Reader's Comments - Index of - Free

Street Photography
aware of the photographer's existence there (then you have the media exec, two women, the dogfight and
the photographer taking the picture). IMHO it makes the photograph a little more interesting.
-- George Bielinski, November 26, 2000
Hey, if you want B&W, can't you just use the "Desaturate" command in Photoshop? It's a digital image
at this point....
-- Michael Yacavone, November 28, 2000
My dear friend Michael, those photographs were *taken* in colour. The photographer knew this, and
composed accordingly. You cannot simply desaturate a colour image in Photoshop and get a decent
B&W image. The *style* of your photography, at camera level, must change in B&W. Try using
"Desaturate" in Photoshop, with the images on this page, to see what I mean. A good colour image will
nearly always be poor in B&W (and vice-versa, if you go to the bother of colouring it).
-- Samuel Dilworth, November 28, 2000
Sorry but I do not feel this page demonstrates street photography. The images mostly look as if taken
with telephoto lenses. (Shyness or cowardice?)
Where are the stories? All the best 'street' photographs I can think of tell some sort of story. This was
'tourist photography'. Not bad pictures but not exactly crammed with expression of the human condition.
For an object lesson in Street Photography try Bill Brandts images from the East end of London. All
taken with Normal lenses so the photographer had to interact with his fellow humans rather than 'grab'
sneak shots out of car windows. Making pictures rather than Taking pictures. Gaining a bit of empathy
before 'shooting' your victims. Some of these pictures are hit and run. Also when photographing poverty
try and preserve the subjects dignity because otherwise it is an unequal relationship. After all, you (and
others) are getting good mileage out of the 'quaint' depravation you picture with your 2000 dollar
'photojournalists' 35 - 300mm lens so try and give something back to them.
Maybe this is why Bill Brandt is a legend and Phil isnt.
-- Trevor Hare, November 29, 2000
If you're ten feet away from your "victim" while carrying an 80-200 2.8 lens, would you characterize
that as "shyness" or "cowardice?" One can make a lot of successful arguments against PhilG's
photography, but he's certainly not timid. Telephoto lenses serve very well to isolate subjects, and to
preserve candidness - which many people feel (differently from you) is the essence of "street
photography." I use all focal lengths in its pursuit.
For what it's worth, I also agree that traditional street photography is done with B&W film, and that
http://www.photo.net/photo/street-photography (9 of 31)7/3/2005 2:18:44 AM