Street photography is about capturing the candid moments in public spaces, which often highlights everyday life, urban environments, and human interactions. It thrives on spontaneity, composition, and storytelling, offering a raw glimpse into the world.

It overlaps with candid photography but doesn’t necessarily require a street or urban setting.Sometimes, it will focus on objects or environments that will evoke the human presence. The genre has evolved and has improved as time has gone on.It has also has advanced in portable cameras, which will allow photographers to document fleeting moments with precision.

Candid Photography is all about capturing spontaneous, unposed moments, often highlighting genuine emotions and interactions.

Key Artists

It originated in Paris, and artists such as Henri Cartier-Bresson,Brassai and Andre Kertesz, Street Photography became known as a genre in its own right during the early 1930s.

While there are areas of overlap with documentary and architectural photography, Street Photography is very unique in the way it is associated with the photographer’s skill in catching something of the mystery and aura of everyday city life.

Street Photographers will sometimes engage and get to know their subjects (Brassai,Diane Arbus and Garry Winogrand) but it became more common for the photographer to roam the streets with a concealed 35mm camera.

The Street Photographer is then often likened to the historical figure of the flâneur: namely someone who joins anonymously with the crowd who will observe and record the ways the unsuspecting city dweller interacts with his or her environment.

A History of Street Photography

While the early French developers, formed close associations with the Surrealists, the spontaneity quality that embraces the uneven and spontaneous, Snapshot Aesthetic which was carried across the Atlantic where it lent itself perfectly to the post-war urban experience.

Possibly the most important Street Photographer of all, the Swiss-American Robert Frank, who raised the status of the Snapshot to art and his influence was to make the next generation of American photographers.

The mid-1960s and early-1970s became the “golden-age” of Street Photography when the likes of the Arbus, Winogrand and Lee Friedlander allowed their own sassy personalities to impinge on the images of their subjects. 

Street Photography Quotes

‘For Me The Camera is a Sketchbook, an instrument of intuition and spontaneity’ -Henri Cartier-Bresson

This quote implies his philosophy on photography as an art form driven by instinct and immediacy. He saw the camera not as a rigid tool for documentation but as a means of capturing fleeting moments with precision and emotion.I agree with this statement Cartier-Bresson said because ‘rigid’ implies that its hard and the images will last longer.

‘Basically ,my work has been one long reportage on human life’-Brassai

His approach to photography as a documentation of human existence. He saw his work as an ongoing visual narrative and like a storybook, which captured the essence of everyday life, people, and urban environments. I agree with is quote because images are a documentation of our lives.

Technology

The Leica handheld camera, commercially available as of 1924, was the ticket to allowing a photographer to be on the move, as well as to capturing movement of the world around them.

A 35-mm film camera, the Leica had a wide aperture that required a short exposure time, especially for pictures taken outdoors, and it could advance quickly, which allowed the photographer to take numerous pictures of a subject in quick succession.

Street Photography Mood-board

This is an overview of street photography in a nutshell.

Henri Cartier-Bresson

Gare Saint Lazare Image Analysis

Place de l’Europe, behind the gare Saint Lazare, 1932, Collection du musée Carnavalet – Histoire de Paris, Henri Cartier-Bresson/Magnum Photos

Technical

Used the Leica rangefinder, during Bresson’s time, it was a very good piece of equipment. These types of cameras were compact, reliable and the design was very discreet, rather than the big cameras at that time. Used a 15 mm lens, has sharpness and depth can capture precise images.

Small aperture for shaper focus and clarity and a quicker shutter speed for no motion blur.

Takes advantage of a strong bright light usually its a nemesis for photographers.

Visual

Cartier-Bresson uses the rule of thirds, this helps creates balance between the image and the negative space. The subject is in between the 2nd and third square on the second row and the right grid line. This makes this certain image appealing to the eye, since it takes up some of the image. Horizontal lines frame the centre of the image and where the action is happening, this is caused by the shadow and the background in the image.

Black and white will capture essence and also nostalgia, if you remove colour it enhances depth in the image and draws more attention to more detail in the image. High level of contrast in this image and there is strong tonal range shows a wider separation between the lightest and darkest areas.  

This only used natural light and the crisp shadows form geometric patterns.

If there was no puddle the image would be darker in the foreground of the image and the image wouldn’t be very clear.

Conceptual and Contextual

He influenced photography and literature. He found beauty in the mundane landscapes. He revolutionised street photography and this was one of his popular photos, this really captured the decisive image, since he had to be there at the right place and the right time. Shows everyday lives can be very beautiful.

What is Street Photography?

Street Photography focuses on capturing candid moments in life. It involves documenting the world around us, it also involves in telling a story form some images. Also captures people going about their every day life.

Elements of Street Photography

Subject: People are the main subject in street photography, and are often captured in their interactions with each other and their surroundings. 

Setting: The environment in where the action takes place, whether it’s a busy street, a park, a market, or even a train station. 

Lighting: Street photography will often utilise natural light, and which can add to the authenticity and mood of the images. 

Composition: The arrangement of elements within the frame, which include the use of lines, shapes, and perspective, so an appealing image is created. 

Emotion: Street photographers will aim to evoke a certain emotion or feeling in the viewer, whether it’s joy, sadness, or a sense of wonder. 

History of Street Photography

When street photography started it was not particularly common due to the bulky and cumbersome equipment that was required for the portrait work and practical documentation was more a priority and better business.

However, the invention of the portable camera in the early 1900s made it possible for photographers to capture candid moments on the streets.

Pioneers such as Eugene Atget and Henri Cartier-Bresson in the 1920s and 30s paved the way for modern street photography, they were using handheld cameras to capture everyday life in the cities they lived in.

Some Key Movements

Since the beginning of street photography, the socio-political changes have been known to artists and key movements have emerged throughout its history. We’ve identified some of the most significant movements in street photography:

Pictorialism: This movement began in the late 1800s and into the early 1900s and was characterised by a soft focus. Pictorialist photographers who often took the photos of the urban environment and everyday life, which captures street scenes and candid moments.

The New Vision: This movement emerged in the 1920s and involved the formal elements of photography, such as lines, shapes, and patterns. New Vision photographers often tested with angles and perspectives to create abstract and surreal images.

Documentary: This movement was created in the 1930s and was characterized by a focus on social issues and the increase in political events. Documentary photographers often captured images of poverty, war, and social injustice, using photography as a means of activism and social change.

Modernism: This movement emerged in the 1950s and it was the focus on the aesthetic qualities of photography, such as light, shadow, and texture. Modernist photographers often captured abstract and minimalist images of the urban environment.

Mood-board Of Street Photography

Who is He?

Henri Cartier-Bresson was a French artist and humanist photographer and he was considered a master of candid photography, and an early user of 35mm film. He pioneered the genre of street photography, and viewed photography as capturing a decisive moment. Cartier-Bresson was one of the founding members of Magnum Photos in 1947.He was born in 1908 in France.

The Decisive Moment

Henri Cartier-Bresson’s influential publication, is considered to be one of the most important photobooks of the twentieth century.

The Decisive Moment was described by Robert Capa as “a Bible for photographers.” Originally titled Images à la Sauvette (“images on the run”) in the French, the book was published in English with a new title The Decisive Moment,

The decisive moment was the recognition, in the fraction of a second, which needs to be precise so it can have proper expression.

Also it means, a visually pleasing image that is combined with deeper meaning by capturing the essence of what was happening when the shutter is pressed.

This is the decisive moment Book.

Why is the camera an extension of the eye?

Finding things that people may miss. The eye is the extension of the brain. A camera is often described as an extension of the eye because it imitates the eye’s natural ability to capture and focus light to create images. In this way, photography uses the camera as a tool to extend human vision, capturing moments and scenes much like our eyes do but preserving them beyond the moment they are seen.

What is the physical pleasure in making photographs?

A sense of connection to that certain image. May have movement with this certain image. Crouching and adjusting your stance or angle and sometimes waiting patiently for the perfect moment. Your body is actively involved in exploring the environment, almost like a dance.

How can photography be likened to hunting?

Trying to find the perfect spot and the perfect image. The Pursuit, which is trying to find the perfect spot and the perfect image and also a connection with nature can often bring you into close contact with nature and wildlife. This connection can heighten awareness and respect for the environment.

Mood-board of Henri Cartier-Bresson

A zine is a small kind of magazine, that has images and text inside it. Its also a self-published work which is produced in a copying machine . Zines are singular products of they come in a box set, and are popularly photocopied into physical prints for circulation.

The term was coined in an October 1940 science fiction fanzine by Russ Chauvenet an are popular with science fiction, entering the Oxford English Dictionary  in 1949.

Mood-board

This is my inspiration.

Research zines and a newspaper design which are made by artists and photographers that will provide visual stimulus for your page design.

Factors To Consider

• How you want your design to look
• Format, size and orientation
• Narrative / visual concept
• Design and layout
• Rhythm and sequencing
• Images and text
• Title and captions

Zine and Layout

This is the Title. I like this front cover since the colour of the background contrasts the foreground.

This image at the bottom has taken over the whole page because the image is horizontal and it one of my favourite images.

These are all my pages in my zine. On all the pages I have stated the name, date and what type of image is it.

The very last page is information about me.

Mind Map

Typologies mood board

This is what i want to take photos of. I have inspiration from Hilla and Bernd Becher.

Composition

I will frame the subject in line with the rule of thirds.

Topographics

Mind map

Ideas

This is what i want to try and achieve

Contact Sheet

For this photoshoot, I went to the old sea cadet unit for some images and for the rest I went to La Collette industrial estate so I could capture Hilla and Bernd Becher typologies ideas.

Image Selection

These are the six images I have picked for my typologies photoshoot to edit. I like these images because they have industrial value which links to Hilla and Bernd Becher.

Image N01

This is the image I’m going to edit.

This is the edited image.

This is the filter I used to edit the image.

This is how I edited this image.

Black and White

This is black and white image I have edited.

This is how I edited my black and white image.

Image N02

This is the image I want to edit.

I have cropped the image because it was unequal and wasn’t matching the rule of thirds.

This is the filter I’ve used to create this image.

This is the image I’ve edited.

This is how I’ve edited my image.

Black and White

This is being cropped due to much negative space in the foreground.

This is the final edited image, this image didn’t need a filter since white has stood out in the sky and makes the incinerator look tall and towering.

This is how I edited my image.

Image N03

This is the image I want to edit.

I have cropped this image due to lots of the foreground being exposed.

This is the edited image.

This is how I’ve edited my image.

Black and White

This is the edited black and white image.

this is how I edited my image.

Image N04

This is the image I want to edit.

This is being cropped due to lots of negative space in the background and the foreground.

This is the edited image.

Black and White

This is the cropped image.

I have darkened the mage to bring out the rust on the container.

This is how I edited my image

Image N05

This is the image I want to edit.

This is the cropped image due to unequal symmetry in both halves of the image.

This is the edited image.

This is how I edited my image.

Black and White

This is the final image with further editing.

This is the filter I have used.

This is how I edited my image.

Image N06

This is the image I want to edit.

This is the cropped image. Its been cropped because it want the container centred so it follows the rule of thirds.

This is the edited image.

This is how I edited my image.

Black and White

This is the final image.

I have used this filter because it gives a lovely industrial effect and it really brings out the pattern on the container.

This is how I edited my image.

Final Images

I like these images because they give off industrial vibes and they link with Hilla and Bernd Becher typologies collection.

Contact Sheet

This is my contact sheet, I took the images at Fort Regent to gather the geometric shapes.

Image Selection

These are the six images I have picked to edit for my new topographics photoshoot. I have chosen these due to the crisp cut lines and the geometric shapes.

Editing

Image N01

This is the image before editing. I will be editing in colour and into Black and White.

To edit this image I have cropped it so I could get rid of the shadow that was present.

I have used these settings to edit the image.

Black and White

This is the edited image

This is how I edited my image.

This is filter I used so I could get different shades of grey

Image N02

This is the image I will be editing.

This is the edited image which is in colour.

These are the settings I used to create the image above.

Black and White

This is the image, it has been cropped due to the shadows covering some important parts of the buildings and the roads.

This is the edited image and above it has been cropped.

These are the settings I used so I could achieve this image.

This is the filter I have used to really enhance the black in this image.

Image N03

This is the image I’m going to edit.

This was the image with just the filter on

This is the final edited image with the filter and adding highlights and a little bit of shadow.

These are the settings I used to edit the image.

This is the filter I used .

Black and White

This is the edited image. I have decreased the highlights on the white buildings, so a pattern was created of a square on top of the buildings.

This is what I used to edit the image.

Image N04

This is the image I’m going to edit.

This is the edited image.

This is what I used to edit the image.

Black and White

This is the image with only the filter.

This is the edited image with the filter and also additional editing.

This is what I used to edit my image.

This is the filter I used.

Image N05

This is the image I’m going to edit.

This is the edited image.

This is the filter I used and I set it to 162 so I could achieve the sky in a certain way.

This is how I edited the image.

Black and White Image

This is the black and white image.

This is how I edited my image. This is what I used to make the image lighter in some particular parts , so it didn’t look to dark. I also adjusted the contrast because I wanted a clear difference between black and white.

Image N06

This is the image I’m going to edit.

This is the edited image. I have made sure that the clouds spread. This has happened due to the filter I have used.

This is what I used to edit this image.

Black and White Image

This is the edited Black and White Image.

This is the Pre-set I have used to create some of the image.

This is how I edited this image.

Final Images

I like these image due to the patterns and the lines, it makes the object really stand out. The filters I have used also makes the white stand out onto the buildings. I like how the clouds are shaped in the background. I creates a calm atmosphere in the setting of the images.

Robert Adams

Robert Adams is an American photographer who focused on the changing landscape of the American West. His work first came to prominence in the mid-1970s through his book The New West and his participation in the exhibition New Topographics: Photographs of a Man-Altered Landscape in 1975. He was born on May 8, 1937 (age 87 years) City of Orange, New Jersey, United States. He also moved to Southern California in 1956 to attend the University of Redlands. He chose to major in English literature and went on to earn a PhD

Image Analysis

Technical

This image was taken outside which means this light is natural and there is no artificial light. This was taken at a low ISO due to there being little visual noise, it looks like the visual noise might have been (100-200).

Visual

In this image there is lots of repetition of the porter cabins which people may of lived in. In the background there is lots of empty space behind the porter cabins. There is lots of geometric shapes in this image.

Contextual and Conceptual

This image is connecting nature and normal life. The nature is mountain. The nature indicates that the area is a quiet and peaceful place. This was a big retrospective in Paris offers a logical narrative of the development of the Western United States in the late 20th and early 21st century, but also a challenging view of the complexity and contradictions of our contemporary, global society.

Examples of Typologies

What Are They?

The term ‘Typology’ was first used to describe a certain style of photography when Bernd and Hilla Becher began documenting damaged and ruined German industrial architecture in 1959. The couple described their subjects as ‘buildings where anonymity is accepted to be the style’.

Removed and detached, each photograph was taken from the same angle, mostly at the same distance from the buildings. Their aim was to take and record the landscape they saw changing and disappearing before their eyes so once again, Typologies not only recorded a moment in time, they prompted the viewer to consider the subject’s place in the world.

Hilla Becher

Hilla Becher was a German conceptual photographer. Becher was known for her industrial photographs, or typologies, with long-time collaborator and husband, Bernd Becher.  She was born: September 2, 1934, In Potsdam, Germany. She died October 10, 2015 (age 81 years), Dusseldorf, Germany.

Bernd Becher

Becher was a painter and decorator in Siegen, Germany from 1947 to 1950. From 1953 to 1956, Becher studied painting and lithography at the Staatliche Kunstakademie, Stuttgart, Germany. Becher studied typography at the Staatlichen Kunstakademie, Düsseldorf, from 1957 to 1961. He was Born: August 20, 1931,  Siegen ,Germany and he died: June 22, 2007 (age 75 years), Rostock, Germany.  

Examples of their work

Image Analysis

Technical

 Every image that is part of the typology was taken outside meaning the lighting is likely 100% natural, with lots of detail that is easily seen throughout the image meaning aperture was likely high in order to have a very deep depth of field. Little to none visual noise is present in any of the images, so ISO was kept to a minimum with a value likely between 100-200.

Visual

 Every image is gaining some type of machinery, most likely an oil well. Each image has been taken from the same perspective and angle which will create an obvious similarity between them all, whilst it still maintains contrast since the background and environment around the oil wells are distinct in each photo.

Some images in the typology feature there isn’t a lot of natural elements (e.g. grass), even though the frame is still largely dominated by the oil well so there is very little centre of attention which is paid to natural landscapes in these images.

Conceptual/Contextual

 Bernhard Becher gave up making paintings, drawings and etchings of old industrial buildings because he had decided that photography met his needs better.

Painting needed  composition which included changing the object and was too subjective; photography was more precise and objective, which is able to clearly capture and present exactly what is happening in a scene at that moment in time. The pictures in the typology leave little to nothing up to the imagination of the viewer, simply being 9 different oil wells occupying spaces, almost as if they are taking up all the space of the natural landscapes.