The Street Project
It’s hard to say why the style of street photography appealed to me over many other photographic themes. But I guess the most exciting part is the idea of rebellion. I am able to walk through the streets and capture the movements of strangers. I have learnt how to hide the identity slightly without ruining the mystery of the image.
Through the use of travel photography, I have learnt the lesson of different cultures but with the ability to achieve capturing powerful street photographs, I am able to convey the messages of local people. By capturing strangers in their natural environment I am capturing the scene for how it really is. I have grown up to see false people as well as brutally honest people. It is rather refreshing to witness the natural movements of people and know they are not creating any sort of false pretence or lie, by showing the true reality. I guess in some ways I should have studied psychology because how a person behaves can totally change the mood of the image I have taken. I have completed a number of street photography shoots in the South East of England and every new place I visit presents me with new emotions to reveal and convey. Street photography is a risky style of photography where you rely on shooting complete strangers without their permission but I feel like this only increases my desire to continue.
The understanding I have, to change the way I photograph each scene and emotion, allows me to capture more natural scenes where the camera may be positioned at a slight angle. This adds a unique quality which allows each image to look totally spontaneous. To create the best photos, one must look at their surroundings and themselves and use this as ammunition for each and every photo. Part of the image relies on the area where the subject is positioned. The negative space helps to frame the person, allowing them to appear more visible but also adds a story to each and every scene. See, I don't know any of the people I photograph, yet it feels as though I do. Through the use of imagery, I am able to capture a moment that is truly ours, as though through my images I live with them.
But overall, the thing I find most satisfying is the idea that in that split second, you are able to see a scene through your viewfinder, and in that second you have to make a choice. Life offers you an opportunity and your intuition will tell you when to click the camera. In that moment, the photographer is creative. Capturing a moment, that no-one else can take. In that moment, you have captured something which can never be again. If missed, it is lost forever. If missed, that creativity is lost always. If captured, it is stored and treasured forevermore as a memory. As a street photographer I am constantly playing with the optimum time to capture an image. Sometimes it works and other times it fails. But what I have learnt most is that sometimes the images which you think have failed actually become your favourite when viewed in a different setting. This is why I truly believe you cannot just see that a photograph is right, you have to feel it as well. However, this isn't something you are born with!
I have successfully finished four years of photography education now and one of my favourite and most aspiring photographers that I have come across was Elliott Erwitt. He is a french-born street photographer based in the USA. What fascinated me was the use of everyday items to frame the subject. For example, ‘California 1955’ shown below. The wing mirror focuses our eye towards these two subjects and shows the love they have for each other. With every image he captures, he is able to present the emotion of the subject(s) and the passion he has for his profession. One famous quote which I believe to be very true is ‘To me, photography is an art of observation. It’s about finding something interesting in an ordinary place… I’ve found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.’ - Elliott Erwitt. This quote couldn’t be more true. The idea that an observation can be lost in a second and finding this observation in an ordinary place is what makes it interesting. I tend to shoot street photography in town centres rather than city centres because it is just an ordinary scene in the background. I also have the added bonus that there are less people on the streets to confuse the image. I have learnt that when I photograph a scene, I have to imagine I am being photographed, also. By doing this I am able to capture the feeling portrayed by the subject.
It is hard to say how long I will continue adding to ‘The Street Project’ but I know for certain I am not done yet.
