What's the point?

pale_blue_is · Nov 11, 2016

Your question ultimately is a philosophical question of aesthetics, which has a lot to it. It's also a loaded question.

What's the point of landscapes? Wildlife? Pictures of friends? Hell, even wedding photos? Preservation of a moment, and aesthetic visual beauty.

frank · Nov 11, 2016

pale_blue_is said:
What's the point of landscapes? Wildlife? Pictures of friends? Hell, even wedding photos? Preservation of a moment, and aesthetic visual beauty.

At least with street photography there is a social documentary aspect, compared to the other genres mentioned above.

pale_blue_is · Nov 11, 2016

frank said:
At least with street photography there is a social documentary aspect, compared to the other genres mentioned above.

Sometimes, if the picture is really good or the photographer is doing a series, but there's only so much social documentary that can be done with just one picture. I will agree though that there is more of a possibility for a "visual narrative" with street photography.

frank · Nov 11, 2016

pale_blue_is said:
Sometimes, if the picture is really good or the photographer is doing a series, but there's only so much social documentary that can be done with just one picture. I will agree though that there is more of a possibility for a "visual narrative" with street photography.

Agreed. I was talking about the genre generally, not a single picture. Street photography pictures become more valuable with age, as historical records, and as people who lived through that time expire.

Harry Stevens · Nov 15, 2016

A recent 4 part documentary series on BBC 2 about London and other UK slums and the lives of the poor ended with the reasons things where finally improved and on that list was amateur photography and their self funded street photography who's work allowed those in high society to see how appalling the lives and living conditions of the poor where.They showed some amazing photographs from 1909.

More bloody point then a mountain range me thinks.

removed account4 · Nov 15, 2016

street photography can be broken up into a handful of different things.
what kind of "street photography" are people talking about ?

grab shots?
streetscape views?
people in their environment/social documentary images?
contextual photography?

it seems some are talking about one kind and others are talking about other kinds...

frank · Nov 15, 2016

jnanian said:
street photography can be broken up into a handful of different things.
what kind of "street photography" are people talking about ?

grab shots?
streetscape views?
people in their environment/social documentary images?
contextual photography?

it seems some are talking about one kind and others are talking about other kinds...

John, putting labels on things is so limiting.

removed account4 · Nov 15, 2016

it sure is !

Colin Corneau · Nov 15, 2016

ctrout said:
What's the point of street photography? I mean, most of the street shots I see are of some gnarly old Asian dude missing a couple teeth, or a guy in an apron standing behind a counter full of smelly fish. Don't get me wrong, I love seeing many of these images but I don't know what it is that draws me to them. Why do we like this genre and what is it about this genre that makes it a credible art form?

Really? That's all you ever see?

I think that's a failure on the part of the viewer, then, not the genre.

There's all kinds of images around. Not hard to find, and I don't consider myself an auteur or detective...

fiddle · Nov 15, 2016

Its something to do while I go for a walk. Thats what Im sticking with..

peteconsidine · Dec 19, 2016

frank said:
At least with street photography there is a social documentary aspect, compared to the other genres mentioned above.

I don't think "social documentary" is quite the right term. That says to me that there's a "point" to the photo. However, to me there is definitely a documentary component of good street photography. My wife is a historian and has introduced me to the term "history of the present." It's a different thing than anthropology or sociology, though I'm not quite sure how. It seems to me to be more relevant, though, to what good street photography is about.

It's interesting, though. Contemporary street photography seems to have gone far from the "decisive moment" school down one of two directions. There are the wide angle, many figures competing for attention, kind of like this: https://www.flickr.com/photos/38791739@N02/5762270159/

Then there are the clever juxtaposition, "aren't I witty for seeing this?" kind of photos like the cover of Street Photography Now.

Of course, there are still lots of photographers shooting in the classic HCB, Doisneau style, and those are the ones I'm partial to. For example, this one is fantastic documentary: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ximenaechague/30115195533/

Daniela · Feb 21, 2017

For me it's about documenting the moment, just like with any other photographs, but it's more difficult. It's about exercising being out of my comfort zone, since it forces me to do things faster. If you see something, you have a split second to take the picture or you lost it. While I don't shoot street photography very often, when I do it, it's about the "chase". And when I capture something exactly as I wanted to, the satisfaction has no comparison I guess street photography feels different to me because it's both about the process and the end product. It requires more energy and a lot more work to get one good image.

Maris · Feb 21, 2017

Maybe street photography is specimen collection. It's like than catching, killing, and pinning butterflies in a display box to demonstrate one's hunting skills. But instead of a net one uses a camera and the results of a successful hunt are displayed as photographs.
Forgive me, I'm a retired entomologist.

benjiboy · Feb 21, 2017

When people ask questions like this , I ask myself what's the point of living.

Wayne · Feb 22, 2017

benjiboy said:
When people ask questions like this , I ask myself what's the point of living.

Why, street photography!

NB23 · Feb 22, 2017

No point.
It's just a reason to use a camera which, if not for street photography, would never get used at all.

Oh, although I like Asia, I deeply dislike all street photography of, or coming out of, Asia. Just pointless.

Ron789 · Feb 22, 2017

There is good, awesome, brilliant street photography but there is also bad, boring street photography. Just like there is good, awesome, brilliant but also bad, boring landscape, architecture, portrait, nude, still life and whatever photography. It's not the subject that makes a photo good or bad, it's the photographer. And of course, on the side of the audience, there is taste..... some people like opera, others symphonies, others rock&roll, others country&western. Let's appreciate this!

NB23 · Feb 22, 2017

Ron789 said:
There is good, awesome, brilliant street photography but there is also bad, boring street photography. Just like there is good, awesome, brilliant but also bad, boring landscape, architecture, portrait, nude, still life and whatever photography. It's not the subject that makes a photo good or bad, it's the photographer. And of course, on the side of the audience, there is taste..... some people like opera, others symphonies, others rock&roll, others country&western. Let's appreciate this!

Well, there is also the obvious: there are better subjects than others

Ron789 · Feb 22, 2017

Good photographers can make great photo's of any kind of subject. Unfortunately, too many photographers think that they can make a good photo by just registering an interesting subject.... boring!

Colin Corneau · Feb 22, 2017

NB23 said:
No point.
It's just a reason to use a camera which, if not for street photography, would never get used at all.

Oh, although I like Asia, I deeply dislike all street photography of, or coming out of, Asia. Just pointless.

All, heh? Every last example. Deeply.

MM-kay, then...

Ron789 · Feb 23, 2017

Took a look at your website, Colin. Great work! I love it. Really good street photography, including the work you made in Asia.

Colin Corneau · Feb 24, 2017

Ron789 said:
Took a look at your website, Colin. Great work! I love it. Really good street photography, including the work you made in Asia.

You're too kind, Ron, thanks very much for the compliment.

mynewcolour · Mar 4, 2017

Here is a film for Vogue showing Daniel Arnold shooting in the NY streets. Shot on 16mm, it's a great promotion for Kodak.

Dead Link Removed

mynewcolour · Mar 4, 2017

ctrout said:
... what is it about this genre that makes it a credible art form?

If you want to do it, do it, if you want to see it see it.

Don't waste a thought on credibility.

ReyesV · Mar 17, 2017

i think these information will change your idea of street photography https://www.slickpic.com/blog/street-photography-essentials-capturing-history/
have fun

What's the point?

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