[Leica] Re: GeeBee's 'Street' photography

[ricc at mindspring.com (Ric Carter)]

A couple of weeks ago, I went on here a bit about being out of practice 
taking pictures of people. I thought I was getting uncomfortable with 
photographing people. I promised to practice and push myself. Sonny 
mentioned GeeBee?s strangers page. I even told Sonny that I?d have a 
gallery of photos of strangers within a couple of weeks.

So I started looking back over the last year?s contact sheets and found 
out that my discomfort wasn?t with taking pictures of people ? I found 
that I was fine taking pictures of people I didn?t know as long as it 
was job (assignment) related. My problem was with taking pictures of 
people just because it pleased me ? no excuse of the profession.

I found a place with lots of people I find interesting enough to 
photograph occasionally. Sometimes I find myself secretly slipping a 
furtive frame. Other times I interact with the subject. It may be a 
conversation or simply a questioning brow asking if they mind my snap.

Is this where we get part of the definition of ?street photography?? I 
somehow know that if I were taking pictures around Moore Square for a 
magazine article, I would be more comfortable snapping. I wouldn?t feel 
like a street photgrapher, but a journalist. This difference is 
obviously only in my mind ? it is not real. But, isn?t this a real part 
of how we define ?street photography?? After all, such artistic 
definitions and boundries are only of our minds.

Street photography is defined not by the result, but by the act.

Pushing myself to take the street photos, I?ve got to admit wasn?t 
relaxing, but it was stimulating ? a high of sorts.

It was fun much like riding a rollercoaster, a thrill coming from a 
taste of fear. And there is the self-satisfaction of living through it.

Is there something there that makes us feel like we are somehow 
victimizing those we photograph? Do we somewhere harbor the old fear of 
the soul being stolen by the image we capture? Are we concerned that we 
may be unkind in our portrayal of an innocent or less fortunate fellow 
human? Are we simply scared some stranger will be offended and knock 
the crap out of us?

I?m sure I don?t know, but I?ll be returning to Moore Square to take 
pictures.

Street photos from the last two weeks:
http://gallery.leica-users.org/Moore-Square
more soon

Ric Carter