Can Street Photography be anywhere?

Crtm

Crtm

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Carol
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Hi sorry for the strange question. Does SP have to be in the street can it be walking down a country lane or on a beach or somewhere out with an urban environment? I know when someone says SP to me I automatically think urban but if you are photographing people you don't know within other environments can this be classed as SP?

Look forward to your replies.

Carol
 
To me it is the general public photographed in a public space. That may be a street or park or beech ect.
 
Crtm said:
Does SP have to be in the street can it be walking down a country lane or on a beach or somewhere out with an urban environment?
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It all depends who's asking!

Forget about labels and concentrate on making good pictures.:)
 
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You can often get good 'street' shots at rural events from ploughing matches to county or village shows.
It's easier too in that people expect plenty of cameras about.
 
The name street is a bit of a misnomer really there need by no street in street photography. In essence it's the people factor but still people are not necessary for street photography as the character of people is sufficient.

Steve
 
Thanks for your replies it has answered my question. :banana:
 
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Hi Carol.

Everyone got different options, for me, I see Street Photography as being part of photojournalism and documentary photography umbrella. Since photojournalism and documentary photography can be anywhere, then who says Street Photography have to be limited to a street in a city? Look at the works of say Don McCullin, Tim Page, and many other photographers of the past, who had been taking photos of people in villages, during Vietnam War, those sort of photos of village traders selling goods at a market, could easily be considered Street Photography even if it's actually a village and it's not a proper street. Therefore Street Photography do not have to be in a city, you can do it anywhere. I tend to prefer to assume that "Street Photography" imply photojournalism/documentary of general public life. People having drinks outside a pub slam bang in the middle of a countryside could be considered Street Photography, even fishermen busy unloading their goods from their boats at a harbour could also be considered Street Photography.

Anyway, to cut it short, Street Photography is just a label, so forget labels, and do your Street Photography of what you see and want to record, anywhere you like, as you see fit, be creative.
 
Thanks for that Major Eazy you have answered my question fully. Now happy a photograph I have taken is street/photojournalism.

Kind regards
Carol
 
When Magnum were setting up there now famous agency,HCB told Robert Capa he was going to call himself an street photographer,Capa said you cant do that you will never get any work,call yourself an photojournalism.
So in many ways they do all come under the same umbrella,i would say an photojournalism/doc tend to work on a subject or a longer story sometimes covering many years,where as say a street photographer maybe just looking for that one moment,that one shot as HCB said the decisive moment.

But as other have said it can be anywhere,they tend to be urban because there more chances because of the amount of people about :)
 
City of London

Steve
 
Not a single thoroughfare in the City of London named "Road"

Plenty of streets, lanes and single names such as Cornhill, Cheapside, Poultry etc, but no roads
 
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What about Gray's Inn Road, Abbey Road, Old Kent Road, King's Road, Old Brompton Road, Clapham Road, Lambeth Road, Albany Road, Waterloo Road, Whitechapel Road, Mile End Road, Globe Road, Clerkenwell Road, Farringdon Road, Euston Road. St Paul's Road, Canonbury Road, Hackney Road and many more I couldn't be bothered to find?


Steve.
 
Lyope said:
There are no rules. You have to make up your own.

Some people may find this challenging.
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This^

Do exactly what you want, and call it what you want. If what you want to do doesn't fit someone else's idea of street photography, shoot it anyway... you can always call it something else if it makes you happy :)
 
What about Gray's Inn Road, Abbey Road, Old Kent Road, King's Road, Old Brompton Road, Clapham Road, Lambeth Road, Albany Road, Waterloo Road, Whitechapel Road, Mile End Road, Globe Road, Clerkenwell Road, Farringdon Road, Euston Road. St Paul's Road, Canonbury Road, Hackney Road and many more I couldn't be bothered to find?
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Not a single one of those in the City of London or the square mile as its often called http://www.indymedia.org.uk/images/2009/03/425119.jpg

I worked that patch for over twenty five years and can guarantee there are no thoroughfares named as roads
 
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Would that be the continuation of Goswell Rd that becomes Aldersgate

Sorry, but the City of London is a well defined area with marked boundaries overseen by the Corporation of London and my original statement is correct
 
There are definitely no roads in the City of London. Goswell Road doesn't count as it is not a whole road within the City boundary. And the definition of the City does not change, the City is always the City. Bit of a FUBI, the reason for there being no roads is that the City boundary was defined before the word "Road" came into existence
 
kelack said:
There are definitely no roads in the City of London. Goswell Road doesn't count as it is not a whole road within the City boundary. And the definition of the City does not change, the City is always the City. Bit of a FUBI, the reason for there being no roads is that the City boundary was defined before the word "Road" came into existence
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This! probably one of the most well used pub quiz questions ever... no roads in the City of London. London, the city on the otherhand..... ;)
 
I've been reading this post with interest and I understand the 'do what you want and dont worry about anyone else' view. I've taken photos in public spaces and of people in the street, but never really thought of these in terms of street photography.

My interest in what is street photography is for when it is a competition theme. For this the judges will have a 'street' criteria in mind so an entry will surely need to satisfy this. I noticed that street photography was a theme for the most recent Amateur Photographer magazine competition. They printed the top 30 placed photos. Of these 26 were in black and white which is a bit of a cliche of street photography, but 85% of top 30 photos suggests that colour is a disadvantage for street photography.

So for a competition, do I just trot out all the street photography cliches to succeed?
 
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Steve said:
I've been reading this post with interest and I understand the 'do what you want and dont worry about anyone else' view. I've taken photos in public spaces and of people in the street, but never really thought of these in terms of street photography.

My interest in what is street photography is for when it is a competition theme. For this the judges will have a 'street' criteria in mind so an entry will surely need to satisfy this. I noticed that street photography was a theme for the most recent Amateur Photographer magazine competition. They printed the top 30 placed photos. Of these 26 were in black and white which is a bit of a cliche of street photography, but 85% of top 30 photos suggests that colour is a disadvantage for street photography.

So for a competition, do I just trot out all the street photography cliches to succeed?
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I agree with you i shoot nearly all my street stuff in color,most photojournalism is shot in color theses days,i think it is a pack thing hanging on from the days when their wasnt much color film about.
And your right about competition if you enter color :arghh:
 
Just had a look at a book i brought called Street Photography Now.

Which Martin Parr write on the back about the book.

"Brings what many thought a tired genre bang up to date.
Truly international,it will become the new defining guide to street photography"

And about 75% of the photos are in color :)
 
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Road and Street have 2 meanings. One is a type of route. Often connecting places. The other is a material object. Such as a prepared surface or access way between buildings. This is why we have streets in cities and roads in the countryside. Notable exceptions being Watling Street, now considered unusual. Similarly, regardless of where you are you can have a road accident. Get out of the road! It's the bit you can stand on. They have that in the City of London.

Anyway Street photography has to be in the street. Not at the side of a road. We got to stick to these rules, otherwise where would we be?
 
This is all true and just to add to the confusion there is a village in Somerset called 'Street' which is accessed via lanes. These are not to be confused with lane 1,2 & 3 as found on motorways,

Returning to the issue of 'Street Photography' it's a relatively new term that has evolved. Back in the 80s this might be termed 'candid photography' I showed a friend two images one them taken in 83 the other in 2013 that were very similar. One was titled 'candid' the other 'street' in both cases the title is not wrong. The term Bokeh didn't exist then, neither did the internet but that's another story.....

Do your own thing and do it well, don't put a label on it :-)
 
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I thought street is rude boyz and gangstas and fashionistas. Init, booya, skat the likes :p
 
jakeblu said:
Come on spill the beans what did he say :whistle:

Steve
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To late a truck load of :jaffa: arrived at the staff room door earlier this afternoon
for us to all keep :lock:

You can't beat a bit of bribery :D
 
Steve said:
I've been reading this post with interest and I understand the 'do what you want and dont worry about anyone else' view. I've taken photos in public spaces and of people in the street, but never really thought of these in terms of street photography.

My interest in what is street photography is for when it is a competition theme. For this the judges will have a 'street' criteria in mind so an entry will surely need to satisfy this. I noticed that street photography was a theme for the most recent Amateur Photographer magazine competition. They printed the top 30 placed photos. Of these 26 were in black and white which is a bit of a cliche of street photography, but 85% of top 30 photos suggests that colour is a disadvantage for street photography.

So for a competition, do I just trot out all the street photography cliches to succeed?
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Hi Steve thanks for your reply which is very much appreciated. From a competition point of view, following all the cliches that have been mentioned then my photograph is not competition material and would be placed at the bottom of the pile......but there is something about it that makes me smile and it has almost a feel good factor about it, again perhaps not a street cliche. It is simple straight forward with no fuss, I can't put it up yet for cc as I am sure you will have gathered why. Perhaps I should not even be discussing it? :thinking:
 
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I am ever so slightly intrigued with what Blank Canvas had posted then edited. Were you extracting the proverbial or something similar? I have a sense of humour if you thought I would be offended in any way shape or form, can't speak for the others though. :)

I can double that shipment of :jaffa: Cobra and add in some :beer:it always loosens the lips. ;)
 
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