RE: [Leica] RE: Street Photography debate

[Jem Kime <jem.kime@cwcom.net>]

Dan,
I went to art college for three years and studied photography as part of my 
course, there were others who studied it solely for the same period. What 
they learnt was craft, rather than rules. They were taught technique, 
rather than cliches.
When mention is made of so called 'rules of composition', my neck bristles 
as this is the didactic impression passed of how to make a 'masterpiece'. 
Art is art, it involves emotion and total subjectivity. It is not a science 
or a recipe book for a pleasant cake.

I think there is a great deal of chance involved in street photography but 
you make your chances better by pursuing your goal and honing your 
craft/technique. Also though there are many taken, few are chosen (to 
paraphrase a biblical line) and that in itself is a great deal of the 
artistic process, the editing.
Give a chimpanzee a pile of pictures and he'd as likely sit on them as 
choose one that combines elements which build to a whole.

But the fascinating (liberating) thing is that photography can be so many 
things to so many people. It can be snapshots to Mum, identity portraits to 
a security guard, newspaper images lost to a dustbin or pinned in a museum, 
high art that sells for thousands or a happy amateur's route to social 
fulfilment. Maybe I'm sounding to dictatorial but I wish people to see the 
freedom that can be theirs if they choose to shake off the shackles of club 
photography.

A president in a photo club said to me a few years back, 'But why else 
would people enter the exhibition/competition unless they wanted to win the 
trophies?' My feelings are that photographers take pictures for any number 
of reasons.

Jem

- -----Original Message-----
From:	D Khong [SMTP:dkhong@pacific.net.sg]
Jem and Harrison,

My friend said that when a persons learns photography, he is taught about
composition, perspective, lighting, rule of thirds, proper use of selective
focussing, etc., to make the final picture pleasing to look at.

His view is that street photography is most of the time haphazard and that
you could give your pet chimpanzee a P&S camera and it will be able to
produce street scenes in many of the shots that it takes.

Dan K.