Street Photography Day Is Today

...Otherwise known as Henri Cartier-Bresson's birthday.

(By the way, my favorite book of the many books of the great French photographer's work [there are many worthy titles however] is Henri Cartier-Bresson: Photographer published by Bulfinch in 1992. It was in print forever, until just a few years ago. Unfortunately—and unusually for a mere retrospective—the value is going up on the used market; there should be a lot of used copies floating around, but you'll have to scour the usual suspects (Amazon, Abebooks, Biblio, etc., or used bookstores) to find one. Expect to pay around $100 for an excellent copy. Still worth it—it's an essential title in my opinion, and a very enjoyable and instructive book to spend time with. I've done so a lot.)

A couple of suggestions for Street Photography Day during the 2020 Blues: 1.) take a street photograph while distancing; 2.) find a street photograph by someone else you really like online, something you've never seen before (here's mine, by Ferry Noothout); and—how's this?—3.) take a picture of your street!

A picture of a street is not a street photograph. But this isn't a normal year, God knows. A picture of a street for Street Photography Day seems abnormally related to the genre in a way that is somehow right in its wrongness—its twistedness reflecting these twisty times. And it's safe.

My street, about a mile from where I live. GX8 and 12–35mm ƒ/2.8, Nov. 2, 2018.

I'll just point out that while street photography is exceptionally common (the term is a common catch-all for random camera-pointing), good street photography is rare. So if you're going to go looking for a great undiscovered street photograph, you could be looking for a while. Like the hunt for the photos themselves, though, the payoff can be worth the frustration. Almost all the great masters of the genre make it look easy, but, in my experience at least, it is not easy.

There's one more option, I think: 4.) you could decide you're not a street photographer at all and you're not going to waste time, energy and mindshare trying to be something you're not. When trying to find direction, it helps to know who you are, but it also helps to know who you aren't.

Mike

NOTE: To add a photograph to the Comments, it has to be uploaded to the Web such that it has a URL, and it has to be 470 pixels wide (any more and it will get cut off). Then you can use this code in the Comment box, replacing the dummy URL with the URL of your picture:

That's complicated, but it's a workaround—TypePad isn't really set up to accommodate images in the Comments section. And by the way, thanks to all the commenters who've ever added images to their comments! I always enjoy them, and they really add to the conversation.

Original contents copyright 2020 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site.

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Comments

[louis mccullagh]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/nipeoplephotos/385386869/sizes/c/

Venice

[Robert Roaldi]

Off-topic music aside. Your last sentence before the "Note" reminded me of the refrain "You are what you are and you ain't what you ain't" from John Prine's song "Dear Abby" so I listened to it. Thanks.

[David Dyer-Bennet]

This is from the project I've been working on since June, not today.

[Steve Rosenblum]

Mike Johnston said: "I'll just point out that while street photography is exceptionally common (the term is a common catch-all for random camera-pointing), good street photography is rare." This is so true. Besides the usual requirements for good photographs--having a good eye, composition, light, etc.) it requires real persistence both in terms of shooting a LOT, and in terms of being bold and not intimidated by being in other people's space.

Here is my contribution for Street Photography Day shot in Havana while at Peter Turnley street photography workshop. This was taken at a Sunday neighborhood "Rumba Club" out on the street.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/7752177@N03/27051176390/

[Phil]

I've been a "street photographer" for decades. I'm putting it in quotes because the phrase means different things to different people and these days it's becoming hard to pin down what someone means by that. I'm not exclusively "street" (not at all) so lately I haven't been using the term since I dabble in too many other subjects that strike my interest. However, what I do love is standing on some corner or in a doorway and feeling the swirling humanity flowing past me. Here's an attempt to capture a moment of that:

[Dan Khong]

Here's one of my street photographs - of a street performer - taken in available light with Leica M6 + 50 Summilux. Tri-X film. Exposure unrecorded.

http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/dkhong/hula-hoop.jpg.html

[William Schneider]

I've confined myself to home as much as possible during the past months. To play it safe, I'll submit an oldie. Here's one from Venice, Italy, 1997.

Normally I don't like "back of the head" street shots, but this one works best to show clothing similarities.

[Brian Small]

Family self portrait - Calgary, AB.

[Rusty]

The beach was the street today

https://woodsgift.zenfolio.com/p569235350

[See the image "Street Photography Day" at the link. —Mike]

[JOHN B GILLOOLY]

Not sure if an instagram link works?

https://www.instagram.com/p/CDRMvk5AeUB/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

[Animesh Ray]

Here are a few I took today: https://www.flickr.com/photos/70838568@N08/albums/72157715592307736

[SixBlocksEast]

Does this street count? From last summer... https://www.instagram.com/p/B1mDQZhHScK/?igshid=1ghejyjmhc4bu

[Kenneth Wajda]

Here's one from today, Mike. From Morrison Colorado.

Go to this link to see it full size. https://kennethwajda.com/spday-1.jpg

[Vijay]

Definitely not my genre. The little I do is in touristy spots where a person walking around with a camera is inconspicuous. This one's from Florence, many years ago.

[Nigel Voak]

Happily the book "Henri Cartier Bresson is still in print in another form.

https://prestelpublishing.randomhouse.de/book/Henri-Cartier-Bresson-Photographer/Henri-Cartier-Bresson/Prestel-com/e544405.rhd

The clue is that this new edition has a forward by a certain Yves Bonnefoy. The forward in the old Thames and Hudson edition that I have is also by Yves Bonnefoy. The number of pages is about the same.

This was an expensive book I lusted after for years in my poorer younger days, before I was able to afford it.

[Peter Baglole]

I don't know if adropbox link is ok, but here goes.

Store window from a trip to China in 2016.

[Roger Bradbury]

On Street Photography Day, this teenage boy was working to perfect his bicycle wheelie skills. This is Milton Keynes, England.

As I'm getting the blue square with the question mark, instead of seeing my photo when I preview this comment, I'll just put the web address for it here, too.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/41506914@N04/50258007716/in/dateposted-family/

More than a year ago, I took another photo which happens to be quite similar, though neither were deliberately framed like this:

https://www.northbuckswanderer.com/2019/03/missed-it.html#gsc.tab=0

Apologies, Mike, for linking to my blog twice in one week; I don't usually do this!

[Mark]

Every time I see a pic of where you live, I’m happy for you. You’ve come a long way and live in a beautiful location. And deservedly so.

[Rod Thompson]

Too complicated. My offerings are at photokensho.net. Please help yourself.

[Kurt Kramer]

Image in comments:

[Kurt Kramer]

Is there a space between the : and <

[Jim Arthur]

I appreciate the prodding. Your Bresson Birthday announcement prompted me to get up early and drive downtown in search of protest sites. I found some lingering graffiti and ended up spending a few hours shooting graffiti, murals, trains, track-side debris, and crumbling buildings in the old Warehouse Arts District.

The streets were empty at that hour but at one point after squeezing through a broken fence I came face to face with a tourist/photographer who frantically told me he had disembarked from a nearby train and had only 30 minutes before he had to return. I pointed him in a good direction for photos. I was in a filthy area near the train tracks when he appeared so I was really surprised to see him standing there with his grin, camera bag, and phone at the ready. My surprise and his frantic demeanor distracted me and I did not photograph him…which just seems crazy now.

Yesterday I had a dozen photos from the morning that I liked and today I see half that so I should end up with a something.

[Kenneth Tanaka]

Friday, August 21, 2020
Daley Plaza, Chicago, IL

Photography's Bad For Your Knees

Like many urban public plazas around the world, Chicago's Daley Plaza has become a virtual permanent circus ground for protests and outdoor public service, attracting many photographers every day. This was not a strong image but it was a humorous snap, something I crave and prize these days.

[Jim Palmer]

I don't regularly do 'street photography' but thought I'd give it a try and hope it works. Here's my try:

[scott kirkpatrick]

On this question of "do you ask?"or "do you disappear and they never know?" I like Bill Pierce's observation, that there are always kids around who will say "Hey Mister, take my picture!" Here's two examples. First a few years back, visiting an open air market on Saturday (Shabbat) when all the stores are closed and you can see the lovely paintings on the doors that cover them:

and just yesterday on our nearly empty streets, here's another:

[Juan Buhler]

Not from yesterday, but from a few days earlier. But the photos I made yesterday don't really convey the distanced street photo theme too well. X-E3 with 27mm/2.8, jpeg straight off the camera, no editing added but I do have a raw file just in case :)

[louis mccullagh]

Its remarkable how many comments are on gear but when it comes to posting commenters photos there are very very few.

I count myself as mostly a street type photographer - you can judge from my link below.

Interestingly my flickr account shows 756 views of the photo I linked to above. Surely that indicates a desire to view photos which you might like to take into account (MIKE).

[louis mccullagh]

I have just noticed that comments no longer have a link to the commenters website. Why was that removed mike?
I will not post the normal link to my photos as it seems that is no longer desired. It seems strange on a photo website.

[That's not something I'm in control of, but I don't think anything's changed. There's still a space called "URL" in the configuration I see. You have to enter the URL yourself, though. --Mike]

[Zack Schindler]

Not from today but this is one of my better street photos;
https://www.flickr.com/photos/10025089@N05/49297226877/

[TC]

"I'll just point out that while street photography is exceptionally common, good street photography is rare."

"You could decide you're not a street photographer at all and you're not going to waste time, energy and mindshare trying to be something you're not."

Truer words were never spoken. The combination of the apparent "ease" of SP with a desire to be something one simply isn't has resulted in a great deal of frustration for both photographers and viewers of the resulting work.

[scott kirkpatrick]

I tried to reproduce your recommended link embed, but it doesn't seem to work, so here's the first link, bare:
https://flic.kr/p/2jzgQt8
and the second one:
https://flic.kr/p/2jzhN5Q

reducing to 470 pixels hurts. But they are not as rewarding as pictures to look deeper into as the selection you linked to in the article.

[robert quiet photographer]

Around my street corner, my wife waiting for the green light.

[Roger Bradbury]

Mike, a lot of us, including me, had the question mark in the blue square instead of our photo. Any idea why?

[DavidB]

Okay...so it's a photo of a road. Lots of social distancing possibilities here.

Road to the Stars.

[Brian Stewart]

I'm a bit late to this, but was stung into action by louis mccullagh's comment "Its remarkable how many comments are on gear but when it comes to posting commenters photos there are very very few."

HCB day here was shocking - heavy rain and wind. But all was not lost. As it happens, in recent times I have been working on a project to review, short-list and print my street images from over the last decade, and frame & hang a few. This is how I spent HCB day. Here is one that just got framed.

[Nicky Lubis]

It's been hard for me to get into photography mode, but last Saturday and your invitation did give me back some enjoyment in walking around looking for moments.
(https://www.rangefinderforum.com/rffgallery/showphoto.php?photoid=299229&showall) larger image.