Street photography of David Peat

Interesting ... got me thinking ... most often street photography seems to be done in B&W ... why is this?
 
i think black and white is just more 'powerful' and emotive in a way and really seems to suit street photography, as you say.
 
Saw this slideshow this morning -some really nice stuff.

Exhibition is a bit too far away though.
 
gramps said:
Interesting ... got me thinking ... most often street photography seems to be done in B&W ... why is this?
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For me, colour glamorises, black and white documents and so often as is the case with David Peats work it is a photographic social record of a particular time and place, recording the every day lives of every day people.

Thats what gives it its magic I think
 
B&W removes any distractions from the intended subject
 
NeilMc said:
For me, colour glamorises, black and white documents and so often as is the case with David Peats work it is a photographic social record of a particular time and place, recording the every day lives of every day people.

Thats what gives it its magic I think
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Bit of a blast from the past this thread..

People live their everyday lives in colour though. I'm starting to get fed up with most mono documentary photography these days. (That's people automatically shooting/presenting in black and white now).
 
All my street is colour, for me its part of my contemporary view on the subject as well as being essential to a whole wealth of colour juxtaposition shot possibilities. Making clean shots in colour is harder than B'n'W, but that's all part of the appeal and intensity of street, its just not easy!

I am now a huge fan of David Peat, fantastic stuff! Thanks for bouncing this thread. :thumbs:

His explanation echoes most of us street photographers I'd imagine. ..its not about being intrusive for the sake of it, its about a need to express our take on our world by capturing something 'truly' Street, before the moment has gone forever.
 
Great set of photos, imagine if David Peat had never enlarged these photographs, perhaps we could have seen a similar 'discovery' to that of Vivian Maier's work.

As for colour vs b&w, most of my stuff is b&w simply because I like how it looks, and while I do live in colour I remember in black in white.
 
simonblue said:
I shoot in colour :)

Have a look at the work http://www.williamalbertallard.com/index.php,some great stuff :)
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Some beautiful shots, I particularly like the one of the little girl by the graves in your Basque album as well as the portrait of the three chaps.

Somehow though I wonder if black and white would have not given the images of the girl by the graves and the portraits a little more 'edge' ?

Still a great shot either way
 
Forbiddenbiker said:
I am now a huge fan of David Peat, fantastic stuff! Thanks for bouncing this thread. :thumbs:
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No problem, there was another discussion thread going about lenses to use for street photography and I was looking for the 5 minute clip on the BBC's website where David is talking about his love of black and white street photography and how he gets the shots etc and it was a nice little clip to inspire a budding street photographer.
 
Most streets are so festooned with garish advertising and roadsignes these days, shooting in B&W mutes them and stops them detracting from the real interest of the shot.
 
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