Reader's Comments - Index of - Free

Street Photography
-- Efrain Sain, December 4, 2000
This is not a perfect fix for color pictures...but if you change it to grayscale or desaturate it then go to
brightness and contrast you can make the shadows and what not more prominet so it looks more like a
B&W.
-- joe bob, December 29, 2000
There is a great deal more to 'street photography' than merely photographing in the street. These images
miss the mark for me I am afraid.
-- Gerry Walden, December 31, 2000
While I respect Trevor Hare's opinion, I could not disagree more with him. Cartier-Bresson was known
to have covered up his Leica when on the street to hide his intentions from his subjects. Andres Kertesz,
whom Cartier-Bresson said that we all indebted to for pioneering street photography, sought to capture
life at its most candid on the streets and cafes of Paris. Garry Winnograd also had the ability to take
someone's picture without them noticing though he was more or less right on top of them. Read the intro
to his book if you don't believe me.
I would have loved to have befriended and talked to all the people that I have taken pictures of or
wanted to take picutres of. But all of my photos would have turned into snapshots: people conscious of
the camera and probably smiling into the lens.
The potential for street photography to be rude and exploitative is monstrous and this is something that I
struggle with everytime I step outside. This is where I agree with Trevor. But every situation is different
and there are times where I have refused to expose any film because it did not feel right and I have
subsequently missed incredible opportunities. There cannot be any edict dictating what is right or wrong.
These decisions are up to each photographer to make according to their own system of values.
And I am thankful that Phil has created this page for us though in the end, it is very disappointing. Are
there no street photographers on staff at photo.net?
-- doug kim, February 19, 2001
Ah, the essence of Street Photography:
"This photo illustrates the advantages of the Canon 35-350L lens (a $2000 photojournalist's toy). I took
it from the passenger seat of a car stopped at a red light."
Using only the equipment you can find on the street... ; )
http://www.photo.net/photo/street-photography (12 of 31)7/3/2005 2:18:44 AM