I thought I’m so into street photography but I’m rather confused by the term itself now. Should it be defined by the HOW – not “manufactured”, “taken in the public place” (streets) or by the WHAT – be “a reflection of the photographer’s mind” (snapshot, “indecisive/ decisive” moments)? Should it be more of aesthetic values or purely celebrate “the moment it clicks” (of course, it is best when you have both)? I don’t really know the answer.
A good street photograph may be seen just as a normal snapshot in one eye .Who cares about the fleeing moment of the street scene if it does not matter as much as a picture of a familiar face. “What is your message in the photo?” – “I don’t know. Sometimes it is just my emotion captured by the scene”. “So what…”
I celebrate serendipity – “the lucky tendency to find interesting or valuable things by chance”. One may frown upon the word “lucky” here, but it is about the outcome, not refers to your technicality or things like that. As I wander on the street (be it in a countryside or a city), things happen, and my mood, my reaction or curiosity triggers the camera. No pressure. You have a freedom of mind (and action). Sometimes interesting scene is captured and it becomes a snapshot of my own mind. It will recall the most of my experience when I look at it a week, a month or a year later.
I discover this website http://www.street-photographers.com/ recently. They has a Flickr group here. You submit your photos. Then whether it is shown (accepted) depends on the admins. Admittedly, I don’t understand many of the work approved (aka, “what is the message”, “it doesn’t look very nice to me”), but I enjoy trying to be in their shoes at the moment…
Many of my work are rejected. Some of them are actually my “all-time” favs. The photos shown in this post are some that got through. It is not about “being approved/ accepted“, but it is good to hear your voice echoed. (haha, my writing sucks)
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