Artists's Choice #3: Just a few more of my own favourites

Please enjoy and I would love to hear from you. Thanks!
Peace

I Am a Witness to Love, I Am a Street Photographer

Love. It's everywhere isn't it? Well, yes I know, it does depend on how one looks at the world, but often it's not that it isn't there so much as it is we don't see it. That is where we street photographers come into the picture. We are a very lucky group of people. We get to see love all the time and everywhere we look. Love between a parent and a child, love between a dog and its human. And then there is romantic love. I can't count the number of times I have seen - been lucky enough to see - couples obviously in love or loving each other.

Hello My Darling

I so often am privileged to witness that look of love that passes between lovers as they meet or as they part. It's a private moment, yet there it is in plain sight for the world to see, to witness. If only we would slow down so we are able to see it. 

It's the Look of Love

Mind you, sometimes a couple will be just sitting, passing the time together. Suddenly, one will look a the other and in that fraction of a second (John Free says all Street Photographers see the world in segments 1/500th of a second long) it takes to point the camera and click the shutter, such a look is passed from the one to the other, that it is a gift worth treasuring. I sometimes wish this couple could have a copy of this photograph. But, that's not how this thing works. It's a fleeting thing; a moment that comes, then is gone forever.

Lovers on the Grass

Then there are the times when from even metres away, the street photographer can just feel the joy being eperienced by lovers as they embrace oblivious to their surroundings and to other people passing by. It's as if the world itself is their living room. But, you know, I don't often get the sense people are "showing off" or "posing"; it is usually just two people expressing joy and love in each other's company.

Loves in the Park

Now, I am not one of those street photographers who goes out of their way to be invisible. I see no point in hiding or sneaking around. Of course this means that sometimes I am seen and more often than you might think, this can result in a great image too. People might sometimes change their pose a little, but overall they  like these two, maintain what they were doing (except of course they are smiling now for the camera). And these two were happy in each others embrace, and proudly proclaim that to the camera. I like this one!

Sunday Seaside Stroll

Another aspect to street photography that I absolutely love is its ability to change people's lives, even if it is just for a moment. Take this couple for example. Strolling on a beach path one Sunday morning. I just instinctively lifted the camera and made the photo as they approached me. Now, they were so engrossed in whatever was happening for them that they didn't notice me, even as we passed each other. Again, just intuitively I said to them: "It's great to see such a handsome couple". They both looked at me and smiled, then the guy said: "It is indeed".

That's all, nothing else, and all over in a couple of seconds. Later, as I looked at the photo on my computer, I noticed that they are both looking upset or at the very least really distracted by something. Who can say what sort of day they'd had or what kind of bad news they had received and were processing. 

And that's the point you see. I knew nothing of this at all when I made the photo. And, then, despite the fact they hadn't seen me, I spoke to them, and what I said elicited a smile and a humorous comment from the man. So, by acting on instinct, being fully present and going with the flow, it is likely I played a tiny part in cheering up two people who were quite probably having a bad day.

Like I said, I have so many images that are witnesses to love in many of its forms. These are a tiny few of the romantic love kind. I have had the great good fortune to see and share thousands of similar moments. And what's more, the fact I am actually there to witness and record those moments with my camera, means that I can then share these moments of love with others, with you. 

Street photography is a great gift to me and to all of us. Fleeting moments that come and are gone forever as I said earlier, are usually missed as we rush about just living our lives. But just because they are missed doesn't mean they aren't important or that they shouldn't be recorded for sharing with others and for posterity  I am one who is lucky enough to be called to do just that. And I am grateful.

Sharing a Sleeve

Social Documentary Photography: It Can Be Pretty?

For those of you who don't know, I am in Lisbon in Portugal right now. We've been here two weeks, and will be here for another four. At least. I say 'at least' because it is a city that already I know is going to be very difficult to leave. But, in keeping with my new resolution to 'live in the moment' more, I categorically refuse to think that far ahead.

Anyway, enough about that. Well, actually it's related to what I wanted to talk about in this post. You see, one of the BIG reasons I wanted to come to this city is that it is a street photographer's paradise. Friendly open people, life, vitality, picturesque buildings as backdrops. You name it, this place has got it! But, so far I've only been out with my camera once. Been sick you see. Another story! And that once I just got a couple of images of buildings in the Alfama district where we were staying (we've moved now. Yet another story! Hell, I love travelling!).
So, before I get started, here are the two images.

Alfama Houses

Love in a Lisbon Lane

Now, I am a Social Documentary and Street Photographer. Of course both of these images are made on the street, but they wouldn't meet the definition many would give for being street photographs. No people, you see. But, still they are street in that they are of the street and tell us something of the moment in time that they were made, especially the second one with the "graffiti" love heart.

I'm not even going to begin to list here all the various ways that Documentary Photography is defined. Here is my definition, well what I use as my guide when working. 

Documentary Photography seeks to produce a visual record (a photograph) of a moment in time, a place, an event, a person (or people) in such a way that a viewer will be exposed to something of the life, culture and environment of that time, place, event or person and hopefully will be moved to react in some way or at the very least have their lives impacted in some way by the viewing of the image. Documentary Photography will, by definition and because of its nature, always provide only a partial and purely subjective view which could be described as a "comment" by the photographer on the time, place, event or people depicted in the images produced.

I guess that's not overly articulate but it does sum up what I try to do with my work. The question here, however, is: do these two rather touristy and "pretty" photos fit with this definition? Are these two images documentary photography?

Both are, like all photographs, records of a moment in time. They're pretty ordinary moments in both cases, but moments nonetheless. And I think both images tell us something of the way the people live and something of the physical and cultural environment. The first gives us the impression of a pretty "village" type house with flowers and laundry hanging. It evokes a sense of place immediately.

The second photograph with its locked metal door, bars on the window and crudely drawn graffiti, also evokes a sense of place, but this time of a more urban environment. Now, what adds I think to the documentary value of these two images is that, although superficially appearing to be very different, are actually of buildings no more than two hundred metres apart. Alfama is famed as a "village in a city" with all that this appellation suggests: quaint houses, with roses at the door, and at the other extreme, very urban lanes and graffiti!

How a viewer reacts to either or both of these photographs is going to be very hard to measure: we are all unique and our reactions will be determined by all kind of factors. And any impact the images have on a viewer will likewise depend on who they are and what they bring to the experience of viewing.

I will admit that I didn't really have my documentary photographer hat on when I made these images. I was just sort of wandering around and playing tourist (most unusual for me I can assure you!). So, I did not have an intention when making these photos of impacting anyone or making any kind of comment when I made these images. 

Once I started thinking about it however, I thought, yes, this is documentary photography. I'm not preteding they are great photos by any means, but I think they do make a statement about the place, the time, the poeple who live in the places in the images, and they have the potential at least to have an impact on the viewer. I've used the word "pretty" a few times. What's wrong with pretty? Nothing! If a viewer looks at these images and thinks one or them of them is pretty, or stark or scary or interesting in some way, then they succeed as documentary photographs.

DISCLAIMER: As mentioned, I had no intention of making documentary photographs of the scenes depicted in these photos. It is not my "usual" subject matter, nor to I regard it as an especially serious  subject for my work. This, however, does not exclude it as being a study of value, of interest or as being potentially influential in some way on a viewer. Of course it has to be added that as a subject for documentary photography the living environments of people everywhere is a rich area for exploration and for recording in our fast changing world.

Three Secrets of a Committed Street Photographer by Damon Guy

Damon Guy describes himself as an author and editor, but he is also a gifted photographer and teacher. Not only that, but he is the managing editor of the excellent blog Photokonnexion.com But, wait, there's more!!! He has a keen interest in and, if I may say, a true understanding of street photography.

It is with great pleasure and immense gratitude that I welcome Damon to my blog as a guest writer. In this especially written piece, Damon shares with us a set of street photography "secrets" that will give any street photographer, whether just starting out or experienced, much food for thought.

Three secrets of a committed street photographer

Every picture tells a story. In this picture the story is really a question for the viewer. What are these girls looking at? I like to pose questions in my pictures. It helps the viewer look at the scene with my eyes.

Girls day out - happy on the banks of the Thames (Damon Guy)

What is the vision?

We all have a unique insight into the world. Part of the attraction of photography for me is to be able to share a little of my personal vision with other people. Through my photography and teaching I try to help people to see the world a little more clearly. In this article I hope to explain the foundations for my vision in street photography.

The habit of visualising

I have always been a visualiser. I see much of the world in a pictorial way. Diagrams, photographs, paintings; all are ways to provide explanations of the world. So what is this phenomenon we call street photography? How do the pictures of people out living their lives explain anything?

The attractive thing about street photography, to me, is that sometimes, when we get it right, a street photographer shows what people are feeling. Examining that behaviour through our images explains a little about those people as individuals. Through that small study we have the  opportunity to understand a little about ourselves. We are all basically interested in ourselves more than anyone else. When we take pictures that interest us out on the streets we are really looking at ourselves in an abstract sort of way. 

My habit of visualising makes me an observer. My enjoyment of photography makes me an analyst by virtue of the moment I choose for the capture. Whilst out there living the moment, and taking pictures of people, I am reviewing and understanding myself and others around me. I think that street photography is uniquely placed to be an important study of both our inner selves and who we are as social animals interacting with the crowd.  

A myriad of moments

One of the important things about street photography is to show what life is about. It is made up of a myriad of unimportant moments. But, if you put those together, sometimes those moments add up to something more significant. Not world shattering events perhaps, but ones that nevertheless have a significance for the people involved. The well known photograph, The Kiss by Alfred Eisenstaedt is a great example.

It is one of those iconic street photography moments that captivate the viewer. We cannot help but be drawn into the ecstasy of the moment. We know the experience ourselves, or wish for such a moment, and endlessly analyse the myriad of instances that lead us there.

Those moments that appear so important in the history books often don't affect the individual in very obvious or immediate ways. What history has not shown so well is how the little moments, like The kiss, can have a great impact on the individuals involved. To a street photographer, we are not only studying ourselves, but chronicling these moments of significance that sum up the tiny moments creating them. We are telling a story. A street photographer is an artist who can create an entire world in a fraction of a second, tell a complete story, and do it using only light.  

Being rather than doing

One should not try to "do" photography. Instead photographers should live the habit of seeing images everywhere. It is by visualising the world that I get my insights. Not just out on the streets, but also image-making for my work and writing. When making images I try to have a good image in my head before I take the picture. This takes a little practice, but it is a worthwhile endeavour. Knowing what you want to capture makes it so much easier to get a great image when you can prepare for it beforehand. I believe that if you are going out to "do" photography you are "doing" something that you have not really internalised. A photographer will see an opportunity, create the inner image they want, then take the photograph to match it. A "snapper" will react. With practice the photographer will get the picture as quickly as the snapper, but it will usually be more artful and more technically controlled. 

Being a street photographer is therefore not the same as "doing" photography out on the streets. I strive to be a photographer rather than a snapper. I try to be comfortable, and fit into the environment. I want my shots to be composed and of high quality. I look for those events that tell us a little of life out there. They are shots that let us peer into this odd thing we call humanity. 

How is it possible to do all these things together? For me it is about respect. I think, as street photographers, we owe it to our subjects to be respectful, unobtrusive, polite and reasonable. I have found that out on the streets these attitudes have helped me to be able to relax around the people I am photographing. As a result they relax too. I have often been astonished at how friendly people are when you take a little time to get to know them. If you fit in, take a little time, and don't come over as a threat, people take you for who you are and get on with their lives. As a result I can be a photographer rather than a snapper. I can relate to the people I meet and I can blend in to the scene. "Being", rather than "doing" is a great way to get great images out on the street.

The punch line

There is something very special about capturing a great street image. For me it involves observation and analysis, an appreciation of the story and being a part of the very scene I want to capture. When these three foundations come together I know I am going to get some good, if not great, images. And, that's what it is all about.

By Damon Guy (author and editor)

Damon Guy (Netkonnexion)

Damon is managing editor of Photokonnexion.com with professional experience in photography, writing, image libraries, and computing. He is also an experienced, webmaster and a trained teacher. Damon runs regular training for digital photographers who are just starting out.
See also: Editor's Bio 
By Damon Guy :: Profile on Google+

Out from Behind the White Picket Fence?

One of the great strengths of social documentary/street photography is the genre's ability to tell the stories of so-called "ordinary" people going about their normal everyday lives. Not only that, the story read into a photograph is going to be a bit different depending on what each viewer brings to the image from their own lives, values and worldview.
I saw this man walking along the shingle beach not far from where I'm staying. Alone, and not looking like this was his happiest day. But who can say what was in his mind as he walked along the beach on a sunny Sunday?
Now, here's another great thing about art: you meet lots of really talented people whose art and presence enrich the world. One such person is Karen Bayley-Ewell. She saw this photo and sent me a poem. Not written in response to the image, she told me, but written some time ago. But, you know, in the world of Art and beauty, there is no "time" in the linear sense that we seem to live it day-to-day. So, one possible story for the man in my photograph was written long before his life's journey led him to this spot on this beach and long before I saw him there. Makes you think doesn't it?

Feeling Down Down on the Beach

WHITE PICKET FENCE

Oh how your garden looks so fab 

Looking like a home & garden ad 

How much time have you spent

Surrounded by a white picket fence

Waiting around for the 9:08 

Always wondering why it's late 

Time moves fast as you fall behind

Your watch is off by a decade you find

Oh dear what a crushing bore

You never looked behind before 

There's only the recording of your mind 

If only you could just rewind

What on earth have you done

But mother is proud of you my son 

Excuses excuses have you not heard

Your unseen play is so absurd

Happy family, wife and 2 kids 

Is that really all there is 

2 spare rooms mortgage paid

Bare as your future I'm afraid

Gaps wide open as a patio door

Garden furniture adorns the floor

Oh what a splendidly well-kept lawn 

Inside you suddenly feel forlorn

But you are the king of your castle

Trophy wife and a dog called rascal

Life is evaporating like a morning dew

And suddenly you ask where are you 

The question burns deep inside

A voice taunts your life is a lie

The unanswered question inside remains

Will you answer or just go insane 

Thank you Karen for doing me and my work such a great honour