Recently I wrote a 9 part introduction on street photography for our facebook page at work. This is to be followed up this Sunday by a street photography workshop.
In the process of defining street imaging (as I see it, not the definitive work by any means), I managed to analyse my own work processes and philosophy;
So;
I am not a street portraitist.
I could barely manage a handful of subject aware portraits for the article and those were mostly by chance not design. To tell a story about a specific person, fine, especially as part of a larger story, but in candid street shooting, I see no point for my work. I am looking for the intimate moment, not the posed one.
Far from a street portrait. More a matter of being caught in the act.
Documentary style?
Closer.
This is probably closest to my natural style, but I have no specific story I am trying to tell. Too many years trying to emulate my National Geographic heroes left it’s mark.
This also ties in to the moral and legal grey areas that are becoming more intense.
Candid grab, a little abstract. Yep, this is close to the core.
Urban Landscape?
To be honest, this is probably the future for me. I am tiring of the traditional candid street images (i.e. people living their life) and the tension that it entails. Sometimes the urge to walk away over rides my desire to get the image. The balance has shifted.
The gentler, anonymous and “quieter image” (as Sam Abell would put it) of perfect composition and light are calling. This means fewer, but better images and a more considered and deliberate approach.
Taken with a kit lens, one of my favourites from this year. The print potential is sky high.
Humour?
I rarely fall back on irony or humour in my images. Most of the coincidentally interesting ones are actually just that, coincidence. This is also directly tied to portraiture or doco style candids, so see above.
One of the rare times I actually recognised all of the elements before they lined up. “All eyes on her” or “Tin Tin’s surprise” would likely be the title if I were that way inclined.
Benefits?
More intent = more chances to get good images at home = less down time waiting for the next trip, then returning and settling in for the next one. It makes every small trip and every day capable of producing a wonder (OCOLOY maybe!?). Ironically one of the favourite destinations for Japanese tourists is Tasmania.
Gear needs are lowered (no pressure for fast, long glass or super robust cameras, although what you have tends to define what you chase). I have roughly 300k guaranteed shutter fires to come from my current stable of cameras, likely more and I intend to grind them into the ground. At a more considered pace, that is a lot of images and time. My lens stable is more than capable of handling my needs, with options, even excess.
Basically I intend to raise my image making standards, lower my urgency to grab everything and shoot with full intent to print. This runs the risk of my missing the odd good shot through chance, but a groaning computer says I take too many currently*.
Less time in front of a computer, more time printing. This increases my personal and photographic longevity in every way.
I may even enjoy life and travelling more.
Next project is a book and set of prints from the last 5 years of Japan trips, then put a lid on it for a while.
*Lets face it. Our entire productive photographic life is usually defined by a few projects, several outstanding images and capturing important memories. Who among us can honestly say their image library is not bloated well past that. The “just in case” images are really “clogging up the works” files. Maybe a working shooter needs to keep files for possible client re-use, but I bet most of the bulk are just junk waiting to happen. How did we get by with the limitations of film? Just fine.
I bet, if forced to, most of us could get by with a limit of 500gb of total photographic storage for our entire life’s work, especially if you ask you potential viewers how deep their genuine interest would be.