[Leica] philosophy of street photography

[ricc at mindspring.com (Ric Carter)]

No answers, but a couple of thoughts.

1--It's a reaction to the old thing of Mom telling you to "smile and  
look at the camera." What we want to capture is people doing what  
they are doing, not posing for a portrait. Sneaking may be the  
quickest way to accomplish this end.
Just had a problem with it on assignment yesterday. A kid was set for  
a perfectly wonderful photo when his mother popped him on the  
shoulder and told him to look at me and smile.

2--Taking pictures of strangers is unsettling. It is easier to sneak  
than establish a relationship.

Getting past both of these requires work and some discomfort. If we  
get them looking at the camera, we tend to call them portraits, not  
street photos even if they are. I've adopted "30-second portrait" as  
a term for doing those portraits of strangers on the run. At some  
point, they stop what they were doing and pose for a photo. That line  
is fuzzy.

Example:
<http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/ricc/Moore-Square/11 
+grooming.jpg.html>
<http://tinyurl.com/yvnpv7>

Standing in plain view, I made this shot (second of 2 frames). They  
did not alter position other than noticing me. Portrait or street  
photo. I don't know;^)

??
Ric Carter
http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/ricc/




On Aug 19, 2007, at 12:02 PM, Brian Reid wrote:

> I've been curious for years why it is that the norm in street  
> photography is not to interact with the subjects. I am primarily a  
> portrait person, and everything about portraiture involves  
> interacting with the subject. The street photographs that get the  
> most accolades seem to be those in which the photographed subjects  
> do not show awareness of the photographer. I always find that  
> unsettling.
>
> Why is this? Is there some philosophical basis, or is it just habit?
>
> Brian
>
>
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