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Unit 2 Portrait

Street Photography – Introduction

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Street Photography

Street Photography, known also by the name candid photography are genres of photography which involves random incidents and chance encounters on public places/streets. Street Photographers can be seen as Flâneur (an observer of the streets).

‘Flâneur, from the French noun flâneur, means “stroller”, “lounger”, “saunterer”, or “loafer”. Flânerie is the act of strolling, with all of its accompanying associations.’

Framing and timing are some of the key aspects of this craft, with the aim of some street photography being to create images at a decisive or moving moment. Street Photography mainly focuses on people’s behavior which in turn also records people’s character and history. This genre of photography can be seen as relating to social documentary photographers and journalists who also work in public places and mean to capture newsworthy events.

Here are some examples of Street Photography:

MEXICO. Mexico City. Prostituées. Calle Cuauhtemoctzin. 1934.

Youtube videos on tips for beginners and what Street Photography is:

AO1 Develop Ideas, AO2 Explore Ideas, AO3 Record Ideas, AO4 Present Ideas, Unit 2 Portrait

16. Street photography:

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“If your photos aren’t good enough, then you’re not close enough” – Robert Capa

“I love the people I photograph. I mean, they’re my friends. I’ve never met most of them or I don’t know them at all, yet through my images I live with them.” – Bruce Gilden

“When you photograph people in color, you photograph their clothes. But when you photograph people in Black and white, you photograph their souls!”
― Ted Grant

     

AO1 Develop Ideas, Unit 2 Portrait

What is an environmental portrait?

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What is an environmental portrait?

It has the same idea as a standard portrait, but this time the photograph is normally taken where your subject spends most of their time. Often, its somewhere relevant to that particular persons passions and interests in their life. For example if you were to photograph an artist you would capture them whilst in their working environment, i.e. their studio and take picture of them working. In addition there are hundred and hundred of different types of environmental portrait all capture different feelings and different ideas. Although for this to classify as a environmental portrait its essential that the subject is making clear eye contact with the camera whist doing the action of their work. This is a key point for the photograph to count as an environmental portrait. A good portrait should bring out the subjects personality in a stylized way, it should be an exaggeration.

For example:

Giovanni Pietrobon, Sculptor

Other examples:

Image result for famous environmental portraits

Image result for famous environmental portraits

Image result for famous environmental portraits

Environmental portrait mood board:

Ideas for environmental portraits:

  • Who- will this effect the feeling of my images
  • where- location, whether, time of day
  • occupation- what job do they do, whats their specific environment
  • Is it important to them?
  • Why might it be importation to them?
  • does it represent them and their character?
  • Is this effected by the opinion they have of themselves and what other people opinions?

 

AO1 Develop Ideas, AO2 Explore Ideas, AO3 Record Ideas, AO4 Present Ideas, Unit 2 Portrait

Editing my images

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Here I will be editing the best outcomes from my previous photo shoot. Although these were my best images, I think that some are slightly over and under exposed so I plan to attempt to fix this by editing them on Photoshop.

Original image


Final outcome
To edit this photo I adjusted the curves so that it was slightly more saturated, as I thought this would make the overexposed white part at the bottom a little less noticeable, as the background colours would stand out a lot more. Doing that also brought down the brightness slightly, meaning that it also contributed to making sure the whiteness was less prominent. Lastly I also turned the hue and saturation right down so I was able to make the image black and white. I decided to make the image black and white instead of highly saturated for 2 reasons. Firstly, because I thought that if the image was in black and white, the overexposed part wouldn’t be as visible, and secondly, because I wanted to add an element into my image that shows I was slightly inspired by Sander as all his images were in black and white. I think this was a really good idea as it meant that I added a vintage touch into my modern day inspired environmental photography.

Original image

Final outcome

When looking at this photo, although it was far too underexposed I thought that it was an image with potential because of how the model was making intense eye contact with the camera. To edit it, I turned the brightness all the way up, so that the image wasn’t so dark. To make it fit in with my other image, and did the same technique that I mentioned previously and turned the hue and saturation all the way down to make the photo black and white.. I think that the intense stare that the model is giving, combined with a black and white filter makes the image far more successful as it makes it more dramatic and mysterious.

AO1 Develop Ideas, AO2 Explore Ideas, AO3 Record Ideas, AO4 Present Ideas, Component 1 Personal Investigation, Unit 2 Portrait

Street photography moodboard

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I have chosen to go in the direction of either strong shapes (e.g. buildings) or showing people’s lives either in commute or their workplace.

However, I haven’t yet decided if I’m going to follow the common theme of making the photos black & white as I think leaving the colour in the photo will help it be both more eye catching, as well as helping portray certain aspects such as colours wearing out (which you can’t see in black & white).

AO2 Explore Ideas, AO3 Record Ideas, Unit 2 Portrait

What is Street Photography

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Street Photography: 

Street photography, also sometimes called candid photography, is photography conducted for art or enquiry that features unmediated chance encounters and random incidents within public places. Although there is a difference between street and candid photography, it is usually subtle with most street photography being candid in nature and some candid photography being classifiable as street photography. Street photography does not necessitate the presence of a street or even the urban environment. Though people usually feature directly, street photography might be absent of people and can be of an object or environment where the image projects a decidedly human character in facsimile or aesthetic.

The photographer is an armed version of the solitary walker reconnoitering, stalking, cruising the urban inferno, the voyeuristic stroller who discovers the city as a landscape of voluptuous extremes. Adept of the joys of watching, connoisseur of empathy, the flâneur finds the world “picturesque”.
Susan Sontag, 1977
The street photographer can be seen as an extension of the flâneur, an observer of the streets (who was often a writer or artist).Street photography can focus on people and their behavior in public, thereby also recording people’s history

 

Qoutes about Street Photography:

  • “Emotion or feeling is really the only thing about pictures I find interesting. Beyond that is is just a trick.”
    -Christopher Anderson
  • There are no bad pictures; that’s just how your face looks sometimes. – Abraham Lincoln
  • Photography is the only language that can be understood anywhere in the world. – Bruno Barbey
  • “Photographers mistake the emotion they feel while taking the photo as a judgment that the photograph is good” –Garry Winogrand.

Threshold concept #7:

The meanings of photographs are never fixed, are not contained solely within the photographs themselves and rely on a combination of the viewer’s sensitivity, knowledge and understanding, and the specific context in which the image is seen.

AO2 Explore Ideas, AO3 Record Ideas, AO4 Present Ideas, Unit 2 Portrait

Street Photography – Post 2 (Henri Cartier-Bresson and MAGNUM)

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“The Decisive Moment” – Henri Cartier-Bresson:

Henri Cartier-Bresson was born on August 22, 1908 in Chanteloup, France. A pioneer in photojournalism, Cartier-Bresson wandered around the world with his camera, becoming totally immersed in his current environment. Considered one of the major artists of the 20th century, he covered many of the world biggest events from the Spanish Civil War to the French uprisings in 1968.

In his early years, Cartier-Bresson was widely considered one of the leading artistic forces of the 20th century, Henri Cartier-Bresson was born on August 22, 1908 in Chanteloup, France. The oldest of five children, his family was wealthy—his father made a fortune as a textile manufacturer—but Cartier-Bresson later joked that due to his parents’ frugal ways, it often seemed as though his family was poor.

Images from Henri Cartier-Bresson’s “The Decisive Moment”:

Chosen Image:

Technical:

  • High contrast
  • Reflection
  • Natural lighting
  • Distance (relatively close)
  • Depth of field
  • Underexposure (possibly intended)
  • Film speed (grainy finish)

Visual:

  • Ripples in water
  • Black and white / high contrast image
  • Small man running
  • Reflection of man and building in the background on still water
  • Pattern in the fence
  • Depth of field showing people in the background (possibly workers)

Henri Cartier-Bresson’s contribution to MAGNUM Photo Agency:

Created in 1947 by Robert Capa, Henri Cartier-Bresson, George Rodger, and David Seymour, Magnum Photos today has around 80 members. Martine Franck became a member in 1983.

Magnum Photos is a cooperative wholly owned by its photographer-members. The independence this allows is reflected in the spirit with which subjects are chosen and treated. Magnum photographs are famous for their journalistic and aesthetic qualities. Through its four editorial offices in Paris, New York, London, and Tokyo and a network of fifteen sub-agents, Magnum Photos provides photographs to the press worldwide. At the heart of this activity is a concern to encourage the photographers to carry out their individual projects and to act as sensitive witnesses to world events. The work of Magnum photographers reaches its audience both through the world press and in books and exhibitions.

(The agency is the copyright holder of both Henri Cartier-Bresson and Martine Franck.)

AO1 Develop Ideas, Unit 2 Portrait

What is street photography?

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Moodboard

What is street photography?

Street photography, also sometimes called candid photography, is photography conducted for art or enquiry that features unmediated chance encounters and random incidents within public places. Although there is a difference between street and candid photography, it is usually subtle with most street photography being candid in nature and some candid photography being classifiable as street photography. Street photography does not necessitate the presence of a street or even the urban environment. Though people usually feature directly, street photography might be absent of people and can be of an object or environment where the image projects a decidedly human character in facsimile or aesthetic.

 

Image result for street photography

Image result for street photography

 

The marvels of daily life are exciting ; no movie director can arrange the unexpected that you find in the street – Robert Doinsneau

“Don’t wait. The time will never be just right.” – Napoleon Hill

I fell in love with the process of taking pictures, with wandering around finding things. To me it feels like a kind of performance. The picture is a documentation of that performance. – Alec Soth

Image result for street photography mind maps
Street photography mindmap Moss Photography – Adobe Portfolio

AO1 Develop Ideas, AO2 Explore Ideas, Component 1 Personal Investigation, Component 2 ESA, Unit 2 Portrait

Street Photography

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Street photography, also sometimes called candid photography, is photography conducted for art or inquiry that features unmediated chance encounters and random incidents within public places.

 “To me, photography is an art of observation. It’s about finding something interesting in an ordinary place… I’ve found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.” – Elliott Erwitt

“It is more important to click with people than to click the shutter.”- Alfred Eisenstaedt

“I love the people I photograph. I mean, they’re my friends. I’ve never met most of them or I don’t know them at all, yet through my images I live with them.” – Bruce Gilden

Threshold Concept 7:

Chance plays an important role in photography , to some extent all photographs are the result of chance processes.  a good photographer must have the ability to embrace chance processes in the creation of photographs, welcoming ambiguity, playfulness, serendipity,risk and not knowing in order to discover something new, recognizing discoveries when they materialise.