Street photography now
Photographing strangers in a public space is regarded by some as a little odd. Yet pictures of our daily life are what come to define an era and many of the great pictures of the past decade would fall into this category.
Street photography though is far more than that. It can be hard to define and many practitioners have their own ways of shooting. But what's fascinating about the street photographic scene is that it's open to anyone with a camera. You do not need special access; even the most basic disposable camera can be used. All you need is time, patience, shoe leather and a good eye.
As one of the great humourist photographers Elliot Erwitt said: "Photography has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them".
A new book, Street Photography Now, edited by photographer Stephen McLaren and Director of the School of Life, Sophie Howarth examines the role of the street photographer in society, through the work of 46 contemporary photographers.
Though the book has one theme, the photographers are from many different parts of the globe and have different approaches, from the subtle unseen observer, to those who like to go in close and record the reaction of their subject. Others look to use visual puns within the frame or include found text or objects to give meaning. Some pictures may make us pause and marvel at the ingenuity of the photographer, but all of them reflect a little bit of the society that created them.
These observations offer many interpretations, and as I've said before, a large percentage of that will be dictated by the viewer's own experiences as well as the context.
I asked Sophie Howarth to explain this and explain a little of how they came to select the pictures for the book:
"I'm not looking for street photography to teach any lessons.In fact obviously didactic stuff doesn't really appeal to me. I think the good street photographers are masters of observation without interpretation - holding a mirror up to our public behaviour - but not in judging. There are some quotes from photographers in the book - Raghu Rai, Nils Jorgensen particularly come to mind - which capture this idea succinctly.
"That said, interpretation is fine - indeed fun - when we come look at the pictures. Stephen and I had lots of fun with interpretation in the essays - the still life essay in particularly is full of narrative speculation. But what is wonderful about the photos is that they allow for any number of questions. What's the man dressed in a nightie doing? Why did the woman fall over? What's the boy running away from? And subjective interpretations - isn't it awful how she just turns her back on him, how laid-back people look in such and such a place, how depressing those drunken people are - precisely because they don't carry a fixed message."
But street photographs and indeed the photographers themselves don't live in a vacuum, they are all shaped by their own personal experience and one of the strengths of this collection is its diversity.
To explain further I asked photographer Stephen McLaren what it is that drives him to devote so much time to taking pictures that in the main won't earn him a living.
"For me, with my photographer's hat on, what keeps me doing this is a belief that one of photography's core purposes is to discover poetic moments in everyday life. From the invention of the medium, nosey parkers, journalists, voyeurs, and poets have used cameras to show us that this world is an intrinsically fascinating place to live in.
"Whenever I am feeling a bit jaded or un-inspired I do one of two things, I either take out my camera and use it to get lost in the city, or I pick-up a book by one of the great street photographers; Elliot Erwitt, Tony Ray Jones, Saul Leiter, Jeff Mermelstein, or Raghu Rai and their pictures remind me how open-ended and multifarious life is.
"I think street photography is more of a tradition than a genre and this is why it resists becoming merely a fashionable art form. This way of working, using only what you have in front of you, survives because photographers and the many people who appreciate this work, feel that these constraints keep photography honest.
"Yes, digital tools can create fantastical confections and troupes of models, stylists and lights can be enlisted for visionary ends but, in my view, the photographer who confronts life on a second-by-second basis with no props or specific sense of what they want to say is the richer for this simple approach.
"That's not to say the results are lacking in intelligence or insight. Who can look at Trent Parke's black and white pictures from Sydney and not see a rich and well-observed narrative from a singular photographic talent?
"The online tools we now have to disseminate our pictures and start conversations with like-minded photographers has certainly given street photography a boost. One of the biggest online communities, Hardcore Street Photography on Flickr has over 38,000 members and they are as passionate and knowledgeable a crowd as you can imagine. One of the great things about the web is that much of the history of street photography is now there to look at online without having to buy expensive books.
"All of a sudden I am hearing 20-year-olds discussing the genius of Robert Frank and Gary Winogrand, master photographers from the 50s and 60s who had almost become forgotten in our faddish, fashion-led image world. And when young photographers with their first DSLR see the poetry, mystery and artistic imagination that can be conjured out of great photographer with a small hand-held camera it inspires them to see and interpret their own life in a similar way."
Often it's this interpretation of our own lives that collectively form a social document, though context is all important. A single frame taken by photojournalist Maciej Dakowicz on the streets of Cardiff can be seen as a typical street moment of absurdity. Yet when you realise that he has been documenting the night-time streets of Cardiff since 2004 you become aware that these pictures of party-goers and clubbers are far more than a sensationalist and stereotypical view of society. Instead they are in the tradition of photographer Martin Parr's The Last Resort, or Tom Wood's Looking for Love series.
As McLaren and Howarth say "Dakowicz's images capture the uneasy mix of bravado and vulnerability that characterizes the young clubbers of Cardiff... inviting the viewer to consider what drives this strange and sad compulsion to seek obliteration in the company of friends and strangers."
I asked Maciej to explain how he operates in an environment where the potential for clashes and confrontation can be high. Maciej said:
"For me this is the most interesting thing going on in Cardiff. I have been shooting on the same street for about five years now, not every weekend as there have often been long breaks between my nights out there.
"I was shooting many things in Cardiff when I moved here but after a couple of years I did not feel like shooting streets of the city during the day as I did not find them inspiring and did not feel comfortable, as people often look very suspiciously at a guy with a large camera.
"It changes at night, where people do not pay too much attention to me and there is a lot going on all the time, I can get close to people, often without being noticed as they are busy doing their things.
"I am rather discreet, so somehow I manage to capture interesting situations without getting into trouble. I am more an observer, I walk around with my camera on the shoulder, look what is going on and, if something captures my attention, I shoot.
"When people notice me they react in a number of ways: start posing, gather for group pictures, ignore me, ask what I am doing or tell me off. I can usually tell what kind of a reaction I might get and if I do not feel comfortable at taking a picture of someone or I think it will cause trouble I simply do not take the photo.
"You need to look like someone knowing what you are doing and not act in a suspicious way. If you are too sneaky they will approach you asking what you are doing or tell the police that there is a strangely behaving guy with a camera. So it is quite tricky to shoot at night, but I still like it."
The perception of photographers has been an issue in the news for sometime now. Some feel that they have a right to point a camera at anything they wish, others are opposed to this and believe that the publication of a picture, or for some, the very act of taking a picture without the subjects permission, is something that should be controlled.
Photographer Andrew Glickman photographed strangers on the underground system in Washington DC and noted that, although you would expect to be noticed in the act of taking the picture, he found that most would simply return to what they were doing rather than react to the photographer.
Glickman thoughts back up Dakowicz's point that you have to believe in yourself as a photographer and act accordingly. He said:
"When I began to think of myself as a street photographer, I began taking more risks and chances. Photographing people, particularly people you don't know, is inherently an aggressive act. I had to break through my comfort zone to make some of the pictures I've made. You can't worry about whether you have permission or whether you may be inside your subject's comfort zone. Believing completely in what you are doing is critical."
Another of the photographers featured in the collection is Nick Turpin, on whom I have written before. Currently he is working on a project in France where privacy laws prohibit the publication of a picture of a person in public without their permission.
I asked Nick about the work:
"I see France as a nation that is culturally under siege from the globally pervasive influence of Anglo-American culture, as a minority language country with a strong and distinct cultural history, it is a good place to observe the homogenisation of nations and their cities around the world.
"Since 1996 French radio stations have had to play French songs 40% of the time but French cinemas are full of dubbed Hollywood films, there is a McDonalds on every out of town roundabout and line dancing is popular at rural French country fetes. Like for so many nations, modernisation is costing France its cultural identity. As a street photographer I believe I can see the results of these changes on the pavements and in the public places of great French cities.
"The problem I have is that it is illegal in France to publish a photograph of someone made in a public place without their permission, which means that in the very birthplace of street photography it is now very difficult to make street photographs. I have decided to try and reveal the un-enforceability of this legislation by publishing the book of my project everywhere except in France. This means that it will be available to purchase in Dover but not just across the channel in Calais. There is an important point here, as for any democracy; everything that occurs in a French public place should be a matter of public record."
At present this is not an issue that will affect most of us and, as the authors point out, the most prolific street photographer today is the Google Street View system, or indeed the CCTV camera on our street corner. It's also a time when we are sharing more and more of our lives online so perhaps these mysterious moments caught by the street photographer should be seen as something to celebrate, rather than something to fear.
Let's end with a word from photographer Matt Stuart who offers any prospective street photographers some good advice:
"Buy a good pair of comfortable shoes, have a camera around your neck at all times, keep your elbows in, be patient, optimistic and don't forget to smile."
If you fancy yourself as a street photographer then why not join a year-long collaboration between The Photographers' Gallery and Sophie Howarth and Stephen McLaren, authors of Street Photography Now. Each week, one of the photographers featured in the book will issue a weekly instruction and you will be able to upload photographs on that theme to a Flickr group.
To find out more see the Street Photography Now Project website. I'm going to give it a go. Hope to see you there.
Street Photography Now can be seen at the Third Floor gallery in Cardiff from 10 October to 14 November, 2010.
Here are a few more frames from the book, Street Photography Now, which is published by Thames and Hudson.
Street photography is currently very much in the frame and this continues into 2011 with London Street Photography, a new exhibition showcasing the Museum of London's collection of street photographs from 1850 to 2010 opens in February.
Then in March the Format photo biennale in Derby opens, concentrating on street photography, Right Here, Right Now: Exposures from the public realm.
~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~15~RS~)
I'm 
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I used to engage in and enjoy street photography but as I've grown older I have become too nervous to do this any more. I'm too afraid of attack or, being old, being seen to be some sort of pervert. Am I alone in this? Am I wrong? Without these images of our society the historical record will be all the poorer.
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Interesting article. Such a shame so many of us amateur photographers are stopped in the street for simply carrying a camera for the dubious reason of us being possible terrorists or paedophiles.
Get real people, some of us just enjoy photography for what it is, without any ulterior motives, and, as the article shows, much of what we do becomes a useful archive of contemporary life.
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I love street photography but struggle with having the courage to just sit and snap away as people go past
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I agree with the first two comments. In a society where we're not allowed to photograph our own child winning an egg-and-spoon race, many people are reluctant to point a camera anywhere in public for fear of raising suspicion but photography would be so much poorer without the works of Cartier-Bresson, Lartigue etc.
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Like Polly, I am put off further activity after being arrested, then released without charge, for daring to take photographs at a seaside resort for a website I was commissioned to do. Police waded in, dragged me off, made me show them every shot taken, ran my batteries down, lost me almost 3 hours of time, and then the job itself!
The idea was to have some candid street photography included, but some idiot decided I needed arresting - why? Had I been poking my lens where it was not supposed to be, or concentrating on children, I could understand it, but I was not going out of my way to do anything untoward.
Good luck to anyone still working in this area, hope you have a good solicitor, you'll need them before you take the lens cap off before much longer.
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What a sad state our country has become when photographers quite rightly are afraid of both the police and general public.
I can offer little help about the latter, but with regards to the police and their over zealous bully-boy tactics,the following may be of help.
Under the Terrorism Act :
Every person has the right to photograph in a public place.
It is not against the law to photograph police on normal duties.
The police do have the right to investigate suspicious incidents.
Remain calm and polite if stopped.
You are not required to give personal details unless driving a car or you are arrested.
Officers may stop and search and view images if the believe they are connected with terrorism.
Officers have no powers to delete images.
PCSOs may not search without a police officer present.
You must be provided with a copy of the Stop and Search slip giving the officer's identity.
I have obtained the above from The Royal Photographic Society, which provided it's members with a handy card giving these details. This does give one some confidence if faced by an over officious bobby.
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I find Street to be my main discipline, it's easy-to-access but oh-so-hard to get a good image. I liken it to wildlife photography - you photograph public human behaviour and environments.
When we look at history, we often look at Street Photography alongside it. What feels like pressure to refrain from public photography can only damage the historical record for the future.
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Would you share the profits from a successful shot with your subject?
Would you even consider marketing a shot properly or just give your rights away for free to revel in the adulation of your friends?
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What if I dont want you to photograph me or my family in the street?
What are my rights versus your quest for "Art"?
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At 8:54pm on 04 Oct 2010, lolages wrote:
"What if I dont want you to photograph me or my family in the street?
What are my rights versus your quest for "Art"?"
And what if I don't want you to look at me, lolages, or talk to me even? Should there be a law against that also?
In fact, why not just abandon the concept of public space totally? It might be fascism by a different name, but at least you won't have to feel self-conscious any more if our activities become proscribed to protect your modesty.
Or you could just stay in on the other hand...
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I'm a very active street photographer, and I feel, that all this talk of being hounded is a bit over the top.
I've been pounding the streets of London for years and taken 1000's and 1000's of photos.
I've never once been threatened, questioned or had any negative response from my subjects. Often people are curious, but after explaining myself, I find people are interested in what I do and are more than willing to be photographed.
I have been stopped by the authorities twice, but again, after showing the shots and explaining myself, they were more than satisfied that I wasn't about to blow the city up. In fact, they engaged me in conversation about how to improve their own photography.
We live in paranoid times, maybe people just need to chill out a bit more and stop believing everything the goverment tell us and stop reading all the liesand rubbish in the newspapers.
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Relax Brian, CCTV will capture everything.
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I work as a professional painter, and many of my paintings are based on images which i have captured from street photography, so for me it's a means to an end rather than an end in itself. I've not been threatened, but it's always worth watching out for possible negative expressions on the people you photograph - theree are efinitely times when I've felt that discretion was the safest route.
I've never had problems with the authorities, either - at least not on the street itself, though I've definitely learnt that if you're in a shopping centre or mall it's worth confirming with the mall's security staff (usually easy to find) that you're not going to run into trouble if you use a camera.
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Maciej talks about being "discrete". Sounds like "discreet" is what he meant, much more useful for a street shooter than being atomised, separated, singular. Although, philosophically speaking these qualities may also have a part to play in stalking the extraordinary in the ordinary. Some good points in this piece. http://www.flickr.com/photos/gonzopix/
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Thanks gonzo, well spotted, I've corrected it now.
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10. At 9:07pm on 04 Oct 2010, emstro wrote:
At 8:54pm on 04 Oct 2010, lolages wrote:
"What if I dont want you to photograph me or my family in the street?
What are my rights versus your quest for "Art"?"
And what if I don't want you to look at me, lolages, or talk to me even? Should there be a law against that also?
In fact, why not just abandon the concept of public space totally? It might be fascism by a different name, but at least you won't have to feel self-conscious any more if our activities become proscribed to protect your modesty.
Or you could just stay in on the other hand...
If you choose to talk to someone they will probably reply out of common courtesy, If however you choose to hide behind your silly camera and produce images for your own pleasure, then have the common courtesy to ask, I suppose you will also take pictures though people windows?
From experience most "photographers" choose to hide behind the camera to hide their own inadequacies, It empowers them to be voyeuristic hiding again behind the label "photographer"
I suppose you also subscribe to the photography = nude women too? Its often what draws most men to becoming a photographer.
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Street Photography is fast becoming too difficult as generally people are now having a more confrontational attitude towards being snapped in public. Having said that i spent some amazing years in japan where I never had the problems that i have had in my own home town in Australia. In Japan I felt comfortable to snap as much as I wanted and was often invited to shoot by strangers and passers by. Some of my work can be seen at www.bradkay.com
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16. At 6:55pm on 05 Oct 2010, lolages wrote:
How can you say that? just out of courisity, how many photographers have you actualy spoken to? or are you stereotyping a whole part of society?
I'm not trying to offend or be rude, i'm just courisous.
I'm a young man studing photograhpy in Sixth Form, i didn't take it so i could photography women naked. i took it because i want to go on to do photography at university and do documentary photography. Not a single thing to with naked women. Thank you very much. =]
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At 8:54pm on 04 Oct 2010, lolages wrote:
From experience most "photographers" choose to hide behind the camera to hide their own inadequacies, It empowers them to be voyeuristic hiding again behind the label "photographer"
I suppose you also subscribe to the photography = nude women too? Its often what draws most men to becoming a photographer.
__________________________
This is a sweeping generalisation and is quite simply offensive.
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I am pretty sure that photographers who do decide to take pictures of naked women ask their models first and don't hide behind the camera when asking.
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So lolages, beofre you start to say things, think about it and get your facts straight.
Oh and thanks for the stereotyping! =]
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lolages:
"What if I dont want you to photograph me or my family in the street?
What are my rights versus your quest for 'Art'?"
A quick legal summary, as I understand it:
If you are on public property then there is nothing to stop anybody from photographing you or a member of your family.
If you are on private property belonging to a third-party, then it would be up to that third-party to decide whether they were happy for photography to take place on that property (law of trespass).
If you are on private property that you own but you are easily visible from public property (eg you are in your garden that has no fence or are visible through a window that can be easily looked through from the street), then again there is nothing to stop someone from photographing you.
If you are on private property that you own and are not easily visible from public property (eg the photographer has climbed a wall to see you) then that is breach of privacy.
Other laws such as harassment would apply if the same person was repeatedly taking photographs of you, whether on private or public property.
No photographer may use your image for commercial reasons without your permission, regardless of whether it was taken from private or public property and regardless of whether you were on private or public property at the time. Although please note that some private properties incorporate giving permission into their terms and conditions of admittance.
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There are also laws portecting the rights of photographers.
You seem to be avioding the questions i asked? So if you dont mind can you answer them =) If you dont like photography dont post on the part of the site about it.
I always ask people if i can take there photography, most of my images are of my friends on school trips or when we hang out. So they have the right to stop me when they want.
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I am a keen amateur wildlife photographer and by default virtually all of my shots are taken in public spaces. I have to say I take great offence at the comments made by 'lolages'. It is patently ridiculous to make such an obviously bigoted and ill-judged statement, assuming that anyone who takes photographs has some kind of ulterior motive. To further suggest that... "I suppose you also subscribe to the photography = nude women too? Its often what draws most men to becoming a photographer."... is laughable. Sure, there are probably a few men who do take an unhealthy interest in nude photgraphy, but 'lolages' comments are far to generalised.
I am a member of the Royal Photographic Society and together with my membership card I have a card containing the details posted by 'Pip', although I have never yet been challenged by Mr Plod or anyone else...
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I have just begun a 365 day project and I have reached 41 days so far. The project is set against this backdrop of Street Photography and like the work of Cartier Bresson, arguably the original social documentary photographer, will on its completion capture a moment in time. Susan Sontag describes it as thus” Social documentary is mostly in series and focuses on a living social landscape reflecting mans absurdities or personal identity crisis. Social landscape photography reveals the artists sub-conscious as projected from everyday scenarios. These authentic facets of the community combining both the conscious world and the individual introjections develop the spiritual basis of contemporary photography.”
My project is set in Asia where I live and so far I have not felt threatened. I do think that I should make a card however, explaining what I am doing should the need arise. http://astrangerinanopencar.blogspot.com
I for one cant wait to get hold of this book.
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Hi Phil, you may or may not remember me from 2004 runner up with Shadow photograph.
I did not want to break any rules for advertising my photo stock site in this post but have been doing some other type, somewhat linked Street photography. My user name is StreetphotoSP, from that guess you can find my email. Contact me if you wish re my streetphoto stock site.
Best regards
A. Fleetwood
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I too enjoy shooting street scenes, especially with 35mm. I think as many others have said that these shots capture the essence of society at that very point in time. However, also as many people have said it is becoming increasingly difficult. I was marched from Canary Wharf in June for shooting the building I work in! Maybe we should all start taking pictures of the people who are trying to stop us taking pictures.
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I've been shooting many street scenes over the years. Mostly I have not had some big problems on my way. Off course there's some people who don't like to be photographed by a stranger, and if I have the feeling that people don't like it, I just don't shoot. I live in Denmark and have not the big problems unless I'm shooting at private places, hospitals and that kind of places where people need to be in private. It must be respected off course.
I really can't understand why people are so afraid of photographers nowadays!
But:Generally one can say that you must use common sense when photographing. As long as you just shoot your own family or friends, it would cause any problems. But when you start shooting strangers or maybe start putting their pictures on a website, you must think very carefully about what you are doing. Do not publish pictures of children without parental consent, regardless of what situation the children are photographed in.
Avoid even without their consent to publish pictures of kissing couples or people who hold hands. You can never know if the people in your photo like that the rest of the world must know that they are together.
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Ok as a photographer myself there is one thing I don't understand about street photography -
so you take a lot of photos one day and go home upload them and realise one is amazing. How do you then go about publishing it if you have no idea who the person is?
what are the laws about copyright and personal space etc with street photography?
id quite like to get more into it but am disheartened to think my photographs may noy be able to be published because of the anonymity of it all
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It seems sad that the world is going this way. Can't believe you can't take photos of your children at school.....This is part of being a parent. Hope this doesn't become the norm in NZ.
Keep snapping people.
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i live in Ecuador. Here people don't like being photographed. Most people also demand money and some can be aggressive. Im South America every self respecting building has security guards that think they can chase you away if you take pictures of "their" buildings from the street. For this and other reasons i prefere not to photograph people but, i must admit, some of the best photos i took are those of people getting all aggressive trying to chase you away...who needs adrenaline or gyms?? for me, street photography, is also this.
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I'm a long time amateur and professional photographer and I have read with interest all the comments on here. I really agree with the article when it says that street photography is important. A great friend has done photography here in Montreal for 50 years and it's amazing stuff. http://www.flickr.com/photos/michelgravel/ I highly recommend it; he's been a great source of inspiration to me. There's so much photography on the web and most of it are "things" rather than people. It's true that some people take offense when a camera is lifted, but be discrete and go ahead, it's important as a living memory of our times. In fact, learn to take photos from the waist if you have to. Small cameras are best of course, like the LX-3 etc. Video won't do it, text only partly does it, photos of people being people are the only way for others to remember who we were and what we did.
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I have to agree. I travel by bus to work and I see so many amazing pieces that can be photographed: Parents taking their children to school, people travelling on their way to work, vagrants on the roadsides, interesting buildings, the swamp with all the birds and wildlife.
I feel like such a weirdo when I attempt to take my camera out of my case. All eyes are judging the content and reason as to why I'm doing such a thing. I'm in the same group as a criminal!
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For the attention of Lolages: Aside from the ridiculous stereotyping of male photgraphers as inadequate beings who choose to hide behind a camera in order to photograph nude women (of course they are not, how ludicrous), has it occured to you that not all photographers are men? Many photographers are women. I am not a professional photographer but I am a very keen photographer and I love the idea of street photography as a means for capturing interesting human beings in the moment. I like facts. I like life. I like all human beings of all ages, races and creeds. For me, street photography captures the reality of life and of people. This will always be my preference over and above the superficiality and fakeness of the 'strike a pose' this is how I want you to see me look that many who pose for photography adopt. For the record, nude photography can be glamorous and sophisticated, it is not simply all about the 'get 'em out for the lads', page three type of photography. On a final note, I am a woman.
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I am taking part in a phtography course in Nürnberg and our last assignment was night photography at the Christmas market, people were curious but seemed happy enough to have thier pictures taken, one chap even asked if he could take my picture , the snapper snapped so to say. The police even with a heightend security level were seldom to be seen and not at all interested in any of the people taking photographs. All this in a country that has a lot of protests about street view!
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The suggestion that photographers get into photography to take pictures of naked women is obviously absurd and not worth responding to. What I find more interesting is the seeming acceptance of the notion that if that were the case, it would be somehow wrong. The human form is one of the greatest themes in art and has been since the beginning.
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