Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2007/08/20
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Hi Brian, As others have said, many street photographers prefer to avoid interacting with their subject because they are interested in recording life as it happens without influencing it. I don't really consider myself a street photographer, certainly not in the way of Winogrand or our own Arche here. I sometimes describe my street work as urban landscapes rather than street photography. But I am also not religious about not being seen. This picture is to me a street picture, even though the homeless guy is clearly posing for me (and I had asked his permission to take the picture): http://www.nathanfoto.com/paw/12.jpg (incidentally, this was in 2001, and Sal di Marco took some pics of me taking this picture: http://www.nathanfoto.com/sal.html) On the other hand, in order to take a picture like this one (also from 2001, Paris metro): http://www.nathanfoto.com/paw/15.jpg it was clearly necessary that the couple would not be aware of me. Nathan On 19-aug-2007, at 18:02, Brian Reid wrote: > 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 > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > Nathan Wajsman nathan@nathanfoto.com General photography: http://www.nathanfoto.com http://www.greatpix.eu http://www.frozenlight.eu Picture-A-Week: http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws Blog: http://www.fotocycle.dk/blog