Why Most Street Photography Today Looks The Same
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ก.ย. 2024
- Is it just me or does most street photography today look the same? While this isn't a blanket rule across street photography, more and more I see the same photos on my newsfeed - I'm definitely guilty of following trends but I would like to give some insight on how to choose a different direction. Using photo books over watching TikToks is a great way to start 👍
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To me, street photography really needs people in it. The majority of the examples you showed at the beginning of your video were cityscapes, streetscapes or architectural photos. Street photography in the past was a record of how people looked, acted and interacted. You are right that it is the authenticity of random street subjects that really makes the picture. People starting off in street photography are understandably nervous about the reaction they might get from subjects in the street. I find that using a small discrete camera helps, I use the Fuji X100s for much of my street photography. Get out there, get practiced and shoot......
I think you've described the journey a lot of us go on, I have been chasing the smaller cameras to minimise attracting attention but already feel myself wanting to lean into bigger bodies and just own it 😅 mainly from recently engaging with more people on the street while using a film SLR
@@GeorgeHolden Oh man. I have been one small camera guy. I wonder sometimes what could happen if they see me with a bigger camera? I still like small for not just the candid advantage but just "wearing it" and not feeling it.
I remember watching a video of Joel Meyorwitz saying street photography today has lost its sexiness because of phones. I do agree but I also think todays day and age is the greatest opportunity to document people. We’re all so glued to our phones, distracted, and it makes me think of the video of Bruce Gilden flashing people where they’re surprised they got flash. I think we can offer a greater contrast to the street photographs of the past. As we can show how far society has advanced and how anti social things are now vs before when people were Sociable.
Not necessarily. A lot of great street photography shot throughout history has had no people in it but focused on the traces left behind by people, for example. There aren't really any such rules, just preferences. The only real rule is indeed to go out there and work on your craft.
Nope! Streetphotography is shooting in the moment and could be anything. Random shooting people isn’t street photography!! That is what i see on YT. Shooting rolls of film with boring people…
Couldn’t agree more! I feel social media is killing creativity. I’ve had to stop myself a few times and ask myself if I am taking my photo or someone else’s photo unconsciously.
At first you think you're talking worse photos when you stop emulating but it's just because you're doing something different that doesn't line up alongside what you already think of as "good"
@@GeorgeHolden absolutely! Part of the reason I’m shooting more film again these days, it’s stripped away all the technical wizardry back to barebones, which allows me to concentrate on just taking photos. And due to it being analog, I’m not automatically comparing it to the other millions of digital images on Instagram. In turn allowing me to be more personally creative
Totally agree. So much modern street photography feels polished and soulless. It’s like browsing the wall art at ikea.
That is such a good comparison 😅 I always think like hotel wall art! Weirdly though it's what a lot of people want to hang on their wall which hurts my brain
@@GeorgeHolden Ikea/Hotel wall art serves a purpose. Its about serving the room as a whole vs being a piece of art to build a conversation around. It’s suppose to be passively enjoyed without much thought. Sort of visual eye candy that isn’t particularly filling, but also inoffensive to most people while tying the room together.
Good street photography, I’d argue, isn’t really a passive art form. It should inspire a longer gaze. It should stand on its own. It should inspire thought, and tell a story in a single frame.
Anyhow… I’ve rambled long enough. Ha. I enjoyed this video. I’m subbed. Looking forward to more of your work!
@@TheJ_G I always think of hotel/Ikea wall art as being the visual equivalent of elevator music. It's filling a void. Breaking up the monotony of silence in the case of the elevator music and breaking up the monotony of boring, blank walls in the case of wall art.
Wall art at IKEA, perfect comparison.
And this is why I shoot film, it feels more real
My wife always says: don't take photos, everything is already there, concentrate on what you see and experience.
I like that a lot!
❤
Why not take photos, as they are memories for when you have no recollection of that point in time.
Your wife in definitely a keeper ❤
@@kiwipics don't live in the past
I really appreciate your insight. Something I like to say is "Don't force the composition, let the scene reveal itself to you". Great video! Keep shooting and stay inspired!
Thanks Greg! Love that saying as well, you too!
I’m impressed how much people with cameras today use the back screen instead of the viewfinder, it is like using your camera as a cellphone.
Why is that? I miss the time when people used to use a camera as an actual camera.
I think the benefits are real, especially with autofocus and quick menus they're useful!
I have the same thoughts with you, George.
Sometimes I dont force myself to take pictures and just concentrate myself into the environment where I am in. And to "feel" the surroundings.
To me the most important thing is to understand the place and the surroundings help to make better shots.
Thanks for sharing, I can relate with that sense of feeling your surroundings too
I don’t go out with my camera to get good shots. I go out to enjoy looking at the world through the lens. If I get a good shot, that’s an added bonus. Not unlike fishing :)
That's fantastic to hear, thanks for watching!
You are correct. Even with editing, I try to mimic popular styles. Mainly cuz people seem to like them and the persons with “those” compositions and editing techniques are already making a living off their photos. So it’s why it’s easy to fall into the trap of mimicking them.
Overall, good eye opening advice.
Thanks! Yes I think digital editing might be our worst enemy 😂
only a couple of people are "making a living" from street photography... seriously - you are aspiring to something that doesn't exist.
@@cherylandsimon for real. Want to make a living with your camera? Do event and wedding photography.
I agree. Sometimes I find myself thinking: "Oh I've seen this composition somewhere on the internet, so I must take the same photo." Or thinking something like: "I think X photographer takes photos like this and that, so let me do the same." It's a weird subconscious thing that comes from watching and seeing loads of street photography content online instead of going with our own flow and thought process. It's good to be inspired by those contents because they can help unlock more of our potencial and creativity, but at the same time we shouldn't mimic everything we see.
Well this is fantastic, couldn't agree more. Nicely done mate.
Thank you mate, appreciate it 🙏
You are very good, sensitive and throughful and very often funny. Keep the good work.
Love it! I recently travelled to Spain; took a lot of the required (same ol’, same ol’) landmark pics to capture and remember their beauty. But what I really enjoyed was capturing the people, their faces and bodies, but also what they were doing: workers, servers in tapas bars, cooks at restaurants or cleaning crews; people buzzing along the streets of Madrid, Sevilla, Granada… wondering if they were Spanish, or immigrants or other tourists like me. Things that caught my eye, that sparked my curiosity, that tugged at my heart. Street photography, I am discovering, is a great art form, and also a means of ongoing self discovery … and of self affirmation. Keep up your insightful takes on photography.
Thanks for sharing, I have a trip coming up next month and hope to try focus myself more away from my previous same ol', same ol' shots. Take care 👍
Great points. Ive always leaned towards these hacks which i thought were really overused and i tend to overlook what i really wanted to take photos of: the interaction of people with others, himself, or his surroundings.
Thanks for watching!
This. What sucked me in to the world of photography, and actually correlates with me enjoying cycling. People in their everyday lives, they're all living their own unique lives, and when you encounter them, that human experience, maybe their expressions seeing your camera and smiling, maybe them just still doing their job, all captured in one snapshot. I enjoy cycling because i get pretty close to sidewalks, and seeing people, occasionally interacting with another cyclist, it's amazing.
Love that, thanks for sharing!
Thank god someone had the guts to say it out loud.
I feel like we all knew it 😅
@@GeorgeHolden But so many of us still did it anyway.
You do such a great job of presenting the ideas in this video, even though there aren't really any totally new concepts. Great video! Very inspiring.
Thanks! There are no unique messages, only unique messengers 👍
I learned a lot from YT videos about photography, I experimented a lot and trying to mimicking this photographers, but at the end, I always follow what I'm attracted to no what is the last trend on IG
That's fantastic to hear, thanks for watching!
That's why I'm not subscribed to any Insta/TikTok channels, I don't my style to be influenced by anyone. I'd rather make mistakes and learn through trial and error, getting feedback from the community and friends.
Great approach, thanks for watching!
There’s a easy fix to this: shoot film (it’ll challenge your creativity in more ways than you can imagine), and focus more on people in your photos. People tell unique stories and are the most interesting thing on the street 🤷♂️
Yeah agreed, I am shooting film more and more but limited to needing to spend money on food too 😅
One the things I noticed with my content on social media is that posts with complex content, lots of detail do not get traction/engagement while posts with content that is simplistic and depends on abstract graphical shapes, colors, contrast does very well, even though it's essentially meaningless from a humanist, documentation point of view. It's hollow. And boring to look at. It reminds me of the early 2000s on Flickr, when more people started to afford larger sensor format digital cameras and everyone was posting images with just a fraction of the frame in focus, the bokeh being the subject of the photograph, e.g. the endless series of fence post tips in focus, the rest obliterated into meaningless mush, portraits with eyes in focus, but mush (=bokeh) obliterating faces.
I feel that, I find yes with wider shots and smaller subjects platforms like Instagram aren't very forgiving but it's definitely a balancing act. I like sharing my wider shots in YT videos as for some part they're bigger on laptop screens for some viewers 😅
such an enlightening speech! Love your thoughts, thanks a LOT
Thanks so much for watching!
Fantastic video. I live in eclectic London, so have no excuse not to get out there and find more interesting subject matter. I'm quite a lively chap who's happy chatting to strangers, so I think that's almost as important a part of my 'photography toolkit' as my equipment - if I could use it more. I feel like a large proportion of 'street photographers' are just the same as self-obsessed Tik-Tokers. Roving around pointing cameras at "a man waiting for a train" etc. I think the worst thing is that taking boring photos is more intrusive than taking good ones, because no one in the shot, or seeing it being taken, will appreciate the purpose. If you take great photos, at least you can show it to the subject and they'll be like "Ah, I wondered what you were up to - but now I get it! Lovely." (I think that's a good reason to often have your camera producing film simulation JPEGS etc too, not just RAWs, so you can show your subject when you need to and have it look nice). As an aside, I think people are so hypocritical for obsessing over 'government surveillance' etc, when it's obvious to me that 99% of surveillance is done obsessively by public.
Thanks for watching!
Estoy completamente de acuerdo contigo no hay nada de imagenes Contundentes, imágenes sin mensaje o un lenguaje, solo formas de composición y creo que le tienen terror a afrontar las miradas o momentos con expresiones del alma del sujeto. Gracias oor esta explicación tan buena
Muchas gracias, sentí que no hice un gran trabajo al explicarlo, así que me alegro de que haya tenido sentido para ti. Además, ¡espero que mis subtítulos en español hayan sido precisos!
De acuerdo con ambos.
Now being serious I started with street photography in the earlier days of digicams, my weapon of choose was a Fuji A330 that I bought just because it was the cheapest 3MP camera that I could afford at the time.
The XD card was so expensive that I only had one with 16MB so I need to choose very carefully what I would shoot with it.
Now I mostly use my Galaxy S23U, a old Cybershot W510 or my Lumia 1020 even though I have a mirrorless and a few primes.
Brilliant! Well said!!!!
Thanks!
love your channel george. you have some great insights and really puts ideas in my head that I haven't thought about..
Thank you! Happy to help 🙏
A lot of street photography probably takes a few decades to mature imo. I do agree that modern street photography is a bit samey, but even some of that in 40 years times may hit someone, somewhere in the nostalgia's. A lot of those older photo's probably looked pretty average back in their day, but now they are like an historical artefact.
I agree, the maturing process is sometimes overlooked, I have a video I'm working on but it's difficult to shine a light on more recent photography that may or may not age better than others. The history factor too, I sometimes think is the amount of photography today going to cancel out some historical importance
Can't even label these as street photos, honestly speaking.
That may be the problem
Great debate that will roll on. The main thing is we enjoy the challenge of using our cameras
Yes!
I enjoy shooting people on the street, sometimes with a classic 35-50mm focal length and sometimes with a 400-600mm focal length or whatever lens I have on at the time. I usually look for interesting characters so I'd say I'm more of a candid people photographer than just street. Occasionally Ill see some interesting reflections or some great light but it's always more about characters than anything else, for me at least.
Thanks for sharing! Can imagine the 400-600 gets a bit heavy on a long photo session 😅
@@GeorgeHolden not if your using something like a Panasonic 100-300 on a m43 camera 👍
Very, very interesting that you talk about trusting your gut feeling when choosing a motif. The development of this very own individuality in the photographic work is immensely essential. I totally agree with you. There is too much of the same stuff from different people and often not enough individuality from the many individuals who engage in photography. But it's really not easy to first find out what constitutes your own photographic personality. Studying relevant illustrative literature and being inspired by it is good advice. In my opinion, you do a very good educational job. Thanks and greetings - Mo.
Thank you, yeah I think taking away the technical limitations and learnings from photography can mean you gravitate towards your personal interest and style, then use the technical side to further improve your images as you continue. Thanks for watching!
i think it has to do more with people wanting quick results so they follow the trends and the algorithum in social media affects how poeple shoot instead of straying from the norm people now and days will look for whatever gets them views
That is true, I do also think it's the more popular examples we see are so prominent compared to digging a bit deeper elsewhere
The phenomenon you are describing is of course not new and is not only encountered in photography.
Wherever something is taught, there are students who try out what they have learned.
Many of these students, and this will be the majority, will forever do what they learned from their teacher.
But there are always students who go above and beyond that.
But of course there is another problem, for some it's not about development, but only about likes, so many just follow trends, i.e. deliver what the consumer "wants" to see.
Social media is a problem.
Instagram, for example, is no longer a photo platform, but a sales platform.
My impression is that more and more pictures are being taken and at the same time less and less is being photographed.
Thanks for sharing!
Great video and I agree. The problem is photographers giving advice and the ones prevalent on social media are from the “copy and paste” generation, more concerned about creating video content vs creating great street photography. There’s an old-school photographer named John Free who has some great videos about street photography. Check him out.
Cheers! And thanks for sharing John too, less copy and paste in the future!
Well done George 👏
Spot on.
Thanks Steve!
Your videos on the Olympus camera have been very inspiring. I really missed out on an awesome setup because of the sensor. I was wrong. Thanks for your videos. Please limit the butt crack photos.
Hahaha, yes cracks will be omitted in future 😅 and thank you, I'm glad my videos have been useful for you!
Social media is such a double edged sword. It gives inspiration but also lends itself to being an echo chamber of everyone trying to immitate (or outright steal) everyone else's content.
This was a good reminder to keep that focus on what makes you want to take photos to begin with. I got a small camera to do more street shooting because I live in a part of the world few westerners know about let alone visit and I wanted to share these people with folks at home. How they live, what they like, what are their struggles, and the things common to all mankind that allow us to relate to one another - parents playing with kids, boys joking around after school, or the mundane things like waiting for a bus or picking out produce at the market. Listening to too many influencers can get you too focused on trying to make a popular image that you forget why you wanted to make photos to begin with.
Thanks for watching!
Hi George, great video! What is the name of the book with the red cover, which has photos taken in China (?). Thanks!
Hi! Thanks, it's Magnum Streetwise
Really enjoying your channel. You should consider move into college lecturing. Very clear, precise, refreshing. You are wise beyond your years! (I am ex lecturer and now pro headshot photographer)
You flatter me sir, glad you enjoy the channel and style - I do put a lot of time in each video. Doubt I'll be lecturing any time, wasn't much of a student!
I would love this video but talking about people that do not watch instagram or internet tubes too much, and just want to break from what they are doing as habits. I was able to get some of that a tiny bit in this video, but would love to hear a perspective without thinking about using/watchign social media (I don't use instagram at all).
Still, good video, good thoughts.
Thanks, the social media perspective is the video so another perspective could be another video
Great video thank you
Thanks Curtis!
This is a great video. I am not a good photographer but want to do better. And this one made me think.
Can you please share the names of the books you were showing?
Thanks! Yes of course: Magnum Streetwise, Magnum Ireland, "Dogs" Elliott Erwitt
@@GeorgeHolden thanks. I have started collecting photo books this year. Unfortunately not a great choice available here in India but I am still building a good library and will add these to my list
@@DebiSenGupta I understand, it may be worth looking for online PDF versions too if you want to find some more soon
Had the same thoughts
👍
i always find myself watching technique and composition videos and trying to ask myself, how could i use this and what would i change within it.
That's fantastic to hear, thanks for watching!
"A street photographer is going to look for the anomalies and the weird stuff in the every day. That's the think you want to look for."
Really good video. Could we argue that Street Photography is really what happens to Documentary or Reportage when the skill or time to discover and reveal a story is removed? Alternatively, is the deluge of similar shots just an example of copying work due to a lack of imagination just for the sake of likes? Either way, I totally agree..... it's getting boring!
That's an interesting argument, and yes is it that likes correlate with a certain style at the moment? No one photographer would admit "I'm copying X photographer" but there are likely cases. Hopefully it's just a slow transition from photographers being too exposed to social media and chasing popularity vs chasing what interests them
There are different perspectives. I just started, and my stuff already looks different. There are many photographers who began their journey by learning from content shooters, There are some people who shoot to record a moment in life. Not just for sport. You have people who kill animals to showcase their tools, or perhaps to mount a head on their wall. Then you have your people who kill animals to survive and respect their food. Same with photographers...
Thanks for sharing!
As the other people saying here, I could not agree more!
Of course composition is still important sometimes, and I think famous photographers in history are just used to frame their pictures with a certain spice.
Although, sometimes that social medias killed is the creativity and respect of a single mind. If I go to a photographer exposition, I wanna see how they are thinking, what they see through their own eyes and brain.
I struggle a lot with storytelling in my pictures, I know I should look more and take my time. And it's nice to see other photographers saying that instead of following trends, just take a picture that you want and love. At the end, the only feeling that matter is the one you get when you look at what you have produced.
NB; I think we should really burn our phones and stop social medias. At least for me, it has became so central in our life that I'm afraid I see creativity being killed, not celebrated. Some sort of hypocritical discourse, in a way.
Maybe I'm a pessimist, but I have stoped looking through social medias for creativity and inspiration (except in specific fandoms but that's another story). I still use Instagram to share my pictures to people and friends, but I try not to look at my feed. It's really just like a portofolio.
Thanks for watching!
People looking this way people looking that way but cracks picking their nose ect ect give me a really interesting reflection any day
Hahaha sure
Definitely went through (am still stuck in?) the social media photography trap, but trying to work my way out That China photography book looked really interesting, mind sharing what it's called?
Great to hear! The China examples were actually just from one section, it's Magnum Streetwise, a great compilation across photographers and decades!
May be try to slow down and think a bit on enwironment you currently are. No rush - more diving in atmosphere of place you try to fix in time.
Great approach!
Instant follow.
Thanks for watching!
I think 90% of the photos you showed in the beginning aren't street photography. It's more of "city photography" where you find a nice spot and do a nice composition on order to take a overall nice picture. But real street photography tells a story. It has emotions in it and feels like it makes a statement. Not to hate on these pictures shown (I take photos like this as well) but to me it does not fell like art but more like a technical correct picture.
Being a photographer (amateur or professional) doesn't magically make you an artist.
I do think the subject of what is or isn't street photography is subjective, but I agree those early shots don't fall under my definition of the phrase - but today those images are what most will find when they research the topic
It looks the same because it's NOT Street Photography. People nowadays have little understanding of what Street Photography really is.
Please explain street photography
George Holden Presents: Builder's Buttcracks. Pre-order your copy today.
...that is an idea I would love to explore 😂
I cannot agree more
Cheers!
Top tip to recognise bad YT street photography content creators (because that’s what they are; content creators, not photographers): if they chimp every snap they take (usually of a parked car or a bus or a person 300 metres down the street) and say “sick”, then you can be pretty sure you could learn more from a tub of kimchi.
trends seem to be weird but i see that 😅
They are!
Most "street photographers" work seems like nothing more than second rate snapshots... nothing more, nothing less.
That's an interesting take, do you have work we can see?
There's a popular street photography channel that interviews street photographers who are all in the same city and they all own Leicas and they all get in people's faces and it all looks the same from photog to photog. All of their photos look interchangeable and lack any sense of individuality within them.
I think you mean Paulie B, I love some of those photographers work - my favourite would be Michelle O'Shaughnessy who doesn't shoot Leica
Bravo
Thanks!
Nah I just walk around filming in 8K and then way after I will choose which frame I will use and tell a story to follow along and engage the audience.
its cos people are scared to shoot portraits without peoples permission you just gotta do it
There is a balance in being respectful too, if someone sees you and has a problem with you taking their photo, you should respect their feelings and if they want you to delete it, I think you should. There are infinite photos out there, lose 1 and life is no different
Street photography is ok. Question in other: why video about street photography and youtubers talk about it looks and sounds the same?
I hope mine are a little different, with every new video I try to experiment so as not to make your experience boring
We are the most photographed society in history, but we will be the least remembered.
That's an interesting take!
@@GeorgeHolden I have been a pro photographer for more than 2 decades, the reason I use this quote is we don't print, today's phones are great cameras are great but it isn't a photo until it is printed. I am doing a show on it soon. Love what you are doing on your channel
Hi George.
Your pictures will, eventually, reflect who you are and what you feel. However, It can be a brutal process getting to that point. So, in the meantime, build up a bigger collection of books (Elliott Erwitt is mandatory, ha, ha, ha) and have fun.
Enjoy the rest of your day.
Well said thank you!
i don't have tiktok.
I am shocked
@@GeorgeHolden Yeahh .... I'm old.
First of all : you're cute, which is nice. Then, more interestingly (or less interestingly ?), you're absolutely right, people tend to take pictures like the pictures they see others take. It's like actors reproducing other actors' tricks. It's a sort of peer pressure and I promise I'll never fall into that trap again. Or at least I'll try. So thanks. And stay cute.
Thanks 😂 yeah I think it's become the habit for all of us these days!
uff there are not much street photographers around social media.. I mean, ok here are photographers who catch very nice snaps oon the street. Thee problem it comes when is more important the "likes", and in general people don't want to take even 15sec. to observe a "real" street photo where more things are happening ..becauuse nowadays is all instant!. Is a bit sad for arts, as the personal vision of every photographer is a bit blurry
I agree to an extent but I also think the definition of a "real" street photo is entirely subjective, you and I probably won't agree and you probably wouldn't agree with most people. If we all had the same definition we'd all try and take the same photo - is a photo from Saul Leiter less of a "real" street photo than a photo from Garry Winogrand? Very different styles and choice of subject matter, but both street photographers
I meant when the photo come from a true(real) intention. Not only to join the trend and the photographies were only made to have success. Many photos from tiktok or instagram share the same composition and many similar characteristics. Basically, social media is muting the "soul" of the photographers. When something is made with intention, you can observe more from it..not only to be seen for a second.
Same it happened in music, instead to enjoy the diversity and rich of cultures. People tend to enjoy only one kind of music.. then I see musicians are very stuck with the same patterns and forget about their own vision!
Honestly, I didn't think it would happen something similar to street photography haha
In the end: Street photo is to enjoy in ur own way :D !
Could it be: Wanting to be known as a good photographer vs wanting a photo of something.
Wanting a photo of something example: I want a photo of Lewis in his F1 car.
And which should we aim for?
finding your own style involves much more time and failure than it does when you follow someone else's guidelines.
Agreed!
I’ll just say it-TikTok is the worst.
Many would agree
What's going to happen if all photographers publish their photos where algorithms determine what's good? Am I taking a picture or am I taking my picture? It's time to be happy with ourself and our photography alone. Without obsessive, questionable applause. Be free + lucky ;-)
Be free and lucky!
it's just because a few are photographers but A LOT are CopyCatographer but have ZERO creativity, are only attracted by LIKES & FOLLOWERS, not for the art of creating IMAGES. only looking foe acknowledgment and being at the center of attraction. 🤮
Thanks for watching!
This is not real street photography that you are saying
I agree some is not, but what is or isn't street photography?
huh can't relate
You're not like the other boys
I've never subscribed to any social media. I refuse to enter the swamp. Most of the vids on here are trash (not this channel). That way I can concentrate on my style of photography. Try it and you'll soon discover your own visual language.
Thanks for sharing!
You want to shoot different pictures? Delete Instagram & Co. from your devices! Or at least stop watching there. And then start shooting without pictures already in your head. Don't make your pictures arbitrary, what means, don't shoot digital, use analog cameras. When each shot costs money, you'll actually start putting thought into it, instead of relying on luck, that a few of the thousand pictures this day might be actually good.
Well said!
👍👍👍👍💪💪💪💪
👍
Too late, I destroyed my phone.
Get an old Nokia to replace it 😅
@@GeorgeHolden with the rebrand I have to
and everybody be editing like they are north borders lmaoo.. it's just cringe now
Hahaha agreed the aesthetic is everywhere now
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I’m amazed that so much of todays street photography doesn’t look anything like the classic style of the past. I’m 65, so not influenced by TikTok! I just try to shoot exactly what you talked about here. People, emotions, zero composition “tricks”. @thecliffolio. Would love to know your thoughts on what I’m trying to do.
Thanks Cliff! Really good too hear and sure thing I'll take a look, not that my thoughts have any heft 😅
When you compared examples of boring instagram photos with classic photo books it became clear that boring photos lack any kind of storytelling. What makes the viewer linger on a great photo is that "something is happening" and the viewer has to figure it out.
The difference is clear as day really isn't it? Makes you then look at your own photos in a different light too
100% . I've got a few photo books (I'm not a photographer) and I've definitely gravitated towards either a unique theme I'm particularly drawn towards or shots with people that have a unique charm and honesty about life that makes me wonder what's going on, or about to happen, etc.
Many years ago, I had a fantastic music teacher who helped me to understand the difference between ‘playing the spots’ and making music. Something could be technically perfect but have no life in it. It was one of those breakthrough moments and has effected my professional and artistic life in so many ways. Thank you for sharing this video and reminding me of that idea.
I really like that, it makes you remember your favourite pieces of music and the emotion or memory associated with it; not often that you really focus on the technical ability
I feel like most street photography nowadays is more some sort of architecture or urban scene photography. When I started with photography I aswell focused a lot on buildings and interesting streets but the more I shot the more bored I got by these kind of subjects because like you said in the video it's all been done before. That's why I now focus much more on situations and interactions between people or interesting looking individuals on the streets. These situations are unique and can't be replicated by anyone else.
Exactly, couldn't agree more!
It's 2023. Everything and every place has been fully photographed. Other than space and the ocean.
I think the issue is that we are seeing more images than ever before. Photographers from 20 years ago were competing against a small number of other photographers and the way to get your images viewed was to print a book. Where now we are seeing hundreds of images every day.
This is true!
i have always said, if you want to learn street photography dont listen to advice on youtube / tik tok. go study the masters
Very well put 👍
Absolutely agree … Instagram is killing photography … how hypsters are just copying the same scene and trick is pure misery and sick ~
Sadly it's the same formula issue we saw with filmmaking and TH-cam, slow-mo 85mm b-roll everywhere 😂
yep. It looks the same, and it is kind of frustrating to see that those are the only ones going viral, but I wouldn't dare to shoot heartless photos just for the sake of virality. On the other hand, I started my photography journey as an extension of my own way of experiencing life. Walking around with no place in mind, breathing the scents of flowers, looking at the reflections in the wet streets. I appreciate an interesting subject but that is not necessary for me. I guess everyone has their own way.
Very well put!
Also reduce the usage of LR presets... .too many ppl coming up with similar edited works. :P
Is true! I always think making your own is best and treating them like your filmstock
The problems about compositions you learn through TikTok is that they are straight up boring. Try looking at the old school masters like Henri Cartier Bresson, Alex Webb etc. Those are the real compositions you should strive for.
Agreed as I said with the Erwitt example
The challenge with our modern and well-developed society is the definition of success has changed. Success today is measured in followers and likes. Based on that, some get the illusion that they have overnight become "experts" and are qualified to teach. After all, there is a lot you can learn from social media, but you have to learn to "filter" noise. Not easy, but it can be done..
This is true, I'm planning an entire video on the "expert" persona - something I have a lot of opinions on 😂
Also everything looks the same because of the "trending" algorithms they have on TH-cam and Instagram, lol.
Great video and funny butt crack, waited for the right moment there.
This is true and thank you for appreciating the crack
So true. There's a lot of great photographers out there making unique content, but they're never pushed by the algorithms. I try to find them using hashtags rather than Explore.
I’ve definitely felt like this before where street photography just feels like copy and paste nowadays so knowing i’m not the only one feels refreshing i guess
Exactly, I think it's hard to explain for me but I wanna dive more into this as I learn my way through. Thanks for watching 🙏
I think, it's obvious. If you're an amateur, it's OK to follow guides. Then, you begin to do something new step by step and grow as a photographer (or every other type of work), develop your own unique style.
Second, I don't think you should hunt for emotions only. Me personally, I have ADHD and I don't feel emotions a lot, but I always see a good composition and appreciate a good looking picture. Theres a place for both approaches.
That's a great perspective, thanks so much for sharing. It's definitely a step by step journey and some of us spend longer on one step than others, I sometimes feel like I go back a step or two to relearn or unlearn bad habits too
Could not agree more. Interestingly while watching this, I started to to think about a technique I have used in gig photography using long exposure techniques, and how the same techniques and ideas might work for street captures. Good video. Subbed.
Thanks for watching and glad it got you thinking! Appreciate the sub, and good luck with the new technique!
A massive problem on the internet is bad teachers who might be good but instead of giving good advice they just describe EXACTLY what they do down to the tiniest minutia. Because it gets views and shows a immediate good result. This is like those memes about a back to school outfit. Same exact problem. Just a specific description and no explanations
Agreed!
Street photography becomes boring after a while especially if you're stuck with the usual suspects every time..never cared for it really.
That's a shame, I find myself being more motivated recently