Street Photography Doesn’t Need to be ‘On the Street’

1. Street Photography Doesn’t Need to be ‘On the Street’ OCT 12, 2019 SIMON KING 8 COMMENTSTweetShare 18 News Equipment Tutorials Archives Send a Tip Links 500 K 1 M

2. It can be very easy to arbitrarily limit oneself by genre; I think the eﬀect this has on the mindset of a photographer can potentially really damage the quality of the work they look to produce. I think that street photography is one of the broadest and most inclusive genres, and it’s interesting to see the ways that some photographers are distancing themselves from the name: some have started to call it “everyday photography/documentary” or “life photography” among other terms. “Street” is a very loaded directive, which really implies that the photography must take place on a street — or even that the subject of the image is the street. In my own understanding of street photography, I incorporate the idea that “street” is more of a mentality, similar to the idea of a street artist, street musician, or street dancer, who can ply their art/technique pretty much anywhere, rather than being anything to do with a physical location. It connotes improvisation and spontaneity. For me, the location doesn’t matter as much as the actual content of the image, which has most recently been a balance between action and interaction. Whether it’s an action of a subject, or interaction between subject/s and environment that’s what tends to catch my eye and keep my interest.

3. I think that photographers who take “street photography” too literally end up with fairly basic images of what tends to happen on a street – people walking from one place to another, people standing around, people crossing roads. This doesn’t really offer anything distinct to an audience and is unlikely to provide anything of substance on repeat viewings. Of course, things like interesting characters, interesting compositions, or use of the light can elevate these, but without that core action/interactivity I find the majority lacking. It didn’t take long for “straight” streets to lose my interest and focus – I think even street corners provide more room for interesting interaction than something as basic as a straight path. There are so many other options for places to exercise a street eye. London has many incredible squares, both iconic and residential. Iconic squares provide massive foot traffic, and many opportunities to capture street portraits, candid scenes, and interesting details. The cozier residential squares offer intimacy and often isolation, with calmer conditions. People tend to let their guard down, and a camera can go unnoticed in a crowd, or otherwise photogenic location.

4. For me, a street itself is more a conduit between these places of interest. Aside from when something exceptional or out of the ordinary is happening, which provides perhaps a crowd, or unique conditions, I don’t see many opportunities for photographs on the street itself. I think Londoners are used to maintaining a respectful distance, which makes the 28-35mm techniques of layering, stacking, and close up ﬂash a little trickier – these styles I associate with New York and Japan, and are not something I’ve seen executed well in London.

5. Other spaces I feel are prime for street photography include bus stops/garages, on public transport itself, stations, squares, parks, beaches, galleries, and museums. All of these are places where people really exercise behavior other than simply wandering around, and oﬀer a far more diverse range of environments to work with.

6. In the past when I’ve produced this kind of write up I’ve wondered whether it’s actually worthwhile or necessary, and I’ve seen this sentiment in the comments as well. Why spend time defining things when you could simply act, and shoot, and not worry about it? This is a valid argument. After all, the “greats” didn’t have access to this kind of blog to get lots of different opinions about their field, they simply produced work. There are fantastic examples of street photography taken all over the world, even in rural areas, where there isn’t even a street nearby! My answer is that the connected nature of art and photography means it’s unavoidable to have this kind of discussion around a genre. Language greatly informs the way we frame ideas and conceptualize our actions – whether conscious or unconscious. Photographers I know personally have become frustrated with shooting street photography as they are limited by the definition, the issue I mentioned at the beginning of this article. Their street results have not yielded the results they wanted or expected, but their work shines in other areas. It would be so simple for them to excel if they only shifted their understanding of what they were out to create and the tools and boundaries they were able to use to do so.

7. About the author: Simon King is a London based photographer and photojournalist, currently working on a number of long-term documentary and street photography projects. The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. You can follow his work and you can read more of his thoughts on photography day-to-day over on . Simon also teaches a short course in Street Photography at UAL, which can be read about .  8 Comments PetaPixel Login1 t Tweet f Share Sort by Best Join the discussion… PetaPixel Comment Policy Be respectful and on-topic. Inappropriate comments lead to deletions and bans. Please help by ﬂagging bad comments. Recommend on Instagram his personal blog here TAGS: OPED, SIMONKING, STREET, STREETPHOTOGRAPHY, THOUGHTS 8 COMMENTSTweetShare 18 by TaboolaSponsored Links Health & Human Research Hollywood Smile DroneXPro Lose 12 Kilograms in 2 Weeks! FruThin Play this Game for 1 Minute and see why everyone is addicted Desert Order Genius Invention Allows You To Instantly Speak 43 Languages Translaty The 7 Best Superfoods for People Over 50 Can This Product Repair Damaged & Missing Teeth? Find Out Big Drone Companies Are Furious Over New "Selﬁe Drone" Released Online

8. LOG IN WITH OR SIGN UP WITH DISQUS Name ? • Reply • bdebre • 3 hours ago FFS "street" is understood by all but the most pedantic or literal. It's fine. △ ▽ • Reply • Jonathan Maniago • 8 hours ago If "street photography" sounds too ambiguous, I suggest "public candids" as an alternative. △ ▽ • Reply • Andy • 16 hours ago I agree with many of the points made by the article author. For me, I'm not sure "Documentory Photography" really works either... I tend to relate that more to photo journalism and documenting events of a news or historical nature. From my perspective, I think "public photography" really describes the spirit and intention of "street photography". As far as the comment: "Should we photograph the Homeless etc..list endless...that's what makes it fun and more interesting than other genres"; this often comes up and is debated extensively. I really think in comes down to exercising "commonsense and good judgement" and also has a situational facet as well. For the example of "homeless subjects"... I don't personally see an issue if you don't show an identifiable face without permission. Some powerful images can be created and stories told with the subject remaining anonymous. △ ▽ • Reply • Jerry Syder • 20 hours ago Great discussion on a genre that is broadly used, so much so that I adapted it in my own "street portrait" project. At first, I was merely looking for an association, something to tag it with on Instagram. Then, when I come to talking about it, I would refer to it as my "Street Photography" project. As you say, for me, it's the mentality or idea or style behind the word Street. △ ▽ • Reply • Des Byrne • 21 hours ago Good topic to discuss all the greats whom we now call street photographers shot in parks on beaches in circus tents..etc..since it's such a subjective genre lots will disagree with your article....same as..Is posed shots street photography? Should we photograph the Homeless etc..list endless...that's what makes it fun and more interesting than other genres.. △ ▽ Share › Share › Share › Share › Share ›

9. • Reply • kbb • a day ago I still say it'd be more accurate and less embarrassing to call documentary photography 'Documentary Photography'. △ ▽ Sam J. • a day ago Cool article I don't do much street photography but I'll be in London Share › PREV A Response to: Six Reasons It’s Time for Brands to Replace Stock Photos With User- Generated Content NEXT Shutter Noise Comparison: Fuji X-H1 vs Canon 1D IV vs Nikon D300 TRENDING POSTS The Negative Reaction to Nikon’s Noct Lens is a Symptom of a Much Larger Problem OCT 11, 2019

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Street Photography Doesn’t Need to be ‘On the Street’

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Street Photography Doesn’t Need to be ‘On the Street’