Notes

on Street Photography (Ver. 1)

By Anwrdn Macaraig

DEFINITION. As there is no universal definition of street photography or what

constitutes a street photograph, allow me to say what I understand according to my observation on the subject: A street photograph is a photograph of a spontaneous, candid and unaltered scene having profound coherence with human interaction/s or alienation where the scene is intentionally composed and the interaction or alienation decisively captured. Again, the above is just based on my observation and I am not trying to redefine what others have previously made. Also, it is essential that one must be able to grasp at least the basic unadulterated concept of photography as a foundation.

THE JELLYMENTZ. The elements of a street photograph are: Background;

Subject; and Coherence. Background refers to the factors that surround the Subject. The background effectively reassures, emphasizes, facilitates, aids or promotes the Subject. Henry Cartier-Bresson emphasizes the importance of background in his photos by utilizing geometric shapes as backgrounds in his works. Accordingly, geometric shapes as background are said to be pleasing to the eye and effectively facilitates coherence with the Subject. The Subject is the central point of interest. It may refer to either human interaction or alienation. Some admit animals as subjects if they are able to portray the expression of human acts or emotions. Both Background and Subject must be spontaneous, candid and unaltered. Some may not be strictly considered as candid but the spontaneity of the acts and events must remain intact. That is, without any intervention from the photographer. Coherence refers to the overall aesthetic correlation between the Subject and the Background. Most often than not, the background and subject or two or more subjects are juxtaposed to present a compelling scene which admits of thoughtful consideration and imagery. There cannot be a street photograph if one of the above elements is not present. The presence of all of the above elements in one shot may be referred to as the decisive moment for the photographer or a moment where all these elements are fixated in time through the medium of the camera.

GENERAL APPROACHES. In street photography, the photographer makes the

scene and takes the photograph. The photographer does this without any intervention on his part other than being there and ready to capture the moment. Pre-visualization or the anticipation of a certain event to come occupies a major part of street photography. There are three ways of making a street photograph: 1) Background Fixing. The most common method of doing street photography is looking for a background ahead of the subject. At the outset, there is yet no specific subject or point of interest. Upon having chosen a background, the photographer pre-visualizes the happening of a certain event the appearance of a desired subject. This is the waiting period where the adage patience is a virtue comes into play. Upon the appearance of the subject, the photographer must be quick to take action. It is really helpful to have a certain mastery of ones own camera when indulging into street photography as there should be no space for errors because a decisive moment for a particularly desired subject happens in a fraction of a second and may no longer present itself again. An example of background fixing is Henri Cartier-Bressons Bicycle photo

Here is a sample from Gary Winogrand

2) Subject Chasing. Many aspiring street photographers would always indulge themselves in this kind of street photography chasing the subjects - hunting them down. The hunting part could be easy but extreme care must be exercised when indulging in this mode of street photography. When subjects are chased, many photographers almost always forget about the two other elements of street photography Background and Coherence. That is why although the subject was captured, for the lack of background and coherence, the resulting photograph is not as strong as what the photographer intended it to be. A failure. While chasing the subject, the background changes swiftly and almost always instantaneously as the subject moves. Subject chasing creates a more challenging situation than background fixing because the street photographer is usually in a constant move and thus continuously validating or rechecks the coherence between the subject and the background. Even so, with the proper skill and experience, subject chasing could be done properly.

An example of subject chasing is Trent Parkes photo

Another example from Henry Cartier-Bressons Alicante

3) Instant Madness. This is a kind of street photography where the subject, background and coherence appears in one instance without the need of chasing the subject or fixing the background. Here goes the famous excuse of great street photographers saying Its just luck. It is indeed a no-sweat exercise. An example of this is Elliott Erwitts photo

Below is a sample from Henry Cartier-Bresson where he admittedly have taken this photo as he was passing by

Vivian Maiers photo below also exemplifies instant madness

Street photography is an ever evolving genre of photography that resonates mans view about ordinarily extraordinary scenes and slices of life on the streets and in public places. This notes has been my understanding of street photography and I am in advance asking for apologies to any blunders in my observations, so far. As divine as the idea of painting a picture where all the Jellymentz dance to the tune of the whole scene, street photography escapes and outwits any manmade definition each time a decisive moment is immortalized. September 13, 2011.