Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2015/05/02
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Mark, I'm surprised to hear you say you never heard the term until very recently. I've heard it used for years to refer to the school of photogs like Winogrand, Frank, Klein, Friedlander, etc., who worked with 35mm cameras mostly in urban settings to capture the feel and look of life on the urban streets. There's an excellent book on the history of the genre: "Bystander: A History of Street Photography," that's well worth a read. < http://www.amazon.com/Bystander-History-Street-Photography-Afterword/dp/0821227262/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1430629487&sr=1-3&keywords=bystander > The authors say that the term originated in the 19th century to describe photographers who set up their tripods on urban sidewalks and offered to take portraits of passersby for a fee and deliver the prints by mail. It evolved through the years to refer to other genres of work shot in street settings. There used to be an online group hosted by John Brownlow that focused on the genre but it is no longer up AFAIK. I can't remember the name of the group, but others here once belonged. I like the term myself and would happily use it to describe any work I've done in that setting. Yay! I'm a street photographer! -- Phil Swango 307 Aliso Dr SE Albuquerque, NM 87108 505-262-4085