Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/05/19
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]In a message dated 5/19/00 4:55:54 PM, deadman@jukebox.demon.co.uk writes: << 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. >> First of all, as far as I'm concerned this conversation is not about me and you. It's about a genre in general and more specifically, for me anyway, about an approach to photographing other human beings. I have no interest in proving anybody wrong or anything else. I find it an interesting topic and I hope others can bear through it -- or will at least tell me to shut up. But for your comments . . . truth be told, every newspaper photographer does something similar to what you do -- though usually with longer lenses -- Between stand alone feature photos and face in the crowd stuff from events and the like photojournalists are always shooting pictures of people unawares. I can't tell you how many "street photos" I've made in my career to fill a morning feature photo hole. We called it "cruising for enterprise" or "wild art." The difference is that we don't generally go hunting on street corners. Also we don't make any bones about it. We just do it -- with bag over our shoulder and cameras in plain sight. We shoot until we're discovered and then exchange glances and go on shooting or, if necessary, go explain what we're doing and THEN go back to shooting. In almost every case we make contact at some point to get an I.D. It happens every day on the job -- absolutely routine. As for fleeting moments, yes, sometimes you shoot first and ask questions later. Other times you have to watch for the moment (or something like it) to occur again. There are exceptions but usually at some point the subject knows you're there. It's up to you to make them comfortable enough to ignore you. I would think that would be pretty hard to do if you just "got caught." Like I said in a previous message, it doesn't matter to me what anybody does or what kind of photos they like to take. I'm sorry if I come across like I'm opposed to the genre because I'm not. It's just that no one has convinced me that A LOT (but certainly not all) of so-called "street photographers" chose that method because of a reluctance to approach people so they do try to "steal" images -- no the subject doesn't own them but the photographer IS sneaking around. So, with all that said I would be curious about two things: 1.) Would most street photographers be comfortable showing their photos to subjects and explaining to them why they took them, what they like about them and what the photos say about the human condition? If so, great. I'm just asking . . . 2.) Do street photographers ever consider approaching someone they find interesting and simply asking, "can I follow you around for a few minutes and shoot some photos?" I bet they'd be amazed at the photos they could get this way . . . Bob (street photography by any other name) McEowen