[Leica] philosophy of street photography

[mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner)]

> I've been curious for years why it is that the norm in street photography 
> is
> not to interact with the subjects. I am primarily a portrait person, and
> everything about portraiture involves interacting with the subject. The
> street photographs that get the most accolades seem to be those in which 
> the
> photographed subjects do not show awareness of the photographer. I always
> find that unsettling.
> 
> Why is this? Is there some philosophical basis, or is it just habit?
> 
> Brian
> 
> 

Very few people or at least me are not confrontational enough to get right
in peoples faces its a rare skill that I often admire. Though I can do it in
a pinch like i'm on a mission from the landloard. No problem. But if I'm
just out "street shooting" I find it very hard. Its stressful. And i'm just
waking down the street with my camera clicking away not up for any major
confrontations. My street shot in the LUG book with the lady stepping out
into the sidewalk on page 178 was cropped from the 85mm setting on a zoom
with a 1.5 crop factor making it as if taken with a 180 or 150mm lens.
That's how I get fronts of faces.
Can you sing Far Far Away?

Street photography, rangefinder photography is of course not about the backs
of peoples heads.
And so I don't call myself a street photographer.
As I'm not out to get peoples faces. Id just as soon get facades of
buildings with people walking by maybe. Weak un aggressive people who can't
run fast and have no paranoia or anger management issues. A capturer of the
human condition maybe I ain't. I can live with that. I don't feel all bad
about it. I don't think the beginning and ending of all photography are
street shooters who get very full frontal.
I can get very half sideal.

I'm not worried about someone hitting me in the face. I'm more worried about
getting my camera messed up blocking the punch.
And I could sprain my pinky on the neck strap.
Throws off my timing. I get addicted do pain killers and the decisive moment
escapes me Time After Time.



(Far) Far away
(Far) Far away

Mark William Rabiner
Harlem, NY

rabinergroup.com