Oxford Street, London 2009

There seems to a revival of street photography in recent months in the international scene, not least with interests generated by the London Photography Festival with its Everybody Street exhibitions in 2011, the discovery of Vivian Maier’s archives and within the Asian context, Invisible Photographer Asia‘s focus on Asian street photographers, which has contributed to this expansion. The growth in interest, in my opinion, is also directly related to the availability of the compact, quality and responsive digital cameras like the Olympus E-Pens, Lumix’s and the like, and the growth in popularity and portability of quality of smartphones like the iPhone. Photography in the street and urban environment, after all isn’t new. Even before HCB (who, actually is more a photojournalist, in my opinion), and Meyerowitz, and Moriyama, there was Frank, Winogrand, Doisneau and Brassai, and even before that, there was Kertesz & Atget, whom I personally think were the greatest street photographers of all time. Why? Because they challenged the established mainstream critics of their time of what photography can and must be. They had a mission to document the cities they lived in and became influential to many later Masters, including HCB.

But, today, photographing in the street is becoming derivative, and too regimented in the definition. It is trying to become adopted as art, as in other genres, and there is where the problem lie. Street photography, by its very definition has no limitations and no boundaries of definition. It invariably crosses over to other genres like travel, documentary, and photojournalism. Trying to pigeon-hole a ‘way of seeing’ street life, with its many dimensions, actions, activities, and the fluid nature of human and social interactions is restricting. I prefer to give it the widest definition possible. I see many trying to define what street photography is. It is clear that the definition did not ‘pre-exist’ the artform. Questions on whether it should include animals, posed subjects, absence of people etc are all distractions. The early Masters did not define the style, they just got out their cameras and started photographing everything in the street that surrounded them, trying to find stories of human interest and documenting their neighbourhood and the activities which go on. They weren’t too interested in juxtapositions, layering techniques or frame within frames. They were, however, interested in the casual or spontaneous aspects of street life, and had awesome understanding of the ‘public space’ and human condition, in all aspects. They were also interested in the people they were photographing.

Many  today are shooting without an aim. This is where a medium to long term project will greatly help you focus. You’ll want map out a ‘purpose’ for your images : a ‘mini’ theme perhaps, a story, a personal vision, that gives you the authority to go and shoot. Do not try to emulate other photographers and recreate images you have in your mind. Use them as guide posts to spring into a new experience.

That is not to say don’t go out and shoot casually, just to hone your visual skills.  Actually, photographing in your local high street first is the best way to overcome ‘camera shyness’. Photographers tend to hide behind great big bulky SLRs, and that may be why the next best camera for the street photographer is the smartphone.  A few years ago, I posted some stuff on the subject, here, I revisit street photography once again,  sharing some personal tips below on how to approach this genre with greater confidence.

http://explorenation.blogspot.co.uk/2009/07/shooting-street.html

http://explorenation.blogspot.co.uk/2009/07/shooting-street-ii.html

http://explorenation.blogspot.co.uk/2009/09/head-out-onto-streets.html

http://explorenation.blogspot.co.uk/2009/10/head-out-onto-streets-part-2.html

]]> http://explorenation.net/2012/05/09/what-is-your-focus-revisiting-street-photography/feed/ 0 51.462645 -0.200241 51.462645 -0.200241 svllee calvinklein http://explorenation.net/2012/05/07/the-call-of-the-wild-4/ http://explorenation.net/2012/05/07/the-call-of-the-wild-4/#comments Mon, 07 May 2012 21:59:16 +0000 svllee http://explorenation.net/?p=1898 ]]>

Foxes are a common sight in the city, and where we live, there is a family of them. I have encountered foxes roaming the streets and slipping in and out of the garage in the still of the night. They are a wonder to behold, and are often not afraid of the odd human approaching. Still, the stealthily move like shadows in the night, only to forage for food in trash cans.

Captured this simple moment of two elderly men just having a nice conversation at breakfast time in a small family run cafe called Mona Lisa’s on the Kings Road. It just pays to have your camera with you all the time.

I had been busy this trip to Kuala Lumpur, not having gone walking with camera in hand at all. Having been stuck behind a monitor for 2 & 1/2 weeks day in and day out meant I was longing to go make some pictures. 30 minutes was the time I had to spare between my last minute appointments today, and so I headed off to Little Burma, in and around ‘old’ KL town centre. The streets covered were Leboh Pudu, Lorong Pudu, Jalan Yap Ah Loy and Medan Pasar, all adjacent to Central Market.

If you don’t like crowds, don’t come here on a Sunday, as then, these roads will be teeming men from Myanmar, Bangladesh and other neighbouring nations, plus Africans and a smattering of Western tourists. Not many locals. They will be wandering aimlessly in modern shopping malls. Being a weekday today, it is considerably quiet, and some pockets of men loitering with intent outside mobile phone shops, or money transfer agencies. A verbal fight between two men just started as I walked by a storefront. One had just verbally abused the other, and started to kick him, several men gathered to calm things down.  I walked by.

There are supermarkets selling all manner of groceries imported from the subcontinent, magazines, DVDs, CDs and newspapers in Burmese language, and wall paintings and signage daubed on the walls advertising mobile phones to nasi goreng. Interesting. Just wished I learnt some Burmese, or Myanmarese? One thing I noticed was that the Burmese, like many people love Bollywood action movies. But don’t we all.

Antares is a very special kind of person. Articulate, headstrong, opinionated and thoroughly in tune with Nature and the Earthsong.  This was our first face to face meeting, brief it may have been. You could read his bio here but then, it is perhaps a greater opportunity to meet him, and his home, by the river. Thanks, Antares and thank you for the music.

Sami, Tunisian. Venice, 2012 © Steven Lee

Someday the silver moon and I will go to dreamland
I will close my eyes and wake up there in dreamland
And Tell me who will put flowers on a flower’s grave?
Who will say a prayer?

Will I meet a China rose there in dreamland?
Or does love lie bleeding in dreamland?
Are these days forever and always?

And if we are to die tonight
Is there a moonlight up ahead?
And if we are to die tonight
Another rose will bloom

For a faded rose
Will I be the one that you save?
I love when it showers
But no one puts flowers
On a flower’s grave

As one rose blooms and another will die
It’s always been that way
I remember the showers
But no one puts flowers
On a flower’s grave

And if we are to die tonight
Is there a moonlight up ahead?
I remember the showers
But no one puts flowers
On a flower’s grave

Tom Waits Flower’s Grave

I love photographing in cemeteries, and it was planned that our workshop included a visit to the San Michele cemetery island just to the east of Venice, a short boat ride across from Fondamente Nuove. The island was designated a cemetery in 1807.

According to Wikipedia, ..”Bodies were carried to the island on special funeral gondolas, including Igor Stravinsky, Joseph Brodsky, Jean Schlumberger, Frederick Rolfe, Horatio Brown, Sergei Diaghilev, Ezra Pound, Luigi Nono, Franco Basaglia and Zoran Mušič. ” The cemetery is still in use today.

As an exercise for our workshop participants, everyone had to decide on a final project that must be executed during the 4 day trip, (including Andy and myself, as instructors.) This video became mine for the workshop trip. I was simply taken by the rows and rows of graves and tombstones, and how so many dead flowers, overturned vases and pots had been left in between the tombs. A week before we arrived, Venice was under over a foot of snow, frozen canals and I can imagine how serene and calm the cemetery must have looked in under a white blanket.

The last day of the Carnevale saw all manners of characters and costumes being paraded around the small narrow streets, alleys, campos and piazas of Venice. We encountered Luke Skywalker and his light sabre, a bunch of Storm Troopers, some jolly Havaiana flips flops, some talking bowling pins, several Captain Jack Sparrows,a walking shower,  a woman in scuba gear, Darth Vader, Bob Marley, amongst others.. We were jostled about in crowded alleys, flour-bombed, and confetti-strewn. It was pretty wild.