Re: [Leica] street photography

[Johnny Deadman <deadman@jukebox.demon.co.uk>]

on 19/5/00 8:45 pm, Bmceowen@aol.com at Bmceowen@aol.com wrote:

> 
> In a message dated 5/19/00 1:04:38 PM, deadman@jukebox.demon.co.uk writes:
> 
>> Whoah... stop right there. Street photography ain't about 'stealing' images.
> 
> Man, it sure seems like it with all the concern about being inconspicuous
> while you're shooting.

'Stealing' presupposes the subject 'owns' the picture you're taking. You are
clearly committed to one form of photography, which I completely respect,
which involves the conscious participation of the subject. I'm not
personally commited to that,  though it's a mode that has a great appeal.

It doesn't mean I or any other SP 'steals' anything by staying anonymous
(which I don't do, half the time, as you'll see from my *many* eye-contact
images -- not all 'deer in the headlights' or other emotive phrases either).

It's simply a question of what is possible in one mode or another. I'm sure
you in your mode produce pictures I am incapable of... I'd lay bets it works
the other way round too. My mode, at its best, works on instantaneously
seeing something which hits you in the guts emotionally, and trying to
capture that *impossibly* fleeting moment. It would be pointless for me to
try to achieve that by walking up to people and talking to them. The moment
is there for a fraction of a second and then it's gone. I could get other
moments by talking to people... but they're not the moment's I'm
*interested* in for the purposes of HT.

You talked about technique... it took me several months to work up my
technique to the point where I could hit that moment with any confidence of
getting it so that other people had a chance of seeing it.

Image problem? It's in the eye of the beholder. Anyone can punch me or shout
at me if they like. Most people smile. I smile back.



- --
Johnny Deadman

photos:      http://www.pinkheadedbug.com
music:       http://www.jukebox.demon.co.uk