unaffected and instead becomes a situation where it is obvious that the people present and photographed are aware that they are being photographed.
Put nicely and yet not to mince words, the situation changes from being a natural situation to become role play, a public show, where those present are aware of being 'players' in the universe and choreography of the photographer.
3. The street photographer focuses on everyday life.
The street photographer surreptitiously documents what is happening around us, everyday activities and our interaction with each other.
Mirroring very ordinary life often leads the photographer to an increased fascination with everyday life.
Situations we would not normally pay attention to, suddenly become thought-provoking, unique and extraordinary. The street photographer opens our eyes. Mundane reality is suddenly anything but commonplace.”
The first answers
If you can accept the description, you already have answered some of the questions:
Yes, you just place yourself in the middle of everyday life and start photographing scenarios and portraits of other people. Ordinary people, wealthy quarters and slum districts.
Of course, all of us will from time to time be faced with dilemmas. Is it for instance acceptable to photograph people, who find themselves in the middle of social or emotional disasters, the deepest misery and despair.
Again, according to the descriptions understanding of street photography, the answer is “yes”. The description speaks of street photograhy focusing on ‘everyday life’, therefore if the street photographer works in places characterized by such extreme situations, he will be true to his ‘mission’ and document, what he sees.
A quite different story is if we can overcome our possible reservation and make ourselves shoot – and if so, how do we do it?
The description mentions, that the street photographer takes his pictures in a quiet way, unnoticed and if possible without intervening in or having an effect on the situation (As you can understand, my approach differs from the way Bruce Gilden ‘attacks’ the street photography genre).
That also gives us some kind of answer.
To push it to extremes: Naturally, we do not strike a provocative attitude, putting our fullframe DSLR-camera fitted with a 70-200 mm zoom lens right up into the face of our subjects. On the contrary, we adjust our equipment to the situation. As a rule, when talking about extreme situations, we tend to choose a neutral camera, a small compact or maybe even use the mobil phones camera, prefering to go as unnoticed as possible. Placing ourselves with care.
A first attempt to differentiate the answers
As far as I am concerned, I endeavour to comply with a few more conditions:
1. The good street photography is always loyal to the subjects.
It means, that ridicule, know-all attitudes, moralizing and disapproving of what you see, do not belong to street photography. The street photographer makes an effort to describe everyday life as ‘objective’ as possible, leaving the interpretation to others.
2. The good street photographer notices the distinctive character of the individual person.
Where others can be inclined to turn down the subject using a term very much in the public mind, the street photographer open-minded sees behind the chancy categories, focusing on the person in the situation. The street photographer prioritizes the ‘common to all mankind’, the sympathetic point of view.
3. The good street photography holds more than noticed at first sight.
A closer look at the photograph often reveals details, that differentiate, challenge or even contradict the habitual conclusions of the first superficial sight.
As a street photographer it is not bad at all to possess an optimistic and constructive mentality. Openness and respect for the human diversity and a strong effort not to denounce the portrayed or to pride yourself at the sacrifice of the subject are human qualities, that make sure, that you can stand up for taking photographs in most situations.
To behave oneself
And then of course, generally, letting it all hang out: The street photographer behaves, meaning that you bring your good manners when you enter the role as a street photographer.
Good manners show, that you respect other people, that you notice them, that they matter, and that their point of view means something.
An important aspect of good manners is common courtesy. Plain, ordinary courtesy. Don’t forget that a greeting, a nod, a smile, a raised hand can make all the difference, experiencing a situation as pleasant or insecure – to yourself and to the subject.
Consequences for the street photographer
Transferred to the everyday life of the street photographer it means, that if you get ‘caught’ photograhing, the subject finds out, what you are doing, you do not put a good face on it. On the contrary, you signal in a questioning way using facial expressions or a simple verbal question, if it is ok to shoot.
A variant of this situation is when you are spotted by the ‘surroundings’ as a photographer ‘sneaking around’, ‘shooting on the sly’. Especially, if you are a novice street photographer, the surroundings will be fast to spot you.
There are several ways to handle this situation. Of course we all have to find our own ways in dealing with the challenges, but naturally we can draw on each others experience, telling each other, how we operate in various situations.
At first, two different ways to react in the situation, where you are ‘caught’, leap to the eye:
You can resign from the situation, or you can move deeper into it.
If you quit the situation, you risk that the experience leaves some negative marks, that your self-confidence as a street photographer decreases. You may feel that you fled, and that you did not prove true. However, you can come up against situations, where the only reasonable reaction is to clear out. Better leave the situation than risk to get mixed up in something that makes you insecure.
Another reaction to the being spotted incident is to openly confront the situation. The confrontation consists of two steps.
To begin with you deliberately change your attitudes and movements from trying to be unnoticed to a more distinct and visible photographer chasing good photographic subjects.
In the second place, after having behaved according to the new situation a little while (we are talking about small adjustments, not about tremendous changes), you make contact with one or more of the persons, that you think have spotted you as a street photographer. A smile and a question are always good approaches, if you speak the same language, and if you don’t, a questioning and acknowledging body language can do just as well.
The most important is the dialogue, the open contact. You demonstrate, that you acknowledge the presence of the other person as a human being and not only as a subject for a street photographers ambitions.
Closing and next step
There are a good many more psychological and social matters to pay attention to as a street photographer.
But Simon and others, that will be all for now :-)
However, as mentioned: A small paper will follow ...
