Street Photography Today - Complex but Soulless?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 มิ.ย. 2024
- In this video Filmmaker & Street Photographer Tim Huynh @WORDONTHESTREETphoto and I sit down to review and critique the finalist images from the Italian Street Photo Festival 2024. This gave us a good idea about the current state of Street Photography and what contest judges look for in 2024. We do not claim to be experts nor do we want to speak badly about Festivals in general. This is just a commentary on what we see when we look at these images... Which are not all that bad :-)
Please join the discussion in the comment section and let us know your viewpoint! Is Street Photography becoming more soulless?
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#streetphotography
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Intro - What are we doing today?
02:59 Our Thoughts on Street Photography Contests
05:11 Italian Street Photo Festival Judges 2024
06:21 Single Image Finalists Review
25:09 Winning Images Review & Conclusion
Street photography festivals, specifically the single-image category, feel like those guys who can play guitar really really fast. Sure, it's technically impressive, but when you put it all together for like an hour, it gets fatiguing really quickly.
I think the larger problem is the volume of photographers who define themselves through single images and are completely unable to build any kind of larger work or project. By limiting their work to single-image style photography, it's almost excusing themselves of needing to have any kind of message or understanding.
well said.
What is “single-image style” photography? Are you saying that one individual photo cannot be great?
Btw, how do you know that these photographers do not have a larger body of work?
Definitely the one in Vietnam on the boat was my favourite. It was the one with the most character to It.
Agree!!
For sure, interesting & sound composition with heaps of story
Okay, watching... I gotta say, I LOVE the rooster photo, haha. It captures so much. It's funny you guys had nothing to say about it (maybe you hated it) but it needs no words. Also, it's funny when you put the 6 photos together and say it could be the same photographer... yeah and his name is Alex Webb lol. Everyone wishes...
In general, I believe people are trying too hard to 'get shots' and forget about emotions, feelings, mood, and meaning. Many (not all) of these photos feel like they are shot by the 'mind' not the 'heart and soul'. When I go shoot I want to FEEL something and I want my viewers to feel something as well: nostalgia, wonder, curiosity, humor, unease, melancholy, joy, and so on. I want to provoke something with my image because the scene provoked me to capture it in the first place.
I believe the composition should always be subservient to that goal. Sometimes on my workshops I tell people: just the put the subject right in the middle. This often gets a shocked reaction: "in the middle!? Should there be more to it?" Why? Why bother making a complex composition when a simple one conveys the emotion and meaning of the scene better? Why make it complex? "Less is more," I tell them.
The rooster photo was fine. We liked to so we moved on haha. And love what you said about shot by the "mind" and not the "heart and soul"! I think the photos had too much emphasis on the composition and technique than focusing on communicating a feeling. I think when you learn photography you learn all these rules and what you should and shouldn't do but in the end you still have to react on something on a personal level to make interesting photographs. And that is something you can only train or lets say discover on your own by experience and by feeling strongly about the subject you want to photograph.
@@SamuelStreetlife Totally agree! :)
I really like this kind of real talk without being rude. The submissions for the italian streetphotography contest are very western minded. This is how west european people see. It would be interesting to hear your options on the ricoh photography contest. The participants were a lot more mixed. It is very refreshing to see the world through east asian eyes for example.
Hmm I'm curious what are the differences between Western and Asian eyes?
I went to art school and trust me, Tim and Samuel were on the nice side. Critiques are helpful in many ways, it’s sad to see the comments not get anything from this video.
I like your point about the reaction you'd get if you showed the first photo to someone who isn't a photographer. To me, that should be the guidepost. The same thing happens in other forms of art. Modern art sculptures often have no appeal to the average person, but other artists will rave about a piece. For whom are you creating your photographs? The average person is looking at images and thinking about technical criteria. They just know the image makes them feel something. I think that is more important than all of the technical stuff judges care about. Not that you shouldn't strive for the best technical aspects in your photography, but it shouldn't get in the way of having fun and seeing interesting subjects. I think good technique comes from practice much like it does in other areas such as sports. But, if you're not having fun up front you aren't going to spend the time it takes to become better technically.
I agree with you. It seems that many photographers try to show their technical skills rather than documenting something: those images are good, but most of them don’t tell any story.
It's like tattoos, not every tattoo needs to have a story
@caelestis5 I even dare to say that you can not tell a story with just one photo.
A street photo telling a story sounds to me as strange as a landscape photo having drama.
Loved this video. Both of your channels were extremely heavy influences for me wanting to begin photography in the first place. Please do more of this.
Thanks Travis for the nice comment! We will consider making more of these : )
The number 1 photo for me is the people wearing blue raincoats on the ship. Photo number 2 is the 3. selected photo. Photo number 3 is the one with the Ferris wheel.
The boat would be the Maid of the Mist from the Niagara Falls river tours. A fun and photogenic time if your ever in Ontario
You two made my day with this. I could not agree more with nearly everything you two said. I would have been more critical, though, but I am in my living room alone so I can say that. Also, I hope you put “Fill the Frame” up for free due to its great success. I did pay for it, and I would gladly have paid more. You did a wonderful job. Cheers!
Thank you for doing this.
One thing I don’t think you mentioned, though. Judging just a single image is such a horrible way to judge a photographer. I think it’s kind of pointless,and really wish these contests would stop doing single images. It’s obvious why they do, but still. Over all I still agree with both of you.
Yes that is a HUGE point and I wish we went a little deeper into why competitions are problematic. Good point👍
@@SamuelStreetlife Perhaps in this kind of contest, you should judge the photograph, not the photographer. In fact, why judge the photographer at all?
MORE OF THESE PLEASE!
17:10 That photo of taxis with the one driver hanging out the window is dope.
20:10 Damn y'all haters.
@@SuperReview 😂 it really isn't a bad photo by any means! Just a little too polished in our opinion. Could work well in a series of street portraits.
@@SuperReview 😂 it really isn't a bad photo by any means! Just a little too polished in our opinion. Could work well in a series of street portraits.
Agree with u too. Its a great shot in a possibly very busy crowded street. What i also like is its never easy to find clean composition in busy streets like India so major props to the photographer. It has a bit of graphic feel to it as well and i can imagine it being framed big in interiors.
@@SamuelStreetlife It's alright, some of the ones you did like I like as well but not as much -- might be interesting to have a convo about what makes a good "street photo" and what doesn't. RE: Polish, I'm just concerned with authenticity -- if you can get a photo that looks polished but isn't staged or coordinated, that's awesome in my book! But I am not really in the street scene, seems like there may be some different values there.
I love a critique like this. I think I agree that there’s a lot of technical competency on display, but that’s arguably the easier thing to achieve with practice and fast, responsive gear. Most of them felt like they were riffing on existing compositional tropes rather than searching for genuinely interesting moments.
It’s interesting to me the more time I spend in photography (my vocation), the more I draw similarities to software engineering (my occupation). There’s often a desire in software to be “clever”, which other engineers will notice, but which in no way improves the end product. Most seasoned veterans in software will tell you to always do the simplest thing you can that still meets all the requirements. It gives you room to change your mind later or add to it without having to rewrite it. I felt the same way looking at a lot of these. I find my best photos are ones where I have room to adjust the crop/aspect ratio or dodge/burn in post and try different things. I feel like a lot of those photos would fall apart as soon as you made an adjustment like that.
I fully agree with you folks!... complex layering isn't what makes a photo great by itself, it's a resource to give depth and context. but it's not the end of it! I also use a lot of layers in my work. but I'm not looking for layers, I look mainly for gestures and emotions.
Exactly! Some photos seem to be taken for the sake of applying a certain technique only but not because of the scene.
I really learned a lot hearing you guys critique these photos. I find myself agreeing with everything you said and this whole video has taught me to put more than just a "good photo" but something that is emotionally appealing too. The photo of niagara falls was also my favorite because of that full story being told
Thanks for the post.
the two hidden women in the final image bother me slightly. Not a bad image but perhaps not a winning image. Thanks for the conversation and thoughts
My top 2:
People on boat ride
People in blue raincoats under waterfall
Great minds think alike!!!!
You guys are too kind.
The third place photo was my favorite! Many other photos feel staged. I liked the one of the taxis in traffic, too. Fun video!
Yes mines too!!!
all photos were cool
To me, it is at the level of subjectivity and nitpicking. I love the critique and I do agree with some opinion of you guys. But yeah, how we like the photos depending on the exposure, some technically challenging photos (at least for me) can be emotionally numb to you guys. Personally, I like the Tower reflection thing and the one with stretching the eye one most. Great images, great content. Keep rolling guys.
There is no level other than the level of subjectivity. The second wisest comment I’ve heard about photography was “95% of photography is opinion.” The first wisest comment was “more like 99%.”
Love photo critiques because it helps people like me learn on what to look for that aren't cliches or tropes.
Please do an episode on Dubai with Jalal Abuthina
It’s nice to get this kind of video every once in a while getting opinions on pieces is a good way for any artist to reflect. You get into this but it may have gotten over looked by some people. It feels like a lot of these issues are caused by the format of a single image contest. Maybe others disagree but it’s not the way I would like to experience photography. I may view some of these photos much differently if they are put in with a larger set of the artists work.
good video as always. Good critique and good points made. Its funny they even have these competitions.
No need to "score" art but you guys did an excellent job in doing so, just a shame some people got butthurt. I guess they are the ones copying the same "templates".
Glad you brought this topic in to light, street photography is indeed becoming repetitive and boring.
keep up the good work and don't stop posting your free videos ;)
Nice vid Samuel!
This is a great video and it's great that you're critical of other people's work and how lifeless a lot of it is. Of course we all take mundane and lifeless photos here and there, but it's not about that. It's about picking the best of the best and a lot of the photos that you showed are just copy and paste Street images with the subjects moved around slightly different.
20:31 agree on this photo- it has the right balance of creative composition/color/ story
Its fun to see you're reactions. I just don't send in pictures anymore because it seems like a waist of money. A lot of these compositions seem off to me.
these are all excellent examples as to why I never enter competitions as the winners are all empty of humanity, emotion or personal connection. most feeling to contrived. thanks for sharing
I agree that these sort of open frame images are visually striking, beautiful, and complex. But I think we have to cut some slack to photographers that are maybe just shooting a moment because the moment is beautiful. We don't need a backstory of why someone in a frame made X or Y decision. Sometimes it's okay to just enjoy an image for what it is -- A cool moment of a guy doing a backflip off a gas station, or a hectic moment in a random city in a random country 🤣 not read too much into it
I would vote for the 3rd place one as the 1st place one. Great video guys !
I would too!
Wow the photo at 24:35 is INCREDIBLE! 😲✨
nice 30' masterclass
I liked the hat photo 😅
But yeah that 1st place one is a head scratcher
Hi Samuel and Tim - Both of you inspired me in Street Photography and to start this, my new photo only channel. (you know me as Steve D).
Great vid and demonstrates how we all see things so differently.
📸
I loved that image with the guy walking away with a Zebra crossing stripe. Very cool.
I certainly wasn't stimulated by the boys diving image. It looked composite even if it might not have been.
Steve D with the swimmer profile pic? : D then I remember haha. Yeah the diving image looked composed. And some also looked staged to me now. But we can never know what actually is going on with these images... Good luck with your new channel! : )
@@SamuelStreetlife yeagh... thats me. Ive been watching your channel forever so I thought you'd probably recall the swimmer pic . I've not the wealth of experience or confidence as you, however watching your channel along with others gives me great inspiration. I need to set some days aside to really dedicate myself to street shooting. I have more time now so I'm looking forward to what comes.
Take care buddy. Thanks for reply. 😎📷👊👍👋
@@fujishoot No problem man and thank you for your long and loyal support!
Would be cool if you would also looked at the other categories. I like sometimes the pics from phone only contest way more than the ones where a real camera were used.
All I can say is that I'm profoundly unmoved by all, or most, of these shots. Struggling to identify what some are photos of. What are they showing me?
Anyway, enjoyed the discussion 👍
The short answer is subjectivity. Depends on who’s judging. If I was the judge the 3rd place would be an easy 1st. It appeals to photographers as much as it would to non-photographers. Tim’s orange shot 2nd 😉
You should put your hat in the mix to be a judge in these festivals 😂😂😂
@@WORDONTHESTREETphoto The Hawaii Street Challenge was the start and finish of my career as a judge, in fact I think it ended it 😂😂
This was refreshing to waych
Yeah, I’d like to see a winning shot that is appealing to a photographer for its technique, a judge for its composition and to the lay person because it looks “cool”. That being said it is pretty difficult to check all three boxes, but that’s what needs to be done to take the cake. This winner didn’t meet the criteria IMHO. Cheers!
I think it'd be cool to see a "street photography cliches" video. It's hard to know something's been done a million times when you're just starting out.
Thank you for doing this video, I learned a lot as a newbie! I'm curious tho, as I've encountered this with other photographers, is ok to edit other people's work, even using AI for that matter, if the feedback is unsolicited? I'm genuinely curious if this is an actual thing that I'm not aware of. Thank you Samuel!
C'mon guys: Tower of Pisa, Halong Bay not Hanoi.
Also there's nothing wrong with negative space or cropped bodies. It all depends on the story and composition.
I was worried because of the title but I definitely agree that street photography “festivals” tend to highlight a lot of the same-same and I’ve noticed that the work tends to be safe, less people and more dramatic. A trend I’m noticing is more b&w photography because people are opting for b&w film over color to save money and many people who are shooting color are focusing on street studies and not as much everyday behavior, mostly sights of spectacle. Here in NYC many street photographers are now connecting with editors with papers and they tend to focus on event work because they can sell/license images to their contacts, but abroad in London the energy for the genre is strong. Do you notice any differences based on locations?
Yeah practical things like economics tend to reflect themselves in the art of the time, which in itself is kind of interesting even if the art itself is stifled somewhat. I guess the hope is that eventually the limitations lead to something new and interesting
I really enjoyed this video. I can see why people are moaning about it the comments but I think it's refreshing to give a real honest critique of mostly mediocre images that were finalists in a competition.
On my own street photography YT channel I want to help people get into, and get better at, street photography and that often means going over the fundamentals and encouraging people to just get out and practice which will of course mean a lot of failures, but I think it's so valuable to also talk about and really analyse where street photography falls short these days which isn't done enough. When people make work that really isn't great that gets to a final of a street photo competition it doesn't help people learn at all on how to actually make great images.
Good on you both for making this video! Hopefully it'll help a lot of people critique their own images properly with the view to make better images in the future :) (holy shit that was a long comment soz)
That image with the kids in the playground looks like a Photoshop montage. All the proportions of the different kids are off compared to each other - look at the kid to the left standing with his back to the pole, the one supposedly behind him sitting on the playground furniture is a giant in comparison but he would have to be several meters behind. His head is about twice the size of the one in front who is a good deal closer to the camera.
I think a lot of the 'dead space' images can be explained by poor lens choice. I do notice a lot of these are what you would call poverty tourism. Most images would probably be an excerpt from a series - be it diners or tourism or religion etc. I do feel that the best images were the not the winning ones. Also I must have a different interpretation of what street photography looks like because a lot of this is just travel photos?
I don't always agree with you. Because street photography always repeats itself. But I really like the format just like the old one street critic with Jason. One question: where do you always find the street festival dates and where you can look at the pictures? And keep going! Samuel and Tim.
It should be on their site now. They usually post all images after they announce winners. Main festivals so far for street is Italian, Brussels, and lensculture. Brussels is starting next week 😊
The reflections in the car window of the Superman image do not seem to mirror the event 🤔
Third place -> 1st
First -> 2nd
Second -> replace with another runner up
That second place one is a very Martin Parr photo (probably you suggested crop even more so).
18:16 is the most complex image and well executed. I think even Alex Webb would like it very much. Maybe the photographer doesn't even know Mr. Webb. By the way, this picture is a lucky shot. No overlapping 8+1(on the wall) subjects are just pure luck. Samuel, you keep saying "I see these kinds of images all the time". If you go out doesn't matter where and take pictures, viewers will see that kind of images all the time too, won't they? I have taken street pictures for over 40 years and do not show them on SM, because I see the same pointless, meaningless images all the time. I did some judging for 10 years but quit when I realized everything is subjective in any art form. Like Martin Parr, somebody hates and somebody loves his work. He wrote over 120 books on street photography, don't you guys think it is ridiculous, but always shows on the net the same 15-20 images of his. On the winning image reminds me of Steve McCurry kind of image but is less colourful and darker. On the left side of the winning image, a woman's head grows out of the subject head. That is a big no-no for judging points. Sorry for the long BS!
I think you gave way too much credit to the Pisa photo. There's no reflections or anything there, it's just a shot taken out of a Tesla with the tinted glass roof. I've seen car interiors used in interesting ways that contribute to a photo, but that is just a lazy travel photo
The critiquing is interesting and I don’t really agree with the tone of it. But also everyone has to remember these are opinions of two people. By all means do more of these! But I’m glad we can have opinions that allow us combat others opinions.
Honestly there is just an inherent problem with photography festivals and the effect they have on the psyche. When a certain kind of image wins, photographers start looking for a similar image, so they can win a festival themselves.
And I experience it myself too! When I see finalist images that don't look anything like mine, I get down about my work and start wondering if I am chasing the wrong scenes.
The community would get a lot more enjoyable if people focused more on their own journey and chased the images that they wanted to create. Don't you want to take images that truly look like yours, instead of like some old Magnum photographer?
As a "non people" person, I like image 18:46 the most.
Obscured one person? Check.
Straight horizon? Check.
A sufficient amount of shadow? Check.
Some geometric shapes? Check
Yeah sure there is some Alex Webb-ish influence on that one. At least some negatives spaces are shown so it doesn't felt "busy".
The rest are too... crowded for my taste.
I’m actually curious on why these competitions have little selections of photographs taken in the country of its competition. This is the Italian Street Photo Festival, but I think I only saw ONE photo taken in Italy (Pisa). Okay, maybe the guy jumping from Avia roof might be in Italy also… why do western photographers submit photos from “exotic” locations, and why do the competitions select so many of those kind of photographs?
I mean likewise, I notice some competitions in Asia that select a lot of photos by Asian photographers taken in western countries.
Yeah that is very interesting. We probably find photographs from unfamiliar places more interesting in general so that could be a reason. A lot of people also do street photography while they travel because they don't have enough free time to do it in their own city.
Multi layered street photos are very hard to tell a story most are super messy... Maybe worldwide there are 10 successful examples and 6 of them are by Alex Webb 😁 His success cost so many bad and to be sincere unpleasant copycats. Some compositions stand visually but they are just not interesting. Thanks for the heads up for the Stephen Leslie video, its my next watch. PS number 3 was the clear winner!
😊🎉
Great video. I feel indifferent about the layered shot. Great to brag to your friends and good to have as a keeper but lacks that extra pop that makes it something special. I thought I was in the minority but glad to see others with my viewpoint. As soon as I saw the Niagara photo, I was impressed. To me it was the best photo.
The difference of the 2 shots for me is that the Niagara photo is a given. Rainy and moody with ppl wearing the same. The composition is already there, the photographer is lucky to be there. The only thing other than the already existing scene is the boy covering his face with rain coat, thats well spotted. However the selfie taking couple on the left feels off for me. Fo me the photo is basically a pattern of blue elements with an interesting subject isolated from that pattern which is the boy. Its great but thats about it. The first place photo seems similar yes but if u look deeper each layer speaks for itself. The separation is well executed with each subject carrying its own story. It just doesn't belong to a random street photo with layering. Also in the small alleyways in these parts of the world its never that easy to create a great moment without doing some cliche layered photo and i feel Parr probably recognised that in the photo. At first not the most wow image but definitely the image with a lot of depth and story to it.
@@azlifmohamed8804 Ya I feel ya and see your points. I prefer random moments that show a story rather than a photo that feels a bit more staged. I relate more to the random candid photos because it feels like something I could experience myself. The complex layered photos are too separated from reality. Just a different preference. Neither one of us is right or wrong ya know.
Tend to agree with you on lots of points, but you also seem to contradict yourselves... the image at 20:00 is too busy and claustrophobic whilst the image at 11:00 doesn't have enough going on?
The taxi driver image is dismissed as being too good?
You are referring to Tim here right? I guess what he meant with the beach photo is that the negative space doesn't seem motivated and therefore he rather sees it filled with something. In the bike shot there is almost no empty space so as a viewer it feels claustrophobic and you are searching for negative space to "breathe". The Taxi driver shot was good but we found it to be "too pretty" in a sense that it could also be a setup or staged. It doesn't feel spontaneous or as if the photographer reacted to something. Of course we could be wrong and the photographer snapped this picture really fast and got it perfect but it just feels more like a portrait than a street shot. Just a subtle difference in perception.
@@SamuelStreetlife yeah it was Tim I think. I quite like that the bike shot doesn’t allow room to breathe, I guess that claustrophobic feeling could be seen as a good thing sometimes? Totally agree with the taxi shot in that it could be staged, I just like to assume it wasn’t as it’s a street photo festival submission (I may well be very wrong!). It has the feeling of certain very modern digital sensors which can really make a standard scene feel very bright and colourful
Something that was bothering me as well - there's no defenition of "street photography", that's why it's really hard to tell if the photo is good or not in this category. In general would say most of the images don't cause because a) no emotions are present in the picture b) we've seen so many things - it's very hard to amuse. People in general bacame more rigid.
We feel old photographs because they cause nostalgic feeling, but most of the modern ones simply cannot penetrate our hardened shells.
Humor will always work though; we need more clever street photos with humor.
I think humor helps a lot but we’re living in a time when a lot of people are fearful in public, they assume that to be photographed means they are being mocked or stalked, so it’s harder because people are more aware and afraid. I think that’s why a lot of photographers travel to countries such as India, Cuba and Mexico because cameras are common in tourist places, not in villages and small towns. There’s a sense of curiosity and hopefulness that seems to be gone in developed places, the need for connection is what allows many to feel courageous to photograph in these locations. I seek out sweet, heartfelt moments in NYC and tend to focus on family as a subject because I feel like I understand it well, but many are afraid because of encounters they’ve had and because people here feel entitled to bring up the idea of personal privacy in a public space.
After have seen so many mediocre TH-cam Street Photography POVs, finally there are some honest and quality critiques have been shred. Bravo guys !!!
Thanks! Glad to hear that.
i keep "Find your unique voice"
Nah, could only agree with the judges on the third place winner :(
The leaning tower of Pisa 😁
Thank you for the video. I like hearing about other people's reactions to photos selected as finalists and winners in street photography festivals. Especially people who don't have skin in the game and who are not official jurors. Sometimes I scratch my head when I see festival results and it's good to know that I'm not the only one. Please make more videos like this.
10:52 what makes this look so weird is
a) super wide angle lens which miniturises the actual subject and distorts the scale. feels like a regular landscape shot and some kids snuck into the foreground
b) lots of editing going on here. The light should be casting a shadow over the entire cruise ship, but it's not there. there seems to have been a colour gradient applied to the water/sky. someone took the 'no peaks allowed' histogram advice to heart, so it lacks contrast and looks muddy and/or flat.
Who is the photographer of the 3rd photo @ 28:04? I'd really love to know, thank you.
In fact, who are the photographers of all the 3 photos? They are all brilliant.
Names should appear in the upper left corner.
@@SamuelStreetlife Ah, I missed that, thank you.
First image in and it's an obscure baroque diagonal dynamic symmetry composition. That has almost no subject beyond inferring the line and it's perpendicular alternate sublines. The figures facing left to right implying progress down the line is a nice touch, but if you have to draw lines on a photo to enjoy it are you enjoying the photo?
This is too much for me. I just want to like a photo of something. 😂
A great photo by definition must resonate strictly with an obscure baroque diagonal dynamic symmetry composition. Otherwise, just follow the Rule of Thirds and call it a success.
I totally agree when you say at the end of the video that if we put together all the images they look like they were made by the same person. I feel that they are soulless images and this is a common feature of street photography, it seems to me that street photography is the repetition, only in new places, of all the clichés consecrated by photographers of the past.
That taxi driver one❤️❤️. I think you two are a bit jaded, I can still enjoy a repeated photograph taken by others.
25:23 I'm not sure what the appeal is for the third place photo. So much of the frame is wasted - a criticism they give to other photos but not this one?
I understand the leg disappearing into the smoke creates a mysterious/magical vibe, but i still find the photo uninteresting overall. No clear message.
Should I mention how easy this would be to stage? Any photographer with a willing participant that knows a street which constantly spews steam (I've seen some in San Francisco) could recreate something like this photo TODAY.
Yeah it could have easily be a staged photo who knows. I don't mind the negative space here because the overall scene only makes sense when you see where it took place. A crop of just the smoke and the leg would make it too abstract and it wouldn't feel like a spontaneous moment anymore. I wouldn't say I am crazy over this photo but it was the most creative and unique of all of them for sure. But now the more I look at the more I question if someone would actually walk through the steam... Why not walk around it? Haha. But it could also be someone who wanted to play with it and jumped in it for fun. We will never know.
I don't know why, but I got a strong Magnum vibe from the winning image. Had to do a quick dive on their website, and quickly found Bruno Barbey etc that have several of these kinds of images. They're good images, but alone they are not interesting. They are interesting in a sequence and a specific story. This is perhaps why I'm starting to get a bit bored with street photography. It is all about the "bangers" and taking extremely complex scenes for the sake of taking extreme complex scenes. I've done it many times myself, ofcourse, but it gets boring after a while.
This reminds me of Statler and Waldorf 😂
But both with the same opinions
First image in and it's an obscure baroque diagonal dynamic symmetry composition. That has almost no subject beyond inferring the line and it's perpendicular alternate sublines.
This is too much for me. I just want to like a photo of something. 😂
3rd place should have been first place
Probably the submissions were weak.
Judges be blind. Just go to India and take pics of poor people to win.
I haven't watch the video yet, but just going off the title I've had the same though. I see a lot of very VERY technically proficient and clever photography out there, and I instantly forget it. It just doesn't resonate with me. Anyway, maybe you reach a totally different conclusion, so will listen to this soon! :)
What you want if all think mat Stuart is a good photographer we have a degradation of new generation)
What the hell is even going on with Fabio Convertito's pic (shown at 18:08)? Like, is it a collage or some really clever optical illusion? Are my eyes broken or is this picture broken?
probably your eyes
Vineet Vohra from India has some great street shots! Not Complex
I feel many contestants submitted photos that both of you felt were mediocre because they saw Martin Parr as a judge. Many of them probably felt those photos will appeal to him.
That could be one reason yes.
@@SamuelStreetlife I do miss your street critique segment. Those were very insightful for improvement.
Remind me not to enter a photo contest where you guys are the judges. That was harsh. If I take a photo and someone likens it to a famous, well established photographer, I am going to take that as a compliment. And if people purposely hide someone's face, it may have to do with the new ownership rights in the EU. You guys are looking for originality in a world where everything has been done before.
The vast majority of street photos are boring shots of boring situations, neither good in color nor good in black and white, just irrelevant snapshots.
All you can tell about the bland, generic, soul-less pictures from this contest is that they followed a formula and got a synthetic, sterile, lab-made results.
You old haters 😂 while I definitely agree that some of those pictures were weak I think it's possible, and also pretty easy, to criticise pictures of even the "legendary streephotographers". But I also generally have a problem with critiquing pictures because its all so incredibly subjective. I make my pictures, my colors, framing etc how I want, so if someone critiques that I can only respond that if I wanted it differently, I would have done it differently. If I publish a photo its because I want it like that. So in the end it's just a comparison between different tastes and where's the point in that?
Because arguably one of the greatest privileges and freedoms we have is to voice our opinions?
Critique is essential to seeing our work through the eyes of others, to process what resonates and what doesn’t. Taste is subjective, but that’s not what critique is about. It’s about looking at the photo, seeing what exists and trying to understand why we feel the way we do based on what is in the photo itself. As for what is referenced, everyone is different because what we study is different and when we study work also impacts our perspective, as well. Work I studied when I was a beginner is still good but not what I think of now, it was helpful then but doesn’t cross my mind anymore. The festivals that select their favorites are making money from these submissions & because of the panel, they select photos because of their expertise, bias, investors and expectations set by previous winners. Photographers select work hoping to get eyes on it, to help grow their followings and to become more involved in the community. It’s all about being recognized as a photographer that is taking street photos and, hopefully, they are considered part of the community by others, as well. To summarize, it’s about what we feel and why we feel the way we do about an image based on what exists.
@@danicee you have good points and I definitely I agree with you that these contests are just business and marketing for both the organizers and the photographers. Your first sentence however is something I don't agree on. "Critique is essential to seeing our work through the eyes of others, to process what resonates and what doesn’t" Why is that relevant? I mean, yes if its a business or you want to grow a larger following but for the art itself? I really couldn't care less how my pictures resonate or how others feel about it. I take them because I like them, if others do too, cool, if not, cool too. If I would make music, I would also make the music how I want and not let it get influenced by the opinion of others. If any of that stuff is done commercially, sure then it's the other way around.
@@TheChosenOne_ the best way I can explain is that as a photographer we are creating work and something I like in my work doesn’t always resonate positively with others. That’s okay because from their feedback I can learn something about my photography I might not have noticed before. I have an opinion of my work as an artist and what I choose to share through social media or submit for contests or to festivals is because I like it enough to feel confident sharing it. Does this mean that everyone will like it the way I do? No, but I expect that. I applaud photographers that share any and every photo because it shows confidence, but something I’ve started doing is sharing work I don’t hoping for feedback and, to my surprise, a lot of people like that work more than I do. I also think the energy we put out into the world reflects in our work & most of the comments they shared did not shock me because they were saying that this is based on what they have seen - I was hoping they’d show some photos as references, not direct comparisons, to better understand their personal favs so I could compare and contrast, but it’s hard to edit into videos with this format. Living in the period we’re in, when so many photos are created as content and not as art, I feel like I know what I like and dislike, but that’s my opinion and I know that others feel differently. I can’t tell people what to create but if they share work and only expect praise I think that’s a bit sad. Not every photo can be a great image, but it can be great to us at the time we took it, if that makes sense.
@@danicee Yes I think we can agree on many things. Especially "because from their feedback I can learn something about my photography I might not have noticed before" is something I can wholeheartedly agree too. Giving things a different perspective is very useful. But thats like the best critique you can get. If it's something like "i don't like the framing/colors/expression" and its directed to someone who isn't a beginner and did technical mistakes but instead to someone who did it intentionally I don't really see the value, especially in street photography were you dont control the scene. If it gives you insight into your own work which you havent noticed yet or if its expressing something which you were unable to voice yourself, then yes, its great and useful. But from my experience 95% of critique is just "get closer, get wider, too clean, too chaotic, too clichee, frame to empty, frame too full" which is only really useful for the entertainment of the audience and not for education or improvement.
First
Great video. Some of the photos seemed staged.
Agreed. After looking back on this video I think a lot of them are actually staged... But how can you prove that? Its difficult.
@@SamuelStreetlife I was looking at LensCulture 2014 with works from Siegfried Hansen, Tatsuo Suzuki, Shin Noguchi, Mark Cohen, etc. Those photos seem so authentic. With the rise of Social Media, there is a lot of pressure to produce work to post every day, so the genuine spirit of street photography seems to have lost some of its charm.
Don't know about others but I am tired of the "layered" look. It's such mumbo-jumbo.
To be honest the image at 12:36 with the reds is much stronger than the one at 13:18 but I get that Ulysses is your friend so the bias is natural. Also criticizing 17:13 for being too pretty? That's such a weak critique. You want good pictures but not "too good", what is even the point?
Ulysses and Higbee’s one are much better. When lines are your primary focus in a frame, symmetry is the main point which there’s is on point then emotion mystery of subject aligning with that. Missing umbrella piece or in higbees case the guys shirt being exactly like the cross walk
@@WORDONTHESTREETphoto but the missing umbrella piece is not lining up with the street. Higbee's bottom three lines match the shirt but the top two don't and symmetry is an "all or nothing" game. Siegfried Hansen I can get behind because there's a bit of humor with removing the crosswalk line, but aoki and higbee just seem like partial attempts.
its supposedly to be capture what is interesting to the photographer, instead of capturing a well composed shot with no interesting-factor or a main subject.
100%!
all the photos you critiqued and didn't like bcuz they are similar to the work of the legends you have same similar photos on your IG profile before you start critiquing you have to apply the same to your work
I highly doubt they are similar though. There has to be some communication of intent and in most photos from the contest the intent seemed to be to make complex images but not so much about communicating something to the viewer outside of that.
How does a staged photo fit into a street photography contest? I'm referring to the pic at 16:50
Yeah when I saw this image win in 2023, I had the same feeling. When I go to their Instagram, I can clearly see that the photographer interacted with this group beforehand, and got close and intimate that way.
The huge hunger and desparation for a win seems to cause people to give up their integrity completely, with posed shots, exploitative travel pictures in poorer places or by including their own children, as if that makes it candid.
@@dielquodielquo9035 Exactly. On the photographer's website too there are other photos from the same set that show the interaction. I wonder how's possible no judge noticed there was something off with the photo.
Sorry guys, but i'm totally disagree with you. Even more i think your blind or something to say that these amazing picture are just "okay".
When you've seen a ton of (often similar) images in your life you tend to become more critical. What looks like an amazing image to someone can look totally boring and repetitive to another person. Art is subjective so if you like an image then nobody can take that from you : )
You skipped straight past the best and most interesting photographs, then bemoaned the others because either you personally didn't like it or 'it had been done before'. What a waste of 20 mins.