For a bunch of reasons, I can't take pictures of people surreptitiously. However, I've had great success just taking photographs of people in the open. One of my favorites is to find a stable object to lean against and then remain there for several minutes. People walking by can see me and they can see and know what I am doing, and because I'm not moving they don't look into the camera as much and they end up looking really natural even though they know they're being photographed. Sometimes people stand up straight or look more dignified. But you're right, the types of photos we take are very personal and there are a lot of subjective filters that everything has to pass through. It is self-portrait.
As someone who isn’t a street photographer, it’s extremely interesting how much methodical thought goes into what you shoot. It’s so much more than just ‘taking photos of people in the street’. The interaction is so important 🎉
I love this George and it's so true! Annie Leibowitz said in one of her master classes that it's mandatory for photographers to look back at their work. I've always preferred the definition of street photography being candid shots of people in public places and go entirely on intuition. Depending on the situation, I have direct communication with people if I sense they are open to it. Oh, and wasting time browsing cameras? Guilty as charged!
I think if I considered my "self portrait" based on my shooting, there are certainly themes. When I'm not chasing people, I go after boats and bicycles. When I >am< shooting people, I think what I lean towards are just people giving some kind of wonderful energy, or maybe people someone else might not have noticed, I guess. I loved this post. Great thought project, GH!
Always lovely to see your insight accompanied with my beloved Manchester, keep going at it! Also, something I really like about your content is how you pepper examples of your pictures, it really helps me stay motivated. I struggle with street photography because it's very easy to be too self critical and think "nobody will find this pretty" or "this is mundane", but then I see similar pics in your style, get stunned, and keep my raws for a bit longer :)
The image needs to resonate with me only. No one else sees my images. I shot for myself. I then reformat my memory card and there goes the image. I will never pull a Vivian Maier. Mask On Nurse Marty (Ret)
I assume that some irreverant humor was intended in the initial remarks about Ho and and Bresson. Totally fine. But it sure seems to leave a lot out. Almost all educational videos on RUclips omit even a simple acknowledgement of the potential scope and variety in art. It’s about commercial training or self expression. That’s it. No exploration, even, of what those two approaches actually mean, no context or glimpses into other approaches. What about art that changes how you see the world, challenges your preconceptions about yourself and what you value, actually concretely changes the world itself, is used as personal therapy in a medical sense, helps you cope with a personal loss, reveals what’s hidden from view by all us when we go about our typical day, busts open social taboos and silences, refreshes what we think photography even IS?-among just a few possibilities? Obviously this video’s purpose isn’t to provide a class on art genres, history, theory, etc. But there are opportunities missed, for instance, when you mention and show a piece by Fan Ho. I don’t think Ho was after expressing his “personality.” I think, in part, he was after revelation-an uncovering of what he saw in people that is usually repressed or considered socially out of bounds even for mentioning. That picture reveals an austere beauty in minimalist form, but also a terrible lonliness or isolation in the subject. People may be cheery and cool and fun during brief street encounters, making all of us happy and reassured, but then go home to feelings of emptiness and lost-ness they haven’t a clue about how to face. The best art, the stuff that blows your head off, reveals beauty, joy, grief and tragedy at once. It may even show those things to be inseparable. I’m not trying to be idiotically, pretentiously profound, or promote only heavy, serious art. I’m just arguing that we at LEAST give beginning photographers a glimpse from time to time of what’s available to them. When showing Ho or Bresson, why not go ahead and poke fun at them, go ahead and cut up pictures of canonized artists, but at least also mention that these artists were not about sharing their “personalities” with us, or doing art as easy-going self portrait. That they were after some other, very cool things, like x, y, and z. And then move on to the focus of this video, which is ways to make street photography feel fluid and fun.
Thanks for sharing, you have some valid points - however what you've dived into wasn't within the scope of this video. My only thesis was this idea of our personalities being reflected in our work, not to give an art lesson. I'm sure there are many channels who can do that for you!
For a bunch of reasons, I can't take pictures of people surreptitiously. However, I've had great success just taking photographs of people in the open. One of my favorites is to find a stable object to lean against and then remain there for several minutes. People walking by can see me and they can see and know what I am doing, and because I'm not moving they don't look into the camera as much and they end up looking really natural even though they know they're being photographed. Sometimes people stand up straight or look more dignified. But you're right, the types of photos we take are very personal and there are a lot of subjective filters that everything has to pass through. It is self-portrait.
That's such a good insight, I feel like I don't do that enough but you've inspired me to try! Out of curiosity, do you shoot at a wider focal length?
As someone who isn’t a street photographer, it’s extremely interesting how much methodical thought goes into what you shoot. It’s so much more than just ‘taking photos of people in the street’. The interaction is so important 🎉
Absolutely, the interactions for me are what make or break the experience of taking photos - then the images are a bonus!
I love this George and it's so true! Annie Leibowitz said in one of her master classes that it's mandatory for photographers to look back at their work. I've always preferred the definition of street photography being candid shots of people in public places and go entirely on intuition. Depending on the situation, I have direct communication with people if I sense they are open to it. Oh, and wasting time browsing cameras? Guilty as charged!
Thanks Juliette! And completely agree with you there, always valuable to go back and trace our own photographic steps in a way
This is great man 👌🏻
Thanks mate! 🙏
I think if I considered my "self portrait" based on my shooting, there are certainly themes. When I'm not chasing people, I go after boats and bicycles. When I >am< shooting people, I think what I lean towards are just people giving some kind of wonderful energy, or maybe people someone else might not have noticed, I guess.
I loved this post. Great thought project, GH!
Cheers Chris!
Always lovely to see your insight accompanied with my beloved Manchester, keep going at it!
Also, something I really like about your content is how you pepper examples of your pictures, it really helps me stay motivated. I struggle with street photography because it's very easy to be too self critical and think "nobody will find this pretty" or "this is mundane", but then I see similar pics in your style, get stunned, and keep my raws for a bit longer :)
Thank you! Of course, always take time to appreciate your own photos too, it's easy to be critical of our own work too often
Loved this. Thanks George 🙌🏻
Glad you enjoyed it!
I really enjoy these types of videos. Thanks.
Thanks for watching 😄
Bowie tatt. Lovely.
I am wondering what m43 you were shooting the selfie with. :0
G2!
‘Yaaasss’ 😂😂
💅🏼
You are not your camera. But what you are, your camera will come to.
Well put!
The image needs to resonate with me only. No one else sees my images. I shot for myself. I then reformat my memory card and there goes the image. I will never pull a Vivian Maier.
Mask On Nurse Marty (Ret)
I assume that some irreverant humor was intended in the initial remarks about Ho and and Bresson. Totally fine. But it sure seems to leave a lot out. Almost all educational videos on RUclips omit even a simple acknowledgement of the potential scope and variety in art. It’s about commercial training or self expression. That’s it. No exploration, even, of what those two approaches actually mean, no context or glimpses into other approaches.
What about art that changes how you see the world, challenges your preconceptions about yourself and what you value, actually concretely changes the world itself, is used as personal therapy in a medical sense, helps you cope with a personal loss, reveals what’s hidden from view by all us when we go about our typical day, busts open social taboos and silences, refreshes what we think photography even IS?-among just a few possibilities?
Obviously this video’s purpose isn’t to provide a class on art genres, history, theory, etc. But there are opportunities missed, for instance, when you mention and show a piece by Fan Ho. I don’t think Ho was after expressing his “personality.” I think, in part, he was after revelation-an uncovering of what he saw in people that is usually repressed or considered socially out of bounds even for mentioning. That picture reveals an austere beauty in minimalist form, but also a terrible lonliness or isolation in the subject. People may be cheery and cool and fun during brief street encounters, making all of us happy and reassured, but then go home to feelings of emptiness and lost-ness they haven’t a clue about how to face. The best art, the stuff that blows your head off, reveals beauty, joy, grief and tragedy at once. It may even show those things to be inseparable.
I’m not trying to be idiotically, pretentiously profound, or promote only heavy, serious art. I’m just arguing that we at LEAST give beginning photographers a glimpse from time to time of what’s available to them. When showing Ho or Bresson, why not go ahead and poke fun at them, go ahead and cut up pictures of canonized artists, but at least also mention that these artists were not about sharing their “personalities” with us, or doing art as easy-going self portrait. That they were after some other, very cool things, like x, y, and z. And then move on to the focus of this video, which is ways to make street photography feel fluid and fun.
Thanks for sharing, you have some valid points - however what you've dived into wasn't within the scope of this video. My only thesis was this idea of our personalities being reflected in our work, not to give an art lesson. I'm sure there are many channels who can do that for you!
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