Street Thread: "My desires are... unconventional. My photos are... unacceptable."

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > Creative Convention > The Dorkroom > Street Thread: "My desires are... unconventional. My photos are... unacceptable."

Kaerf: May 3, 2007; never work

Whoo hoo, street photography thread :woop:

dunno posted:

Great shot.

Street photography makes up the majority of my work. I was inspired by Severin Koller and Chris Weeks, both of which have done amazing work.

I have a problem with a lot of the street photography groups on Flickr. The most popular ones I know of are called things like hardcore or raw and I find that my work doesn't exactly fall into those two categories (or anything like that). If anything, I'd like to think that my work is more honest and truthful, giving great respect to what I capture.

Regardless, I enjoy doing it.

Some recent stuff:

Radbot posted:

Do you guys set out to take street photos, or do you just take your camera along whenever you plan to be walking about?

I do both. My most recent trip was to Venice Beach. Went there specifically to shoot, but I always have my camera on me. Feels weird walking around without it now.

# ¿ Aug 18, 2009 22:57

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# ¿ Apr 28, 2024 19:25

Kaerf: May 3, 2007; never work

Why?

To share with others.

I think that's the easiest way to say it.

http://cweeks.deviantart.com/art/Why-23125033 is an 18 page answer. Also the introduction to the book he made http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/480228 (hit preview book and full screen and you can read the text), while it doesn't exactly explain why, does explain street photography in a light that I like.

# ¿ Aug 19, 2009 21:00

Kaerf: May 3, 2007; never work

Twenties Superstar posted:

50mm focal length is very important

Agree with everything you said except I'd replace 50mm with 35mm.

Oprah Haza posted:

Street photography isn't just taking pictures of a street, it's taking pictures FROM the streets, if that makes sense.

I'd say this is too confining of a definition. Street photography can happen anywhere there are people. Obviously, on a street, but also anywhere ranging from an elevator, hotel, park, bus, subway, airplane, beach, etc. To me, all that is required for a photo to be considered street is generally it has to be of someone you don't know, in a candid situation, where the environment they're in has some meaningful contribution to the composition.

Which is why longer focal lengths don't work. When you're using something above, say, 75mm, you're really honing in on one single person and unless you're really far away (and, thus, a coward) you're not going to be able to get that person in their environment.

# ¿ Aug 25, 2009 00:16

Kaerf: May 3, 2007; never work

brad industry posted:

I think the main reason I'm not particularly interested in street photography is because a lot of it is really stale.

It happens in all genres, though. Bad street is bad, while the good is good. I do think, however, that getting even "ok" street photos takes a level of courage not really experienced within other genres.

# ¿ Aug 25, 2009 02:16

Kaerf: May 3, 2007; never work

Here's some recent work.

# ¿ Oct 31, 2009 23:02

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > Creative Convention > The Dorkroom > Street Thread: "My desires are... unconventional. My photos are... unacceptable."