Tips Of The Day

[Merlin5]

These are of course just my own opinions based on street photography I see posted around various websites on the internet.


Mobile phone pictures. Seriously, I really wish street photographers would stop taking photos of people on their phones. Yes, phones are ubiquitous and it's difficult to find someone not on their phone these days. But these phone pictures are everywhere I look and are incredibly boring. It's ok and sometimes unavoidable to include people on their phones in some instances, particularly if the photo has something interesting about it. But mostly I'm seeing photos of a person looking at their phone and I'm thinking, there's absolutely nothing interesting to see at here.

Creativity. Get creative, challenge yourself, raise your game. Look for interesting angles, interesting subject matter, rhythm, energy, composition and maybe even an interesting juxtaposition. Too many lazy photos of someone on their phone or people doing absolutely nothing to hold the viewers interest for more than a second and then they're posted to a thousand Flickr groups to get likes.

Flickr Explore. Sorry to say but making 'Explore' is actually meaningless. I used to think it was exciting to make Explore and some measure of my ability, but now realise that it has nothing to do with the quality of our photos. It's just some strange algorithm that doesn't actually discern a good photo from a boring or bad photo and it randomly makes selections.

Overprocessing. I see a lot of photos converted to black and white, vignettes and all sorts of trickery added. A good picture will stand on its own. No amount of processing will make a bad or uninteresting photo good. As the saying goes, you can't polish a ..

What do you guys think? I know my points sound harsh but it's what I've learned during my own experiences of doing street photography. I feel my photography has grown as a result of being tougher on myself, being more discerning of what I think is worth shooting, what I think should be deleted, and what I think is worth posting. I think everyone doing street photography should be more discerning before posting and stop to think, is my picture interesting?

Do you agree with any of my points?

 

[gramps]

I can see where you are coming from Lee, there is a multitude of 'street dross' on the Internet and I have doubtless contributed!
My take is that I go out to enjoy taking photos in the street and for the most part get few opportunities to photograph anything 'special', however it's my hobby and I try to make something work for my efforts in going out (and it now really is an effort for me!). I take lots of photos and bin most of them because I can't make things happen c'est la vie.
It's hard to take a street photo without a mobile phone in it but if that is the focus of the shot I agree, what is the point.
Processing for me is minimal, I vary between colour and mono and very occasionally use a 'Darken edges' filter if I think it adds to the image.
It would be great if everyone posted great photos but that isn't going to happen and one person's "great" is another's "dross".
I'll keep trying to take good photos (and failing) but I know that I'm chasing the impossible for the most part but still yearn to follow my hobby ... now if I could get to Central London every visit!

 

[benc98]

ooh this feels like a controversial topic

You'll get people who do street photography have little interest in the genre beyond going out and making photos. They enjoy what they do but don't really improve or move beyond what I'd call 'boring' street photography. It's important they're happy and that's what matters. Personally, I don't think these folks understand the potential street photography has.

Another of group will be interested in the genre, will be aware of the photos that other people make and have an understanding of the history of the medium.. probably more self-critical as well and I'd this group have a more refined visual diet and a better palate.

Merlin, the people describe are in group 1

The main hot take required is from Tony Ray Jones when he said 'don't take boring photos'

 

[Merlin5]

Roger and Ben, thanks for your excellent responses.

Oh Tony Ray Jones is pretty much my favourite street photographer and a huge inspiration for the way I try to create photos these days. Him and Martin Parr and Dougie Wallace. They all tend to incorporate multiple things going on in a single frame which gives their photos a theatrical look and lots to look at and ponder.

 

[AndrewFlannigan]

ooh this feels like a controversial topic

It certainly starts off that way, doesn't it?

My own "rule one" of all photography and indeed all art is: "there are no rules". A picture is whatever it is and if you like it and another does not, where's the problem?

Still, some people just can't forbear from trying to make rules for others to follow...

 

[Peter123]

Some excellent street photos are posted on here but there are 2 styles that I just do not "get".

1. Image inside a full underground carriage with no one particularly interesting.

2. Images of the rear of people - someone walking down a street away from you.

Rant over.

 

[swanseamale47]

These are of course just my own opinions based on street photography I see posted around various websites on the internet.


Mobile phone pictures. Seriously, I really wish street photographers would stop taking photos of people on their phones. Yes, phones are ubiquitous and it's difficult to find someone not on their phone these days. But these phone pictures are everywhere I look and are incredibly boring. It's ok and sometimes unavoidable to include people on their phones in some instances, particularly if the photo has something interesting about it. But mostly I'm seeing photos of a person looking at their phone and I'm thinking, there's absolutely nothing interesting to see at here.

Creativity. Get creative, challenge yourself, raise your game. Look for interesting angles, interesting subject matter, rhythm, energy, composition and maybe even an interesting juxtaposition. Too many lazy photos of someone on their phone or people doing absolutely nothing to hold the viewers interest for more than a second and then they're posted to a thousand Flickr groups to get likes.

Flickr Explore. Sorry to say but making 'Explore' is actually meaningless. I used to think it was exciting to make Explore and some measure of my ability, but now realise that it has nothing to do with the quality of our photos. It's just some strange algorithm that doesn't actually discern a good photo from a boring or bad photo and it randomly makes selections.

Overprocessing. I see a lot of photos converted to black and white, vignettes and all sorts of trickery added. A good picture will stand on its own. No amount of processing will make a bad or uninteresting photo good. As the saying goes, you can't polish a ..

What do you guys think? I know my points sound harsh but it's what I've learned during my own experiences of doing street photography. I feel my photography has grown as a result of being tougher on myself, being more discerning of what I think is worth shooting, what I think should be deleted, and what I think is worth posting. I think everyone doing street photography should be more discerning before posting and stop to think, is my picture interesting?

Do you agree with any of my points?

I think putting black and white into over processing is a tad harsh. Many people think of black and white with street photography, and indeed many of the classic shooters only shot in that medium. Fair enough the vignettes and so on but personally I quite like a BW street picture.

 

[Don Fischer]

Well I don't shoot street photo's at all, just doesn't interest me. Do a lot of old buildings, homestead house's and old junk cars and pretty much everything I turn to B&W. It just seems to me to fit old stuff on the down hill side of life. With my attitude about it if I took a photo of old people on the street I would most likely turn it to B&W.

 

[Topsy]

Some excellent street photos are posted on here but there are 2 styles that I just do not "get".

1. Image inside a full underground carriage with no one particularly interesting.

2. Images of the rear of people - someone walking down a street away from you.

Rant over.

 

[Merlin5]

I think putting black and white into over processing is a tad harsh. Many people think of black and white with street photography, and indeed many of the classic shooters only shot in that medium. Fair enough the vignettes and so on but personally I quite like a BW street picture.

I love black and white photos, I create some myself but I mostly do colour. It's not black and white I have any problem with. It's the use of editing effects that are unnecessary, (or certainly mostly unnecessary), if the subject matter of a photo is strong enough on its own, and that applies to colour photos as well. Unfortunately many photographers add special effects on pictures that are frankly, weak and uninteresting. If I take a street photo and I think it's not very interesting, inspired or particularly creative, I'm not going to dress it up to the nines and post it in the hope people will think it's some technical marvel of street photography and great art. I want the picture to already be good in the camera and be authentic, and if it isn't then I delete it.

Look at these William Klein photos. Do you see any special effects or do you think adding special effects would have improved them? Or do you see just basic processing for photos because they have very strong and interesting content?

IMPACT | William Klein: Clarity in Chaos — Musée Magazine

William Klein is an American-born French photographer and filmmaker known for his unusual photographic techniques in the context of photojournalism and fashion photography.

museemagazine.com

 

[Petey]

I personally like b&w images and wouldn’t call that part of over processing. People walking away from cameras is also going to happen a lot in street photography. For me, it depends on the photo. Sometimes it can add to composition. But, the one thing I see far too much of in street photography is upside down shadows. I don’t understand why so many people are turning their photos upside down. I get some people obviously like it, but it’s just not for me. It seems to be overdone.

 

[benc98]

I love black and white photos, I create some myself but I mostly do colour. It's not black and white I have any problem with. It's the use of editing effects that are unnecessary, (or certainly mostly unnecessary), if the subject matter of a photo is strong enough on its own, and that applies to colour photos as well. Unfortunately many photographers add special effects on pictures that are frankly, weak and uninteresting. If I take a street photo and I think it's not very interesting, inspired or particularly creative, I'm not going to dress it up to the nines and post it in the hope people will think it's some technical marvel of street photography and great art. I want the picture to already be good in the camera and be authentic, and if it isn't then I delete it.

Look at these William Klein photos. Do you see any special effects or do you think adding special effects would have improved them? Or do you see just basic processing for photos because they have very strong and interesting content?

IMPACT | William Klein: Clarity in Chaos — Musée Magazine

William Klein is an American-born French photographer and filmmaker known for his unusual photographic techniques in the context of photojournalism and fashion photography.

museemagazine.com

If it's sh**e turn it black and white

 

[Annet]

I don't agree with you on the black and white converting: I think it really helps some pictures glow up (people literally list out reasons for that!) and there are also tricks like making one color stand out in a black and white photo (there is even a tutorial for doing so), which also helps with making photos more interesting. Besides, it can be a part of the idea: the older look was supposed to be there and it's achieved through post-processing (again, there are literal vintage aesthetic guides like here and here). Some pictures really do need additional improvement and it's okay imo, it doesn't mean they are that bad.

 

[Lunkwill Fouk]

Do you see any special effects or do you think adding special effects would have improved them? Or do you see just basic processing for photos because they have very strong and interesting content?

Why do you think they have been given a very basic processing or do not employ effects - because they were shot on film?

 

[AndrewFlannigan]

Some excellent street photos are posted on here but there are 2 styles that I just do not "get".

1. Image inside a full underground carriage with no one particularly interesting.

2. Images of the rear of people - someone walking down a street away from you.

Rant over.

I suppose the only answer to that is not to look at them.

Here are a couple for you to practice not looking at

 

[ancient_mariner]

These are of course just my own opinions based on street photography I see posted around various websites on the internet.

You take some excellent street photos, but don't get too hung up on other people's work, even if it seems poor or dull to you. Just keep working to excel in your own pictures and all will be well.

 

[Petey]

You take some excellent street photos, but don't get too hung up on other people's work, even if it seems poor or dull to you. Just keep working to excel in your own pictures and all will be well.

Very well said.

From a personal point of view, I often shoot b&w photos but I’m also colour blind. So when I look at editing colour I find it very confusing sometimes and worry that I don’t correctly convey the colours. At least with b&w, people will see it the way it’s intended. Also, I learnt photography on b&w film using b&w darkrooms. So, it invokes a bit of nostalgia for me.

 

[LeeRatters]

If I were to take 'street' photos again right now, I think I would be looking for compositions/scenes & light/shadows & then waiting for a subject/person to add to it rather than actual photos of 'people'

Sean Tucker always used to do this sort of thing when he was based in London.

 

[gramps]

It's a pity that 'Street' causes so much bickering about what it is and is not, it makes it all rather depressing really.
I listen to some self-proclaimed gurus on youtube and they do little more than wander the streets snapping random people; there are some good ones of course, Sean Tucker as above is a good watch and there are others. Who needs to conform to the diktats of others?

 

[AndrewFlannigan]

It's a pity that 'Street' causes so much bickering about what it is and is not, it makes it all rather depressing really.

Only because some people insist on telling others what to do. As Ian Fleming wrote: "Live and Let Die".

 

[benc98]

It's a pity that 'Street' causes so much bickering about what it is and is not, it makes it all rather depressing really.

If you start ignoring labels and make the photos you want to make, then you don't have to listen to the bickering.

The label (street photographer / street photo) is only important if you want to label your work.

 

[gramps]

If you start ignoring labels and make the photos you want to make, then you don't have to listen to the bickering.

The label (street photographer / street photo) is only important if you want to label your work.

Unfortunately it's those who want to label the work of others and impose their view on others ... hence my quick exit from a couple of Facebook Groups.

 

[chris02]

Roger and Ben, thanks for your excellent responses.

Oh Tony Ray Jones is pretty much my favourite street photographer and a huge inspiration for the way I try to create photos these days. Him and Martin Parr and Dougie Wallace. They all tend to incorporate multiple things going on in a single frame which gives their photos a theatrical look and lots to look at and ponder.The shots

The shots I have seen of TRJ all tell a story, brilliant.

 

[camairish]

The shots I have seen of TRJ all tell a story, brilliant.

Hits the nail on the head for me, I enjoy any street photo that tells (or suggests) a real story. If there’s no story I feel it’s more of a document or record of the scene rather than what I would consider a true ‘street’ photograph. Nice that we all have different expectations because it keeps it interesting.