We continue our conversation about street photography. Today I would like to talk about the story in pictures Street. you tell me, it's a strange topic for conversation - well, what could be the story from a street photo. by the way, something that is not the story of street photography, very popular belief.
Typically, proponents of, what street photography can not have a story, they say, that street photography – it's just not the fixation events, and the usual city life in general. And what a story can be in everyday life? People just come and stand.
The implication of such reasoning has. If you are out of the house and, walking down the street, You take a picture every 10 minutes (can and often), the story in this series of images will be apparent only to you - my walking route. And if you publish one of these pictures without names, without a description and explanation, the part of the viewer may seem, that the story in this picture is not. Especially if there is not anything, to catch the eye. But, However, even at such a photo story has. Anyway, for its author.
Situation, described by me, It occurs often. Take a look at the sites and you'll see hundreds of photos, which are laid out every minute, filmed in an incomprehensible place and in an incomprehensible about what. This faceless mass of images does not evoke any emotions - just some pictures. People just take pictures of everything - what I see, then I shoot. Sometimes you get great shots, but most of the pictures are not interesting even to their author.
This is bad - you ask. Not, this is normal, especially for a beginner Street Photography. Sometimes street photography can be compared with gold-digger, prospector gold rush. Hundreds of tons of rock washed, and the output of only a couple of grams of fine metal. well yes, somehow turns, if you do not take any measures to improve the efficiency of shooting. Let's Think about it - what we're shooting and generally doing street photography? For what - for the recognition, or just likes we so relieves stress?
The purpose of street photography
What is the purpose of street photography, and whether there is sense in it? Street photographer - what it takes, Why spend hours wandering the streets? Do you have answers? And I have, I have the answer. A few years ago I have the answers to these questions.
The main purpose of street photography, in my opinion - is a chronicle of life in photos. well yes, It sounds pretty pathetic, but it is true. A street photographer takes years of streets and people. for 10 – 50 years old (as anyone lucky) accumulate the entire archive. And when looking at these pictures, you can see, How do city and people, living in it. It is very exciting. You remember the story of Vivian Maier and her discovered quite by accident photos? They shook America. It was a chronicle of American life for nearly 50 years old. Simply stunning chronicle of American life. Take some time and look at these pictures – vivianmaier.com. Woman photographed over the years and carefully preserved pictures. About it, no one knew, until, Unfortunately, after her death, negatives and prints were not purchased on sale.
Council: Starting in street photography, make sure that, to catalog your pictures. From my own experience - still I regret, that deleted pictures in just a few years, When the computer has changed. I left something in the social networking accounts, but much is lost - sorry. therefore, I advise you to store pictures. maybe, Not all, but records the date and store at least a part of each series. It should take care to purchase an additional hard drive or stored on virtual disks on Google, Yandex or other services.
We decided on the main purpose of a photograph. Now we move on to smaller targets and plot.
The plot or theme of the Street photos
Going for a walk with a camera, worth thinking about, I'll shoot today. Streets, people, pigeons, seals? Yes, is what we usually shoot. But you can clarify a little. for example, today I will shoot tourists, and tomorrow take off the guys on skateboards and roller skates, and maybe I will focus on retirees or young parents. We select the shooting scene.
Why it's better, than just shooting anything and everything? Now I will express their own opinion on the matter, and you really do judge it or not-so.
In my opinion, if we choose a more narrow focus shooting, we become more attentive and notice the, that with a simple walk would have missed and did not notice. More attention to detail. This benefits our pictures.
In fact, choosing a topic for pictures, we do not just walk the streets with a camera, and make a report. Need to say, Sequential shooting that intersects with street photography in 90% cases.
What is the report? This series of images from a certain event or a series of images of something - about the city, on the street, about people. After reporting - this is not necessarily well-known personalities or social events.
Journalism - a series of images. If we take and publish only one photo from the report, such a picture will be exactly the street, if a report is made on the streets.
Again, By selecting a photo story for shooting, we do a report, and if you upload a series of photos, it is precisely because these images and will be perceived. If upload photos one by one, it will be a normal street photography.
In fact, often differ from the street shooting reportage lies in the fact, who made a series of - professional or amateur, and where the pictures were published.
I would like to draw your attention to one point - the name of the image. we strolled, We made while walking a series of shots and dropped all captured on a computer. As long as they are stored in our country and have not been published - it's just pictures. But at the moment, when we decided to publish them, there is a problem - to give them a name or not. If we put the pictures on display without names, we can say, that the story of these pictures is not obvious. As soon as we give the name, then our photos automatically plot appears. We invent and refine. Think about it. Maybe we should think about the name in advance. Someone says, but what about the freedom of creativity. well yes, well yes. Then I ask you a question - as the artist paints his picture? Photo - this is the picture, only not made a brush and paints, and sophisticated technology.
