The Sad State of Street Photography
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 พ.ค. 2024
- Join me as I dive into the current state of street photography and why it needs a creative shake-up. I critique the overused techniques and share how we can bring depth and emotion back to our shots, drawing inspiration from legendary photographers.
Learn how to add character to your work and find a unique style that resonates. Whether you're a seasoned photographer or just starting out, this episode will inspire you to think differently about capturing street life.
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What does street photography mean to you ?
Engagements with subjects: dialogues, encounters, discussions. A moment in my life and their life.
A direct connection with your surroundings be it a major city center with millions of people or a middle of nowhere place without people.
Honestly when I look back at history books a lot of what ends up showing up is street photos and I think it's important to document that kind of thing you can also really just capture people in the moment and get some pretty incredible stuff when the timing is right
I’m not sure there is obtainable answer to that question… what does it (street photography) mean? I’m sure there is a standard definition of what street photography is, but its meaning? It’s like asking if you can recognize a raindrop if you see it again, or the meaning of a smile. It’s too elusive of a question to answer, sorry about that.
Street Photography to me is a ego humbler compared to the other things i shoot. It make me realize how much i still suck at photography. Seeing how much time and dedication it really takes to quickly find light, composition, and layering on the fly with no second chance, all while having the Guts to take the photo on top of that. It is Harry Mack's Freestyle to Hip Hop. It is the summit that i know i will never reach, but strive to keep going for the challenge.
I think it’s tough to compare street photographers of today, that we’re seeing work in real time, sharing their work in real time, to the curated work of photographers of decades ago. We weren’t seeing new photos made by Erwitt, Meyerowitz, Mary Ellen Mark, etc. every week. I think a lot of this is more about the current times of social media, sharing work, making a living and building a career that way. It certainly has a negative effect on both the work and the photographers making the work, but to consider so much of it as a waste or hopeless or lacking soul is a pretty big generalization. The legendary photographers had their career, the photographers of today are still very much working on theirs. Just my thoughts!
Plus one.
Fair enough Matt, thanks for sharing your thoughts. My point is that when I was starting out the work we were shown and that was rewarded and promoted was a lot heavier on moments in life, photographers spending time waiting for moments and sure beautiful light, but thought provoking images. Now what I see in my circles and in my feed is way less of that and way more guy walking through a beam of light. I'm guilty of guy walking through a beam of light shot too, I just would like to see more what I consider depth, but that's just my cup of tea.
Isn’t that the essential problem of the internet? Over sharing? Not everything needs to be shared. People need to thoughtfully curate their own work before posting. There are too many people chasing likes for that dopamine hit or it’s the only way they think they will get any recognition. And Justin is right, too many copy what they think is cool… if I ever see a shot of yet another vintage motel sign I just might puke.
@@GS-vb3zn I might puke as well ha ha, yeah and this was also directed at myself as a reminder to go back to my roots and what I love in photography.
I think, as has already been alluded to by others, is that when we look at what the old masters shot, we’re seeing their very best work, the stuff that had longevity, the stuff that stood the test of time and remained strong. They didn’t have to keep putting up social media posts to retain a following. Today, there’s a lot of pressure to post every day, post two reels a week, and so on. I’m constantly fighting the pressure to put up a good picture tomorrow. You can stop bothering with social media, but how many are willing to wait two decades to be recognised (if ever). No one even saw Dorothy Maier’s work until she was dead, and that too by chance. There’s a fear that one will be swamped by the billions of photos out there if you stop posting. I think it’s important to understand why you’re shooting, and it should be more than just so your insta feed is up to date. Also, social media is set up for the single shot, whereas many of the old masters shone through a body of work, a study of a city, or some other angle they were pursuing. Why you’re shooting is often more important than what you’re shooting. The rest is all technique and technology.
I have to agree. When I see what‘s posted in streetphotography groups nowadays it’s just sad. It’s just photos of people in the streets. No story, no soul, no artistic expression. Worst of it all: the more compromising you make people look in your photos, the more likes you get.
The great, late John Free used to teach that he wanted 3 elements/focal points in the frame before he tripped the shutter. At least three. It was a way of imposing a discipline to photography, and avoiding just snapping away. Much of what we see today is just snapping away...
I find I have the opposite problem, that is to say I try so hard to avoid 'snapping away' that I end up missing good shots through hesitation. So I am trying to get myself into the habit of snapping away but then being very brutal when I do the upload.
@@cjt5mith Daido Moriyama is a proponent of taking the picture if you just think “should I take that picture?” He figures there was something that got your attention, even if it’s just “I wonder what that would look like as a picture”. So you should always act on that impulse, because you never know, it could be right, and then (as you say) be brutal when actually selecting what to keep.
It’s funny when I hear all this fuss around ‘Street’ photography.. When I first got a camera and wandered around East Londin & Paris as a student, it was just photography, I was just out taking pictures. It had no name...Then later as a news photographer, much of what we shot was in the street.. Even on quiet news days the boss would kick us out of the office to go and find a feature picture, weather feature, illustration etc.. So today I just go out and take pictures. Yes I have my idols, McCullin, Eugene Smith, Willy Ronis, or Elliot Erwitt. But shooting to one or any catagorised type of image doens’ t interest me.. I just shoot like I did as a photojournalist and most importantly for myself..
I'm with you Gareth, when I was in college I didn't even it was a thing and it seemed to morph into heavier on light and shadows but not caring about purpose and moments, but maybe I'm a cranky old man ha ha.
@@AskMOTT I didn't touch on the B&W aspect.. but I do shoot mostly monochrome as I feel it focuses the image more on purpose and moments...
Also I grew up in news photography that was firmly B&W only until probably 1992, when the agency switched to colour neg.. I hated this as the chemicals were horrible to use and making a decent colour print fast was quite hard..compared to a B&W..
So I've gone back to B&W as a preferred way of shooting as it helps me focus on what is in the picture and not what colour it is.
This resonates with me. It goes back to over categorisation… the world is obsessed with it. With everything. Genres of films, genres of Music, genres of games. Types of watch, types of bicycle, jeez types of cameras… it’s a vlogging camera, it’s a compact camera, it’s a 4/3 camera, it’s a full frame camera, it’s a point and shoot camera blah blah. There’s mountains bikes, road bikes, EMTB, Hybrid Rd Bikes, Hybrid City Bikes, Trail Bikes, Big Trail Bikes, BMX, Cyclocross bikes, XC Bikes, DH Bikes, Gravel Bikes, Sports Hybrid Bikes, Leisure Hybrid bikes, touring bikes, fat bikes, Fixies, cargo bikes, time trial bikes, aero bikes, track bikes, comfort bikes, hardtail bikes… everything has to be in its own category because we are all seemingly to stupid to work out for ourselves what we should use it for… it’s amazing for the sellers of items because we buy more. We don’t just need one camera anymore… we need at least 3 or 4 that are just slightly different enough so we can justify owning more shit. But more importantly buying more shit.
I don't see this as a rant I see it as a call to action.
I completely agree with you. If I see another silhouetted person mid-stride in an angular pocket of light I'm gonna lose it. There is a severe lack of soul in modern street photography, or maybe I'm not looking in the right places. I also feel there is no real danger or lack of order in anything I'm seeing. Almost like every picture is being taken to feed the algorithm and unless it's perfectly exposed, perfectly focused and minutely composed, it isn't worth anyone's time.
There's a great Gary Winogrand quote that goes "You no why your pictures are no fucking good? Because they don't describe the chaos of life."
Thanks for this video man and for getting this same thought I've been having lately out of my head and into the world.
Don't hurt anyone ha ha. It's funny Tobin, I always think carefully about these videos and end up spending half my time justifying myself or trying not to offend anyone but recently I kinda just said screw it. I'm not saying anything overtly offensive and I'm not shaming any particular photographer, it's just my opinion and in some ways it's a note to myself or at least a reminder to go back to my roots of why I fell in love with photography with images that have soul and emotion. I'm so happy that the majority of people here get what I'm saying, means a lot to me.
The most boring street photography I'm seeing nowadays is shots of people from behind doing nothing but walking away. It's mostly done by street shooter too scared to shoot people face on. And it's ubiquitous all over social media. Another issue is street shooters thinking most of their shots are home runs. Personally, if I come home from a day of shooting with two or maybe three out of 150 shots that I'm excited about processing, then it's been a successful outing. Most amatuer street shooters aren't very critical curators of their own work, in my opinion.
Hi Dave. I returned to photography recently and I am smiling at your shooting ratio after getting two pictures from taking three hundred and twenty pictures a few days ago.
Just by sheer numbers it’s impossible not be repetitive in the age of social media. Around 60.000 pictures are being taken every second, some good, some bad, maybe some future classics who knows. Hard to draw a comparison to the days of classic street photography. I believe we have a great photographer somewhere out there, they are just harder to find today in a world of junk and after all it’s all in the eye of the beholder. Nothing better to argue what is art or not.
Salty! Hope your dog is feeling better. I will never be a professional or have a big following, and honestly that isn't what I'm looking for in photography. I look for things that I think are interesting and try and shoot them in a way that is pleasing for me. If it is a hit on Vero, then cool. If not no worries either. I'm at the end of a 30 year career as a busy firefighter, so my ego is fairly secure. What makes me happy is when I can shoot something, print it, and put it up on my wall. If I can do that, and look at the hanging picture and say "Damn! I like that" then I have hit my mark. I like watching you, because your work has a flavor all it's own, and while I have no desire to copy you, I use it to learn and add tools to the toolbox to use when the mood or the need strikes. Keep up the videos.
Thank you Larry and thanks for the comment about my dog, he seems back to normal running around and being a terror. Pretty cool I've got a firefighter watching my videos, I always admired and respect that job man, bravo. Enjoy your week and happy shooting.
You hit the nail on the head, and I'm definitely guilty of the sins you've described as well. I think it's like exercise or diet, in terms of knowing what I should be doing but not always having the patience or commitment to do it. I also think that social media is a large part of the problem: the fact that we post images we know aren't especially good because it feels good to have people tell us they're good. I watched a TH-cam video about a professional landscape photographer who spends most of his time traveling the world and ends up with only about six images in a whole year that he feels are worthy of offering for sale. Thank you for the wake up call, and for the time you put into your channel.
Thank you Rob, I appreciate people like you taking the time to write comments because I always fear when I do these unapologetic episodes about my real feelings about things I"m going to have to deal with defending my position in the comments section but I haven't for the most part. This is also a great reminder for me that while I don't have that huge following like a lot of TH-camrs I have an incredible audience of people who I admire and don't need to be coddled, that's so much more important to me.
Absolutely true, so many channels are copying each other - even the music sounds the same! So many Leicas and wobbly jazz-lite soundtracks with really dull photos - I think the YT pressure to keep churning out regular content is partly responsible. With the exception of real pros like yourself, most people don't get more than one or two good shots in a week, so we see a lot of stuff that should have been edited out.
One or two shots a week? I’m lucky if I get six good photos I really like within a year. Too many people post too many substandard photos to Instagram just to keep playing the algorithm.
@@joetrent4753 yeah you're right, I just watched an episode by an unnamed big TH-camr that proved the point very well
I think what you are describing is the "Zeitgeist" of today. We are llving in a copy&paste time in all areas, whether it is photography, music , trends or even behaviour. We loose our personal creativiy because we are constantly surrounded and influenced by everyone elses creativity or copy&pastery. I think to overcome that we have to spend more time with ourselves, offline than time online. It's hard but something one can train i believe. streetphotography for me is captering a moment in time that is worth capturing.
The most important part of my photography journey was learning no longer to care about other people's opinions. All I create is just what I is pleasing to my eyes. There is no story, no deeper meaning just simply estheticly pleasing to me. I worked a few years as a photographer doing all kinds of assignments. But creating something for someone else just made me unhappy. And I ditched shooting raw I like photography not editing. Fujis Jpegs are fine for me. Plus I like the fact that the shutter press is the final image. No tricks no gimmicks just in body photography.
Fair enough mate.
I do agree with you on the JPEG part, sometimes all you wanna do is focus on capturing the image without thinking about the "final" look after edit.
I personally won't stop shooting in RAW since Sony camera's jpeg styles are nowhere near as good as Fujifilm's film simulations but I can appreciate the simplicity.
I quite like that idea, although I suppose I feel I am trying to capture the moment how I saw it, rather than how my camera saw it. Sometimes the camera makes different choices to the ones I would have made, so my approach is to shoot in RAW and then keep the editing to an absolute minimum. But then maybe I just like editing more than you do 🙂
I totally get this, but I think I’ve got a slightly different take, based on my (very non-photography-based) professional career (I teach creative writing): any time something that’s been a bit “out of fashion” for a while, e.g. poetry, photography (especially photography with an actual camera and not just a phone, or even film photography), when the resurgence starts there are a lot of people who get into it with an emphasis on the product rather than the process. It gets them likes and followers and maybe what passes for a little bit of fame these days, and that’s what they’re chasing, not the development of their craft and their art. So, tried and true “formulas” rule and much of the work ends up seeming very derivative to anyone who has an awareness of the history of the craft. And here, at long last, is my take: it’s always been this way. People have always been people, and we’ve always produced a great deal of mediocre (or, I suppose, as the kids would say, “mid”) “art.” But that’s the great thing about time - the good stands the test and the rest is forgotten. But it can be frustrating in the moment; we can feel inundated, or even like we’re drowning, in mediocre work, especially when that work is receiving praise. I think the current social media landscape has had an interesting, and amplifying, effect on this process, which can, for many of us, make it even more disheartening, but it also seems to have sped up the process as well. In my own professional world, there were “popular” poets producing (what I would consider) very mediocre, very derivative work just a few years ago that my students just couldn’t get enough of. Now, just 5-7 years later, most of my students not only never mention them, almost none of them have even heard of those “poets.” They’ve moved on to the next thing, not even realizing it is the next thing. For them, it’s just *the* thing. Side note: I’d argue the same could be said for music, all the other visual arts, and basically any creative endeavor. The pattern keeps repeating. Seeing that pattern repeat again and again is one of the advantages of being “an old guy.” Realizing that good work will always get made and, usually, recognized (while the mediocre gets forgotten) is what keeps me from (hopefully) being “an angry old guy.”
I totally agree. I just stuck my toe in street photography shooting and I'm amazed. How many rules some of these people think they have to follow there's nothing worse than being boring. I try something new every time I go out
AMEN. Thank you. Not saying my own work isn't guilty of the same at times, but I recognized some years ago that 'black and white person walking in front of a wall' is boring, overdone. There are great versions of this theme but 99% of the time it is amateurish and the result of being afraid to push the shot further, get closer, find meaning and purpose. Thank you for calling it all out.
Thanks Matthew, guilty as well, that was sort of an episode directed at reminding me as well to go back to my roots.
I've realized it long time ago that GOOD street photography is HARD. Pedestrians stepping from a shadow area into the ray of light, reflections, abstractions, juxtapositions... or wait - my "favourite" - shots through window glass of people sitting in the café or on the bus (I've done it myself :) I believe that good street photography should be PROJECT or THEME based. Then it has a chance to be interesting and potential successful in some way.
Thanks for sharing your experiences and thoughts Rostyk.
This really does make sense to me, and it’s hard to put into words, but you explained it well. ☺ Street photography, whether documentary, journalism, or reportage, opens up so many conversations. Some street photographers love playing with geometry and harsh contrasts in black and white, as you described, while others capture a scene without worrying about aesthetics, simply showing what’s in front of them. However, a great street photographer does more: they capture the moment well and leave you with more than just a depiction of the scene, evoking some kind of emotion or feeling.
This is a conversation we need to be having as a community. Whenever there’s a big jump in popularity of anything there’s an influx of people at the ground level. For a lot of people Covid was the catalyst for picking up and camera and starting their street photography journey (at least it was for me). The problem is people joining in recent years see a very watered down version of the art form. Tik Tok, Instagram, and even TH-cam have popularized a very simple version of street. I’m guilty of this as well, starting out I watched a ton of Pierre T Lambert and thought his was the world’s greatest photographer. It wasn’t until I went back to the more grass roots of the genre that I started to learn what a good/great image even is. Not to diss all the modern day social media photographers (hell I started a channel to be one of them) but there’s something to be said about praising people for high follower counts verses amazing results. I think we need to do better as a community at shining light on the people that have truly mastered the craft.
I have been photographing for nearly fifty years, and one time pro. The debate is not just about street photography but photography in general. I have seen some brilliant work done and presented on the social media, but 95% of what I see these days in any genre of photography is just pure junk. Yes, digital has a role in it as producing crap and then manipulating it in post costs nothing but I also see it with film, just as much in fact. I dont know what the answer is, but piling up more expensive tech with more irrelevant features is not. That much I know. Some of my best work recently were done with a Soviet era FED-2 with 52 mm Industar lens and couple of rolls of TriX and HP5, despite owning the ones with the red circle, Nikon, Canon, Olympus and Lumix digital imaging computers. It is certainly not the equipment for sure.
@@lensman5762 this is absolutely a factor as well! The marketing cycles for new camera gear has made it way too much about, what brand you shoot versus what you actually do with the camera. It takes years to get the camera (especially newer ones with fancy features) to become an extension of our eyes and minds, but most people move on to the next one far too soon due to thinking they have to have the latest and greatest. Sorry this was a bit rambled haha. Fully agree, gear is not the solution.
Love your thoughts man. So many influencers tryna be relevant. The worst are the 'film photographers', thinking that that their choice of media makes them creative. Argh. You brushed upon the most important concept of all. Have an idea or direction for your images. That's the true creativity. Not Nikon vs. Canon or Film vs. Digital.
Thanks JK, always love your comments on here brother.
I hear what you say but just to play devil’s advocate …
We live in a very different world than the 20th century greats - certainly in the ‘Western world’. Due to technology and social changes which have accelerated since COVID lockdowns, life is moving off the street and back into homes. You don’t see kids playing in the street any longer, no stray dogs etc Young men are in the gym not hanging around on street corners trying to impress a passing girl who herself is indoors at a Yoga class. (Or vice versa) Life is so sanitised. It’s a reverse of the very origins of street life and street photography in mid 19th century.
Life on the street is now quieter and less soulful - until there is a carnival, protest march, marathon race etc But if we photograph ‘emotion’ at these events, is it the same as the everyday interaction of a busy street in a small town or big city of the 1950s and 1960s?
Also, we’ve now had over a century of modern, visual life - ie trams, the motor car, big trucks, trains and train stations, practical fashions, smoking etc Nothing visual is very new and exciting to us (except an addiction to smart phones!). The technological advances of today are IT based and unseen. We can hardly go out and photograph new software!
Also, there is the impact of social anxiety. With the guns in the USA and growing knife attacks in Europe plus the fear of social or legal consequences. In the UK ‘upskirting’ is now a criminal offence’ and it can be applied to photos of children. You could literally get a criminal record and lose your job by taking a candid photo. I’m obviously not defending creeps harassing women and children for a photo but just how much risk does anyone want to take to get a photograph?
Meanwhile, if we’re having fun taking our cliched photos, so what?
That’s my rant but keep on doing your rants, Justin. They make us think!
Enjoyed the rant Justin! I think the wider debate behind “street photography” is the difficulty of finding a unique voice as a photographer today. So much has been done and said during the golden age of the medium. It’s as tough as trying to reinvent Rockn’roll today as a musician. Shooting the streets of NYC for the past decade as a side project (my biz is wedding photography), finding a unique approach has been the toughest. I feel we have all seen all the NYC street images, very very hard to say anything new. I can’t blame people replicating successful recipes…trying to be unique is definitely the way more demanding path. Cheers!
I feel images can be an amalgamation of art and storytelling. Finding your own UNIQUE style is important. To hear someone call this out is refreshing.
Thank you, I'm sure I'll get backlash but I'm tired of overexplaining in my videos.
The best thing about street photography is the exercise we get going from one mundane shot to the next. So don't give up, exercise is important. :) Cheers from Aus.
Nowadays it's hard to capture emotions or interesting situations on the streets, because people's lives no longer happen on the streets.
imitation can often be an important part of a creative journey - ask any really young and honest writer and they'll tell you they've written plenty in a style approximating someone they idolise. The problem is when the journey ends at imitation, and seeks to go no further. And that is, to me at least, where street photography is right now. Great vid mate
Once I see a beanie, a Leica (or Fuji), and some lofi music... I know what's coming.
LOL
TOTALLY agree. I don't shoot street photography. There is SO much of it and most of it is just "snapshots" of people walking around. I shouldn't throw stones since I don't work in that area myself, but I love the work of Alex Webb and others, so you're right - it CAN be done. Hope to see more creative stuff as well.
I totally agree with you. I began as a photojournalist, then moved into other areas of photography-- wedding photography, portraits, grad. seniors, models, etc. And I don't claim to be a "street photographer," however, on occasion I like to take a day or two and walk the streets doing street photography. My success ratio is extremely low because I want emotion in my photos. I want the image to convey something to the viewer other than, like you said, "oh, that's a good image." And because of my standards it's hard to get a good street shot. I do get them, and I'm pleased when I do. Some of my images are printed in b&w and some in color. The street photography I see on TH-cam is extremely pedestrian, no soul, no meaning, usually a person captured in shadow or light walking in shadow or light, etc. Means nothing. Good street photography, to me, has to convey emotion. I think it's the photojournalist still in me that demands that. Anyway, you made some excellent points. I hope all the so-called street photographers on TH-cam watch your video.
You perfectly described an internal struggle I have been having for a while. What is street photography, really, and how to go about conveying those emotions we wish to portray. It's a difficult skill, but one worth learning. I think...
This is brilliant, exactly how I was thinking and trying to capture emotion. I have some ideas for some projects. Going to check out your site. I like your approach.
I really do agree and also slightly disagree a little with you on this.
I agree that it seems like everyone is just taking the same cookie cutter images just to get likes, there is no arguing that. But, I think we do have to consider the world we live in, in 2024, compared to the legends of old. I think a lot of this comes down to pure over saturation of content and images. When the average person can easily take 300+ photos in one day and post most of them online in that same day, we are just inundated with images that are bound to copy other folks. This might be sacrilegious to say, but I imagine that if the classic photographers lived in our time, they would would be doing exactly the same thing. They stood out and are regarded as legends because of three main reasons, sheer skill (obviously), time (because their images are like time-capsules), and the sheer lack of competitors or rather, just others photographers which made it easier for them to stand out and be original. It's the catch 22 of living in a hyper connected and digital world. We have seemingly endless tools to be amazingly creative and show off our work, but so does everyone else. It can be harder to stand out and be original in an overly saturated creative world when three or four main styles are hot at that moment.
100% on the money, as only an experienced photographer can point out. Don't forget the "groundbreaking" images of a gas station at night. Originality is hard; good ideas are even more difficult. I remember the year (1980) I attended the Missouri Workshop. Nearly everyone's first story idea got rejected, some their second, third, and even fourth. The attendees weren't a group of weekend shooters; these were all seasoned professional photojournalists from around the world, with one exception: me. I was there on a student scholarship. But that didn't win me any favor or special treatment. I was there to learn, and man, did I! Sadly, today, so many think all they need to do is point and press the button, and art will spit out on the other side. Which brings us to this point: copy and paste imagery with no insight, little craft, and void of emotion. As long as it garners vast numbers of likes, it's art. Sigh.
One hundred percent. Needed to be said. In fact its the repetitive nature thar gets me wound up. There are some modern copycats selling books and courses, but its just fine art silhouette photography marketed as "street photography". There's no soul in it.
Part of me wants to be like “oh, here comes Justin bashing all the other TH-camrs again,” but I think you have a point to some degree. As a hobbyist who would at least like to think I’m halfway decent and can capture some good photos, I’m at the point with my photography where being able to figure out how folks implement certain shots is helpful for my technical skills and it’s fun to do if I’m being honest. But I’m also approaching it knowing I want to essentially be able to have those skills in my arsenal so I can use them down the road or at least understand the mechanics of the process if it eventually helps me do my own thing.
Oh no Bryan, I don't want my thing to be "Bashing TH-camrs" as I'm also considered one as well ha ha, I just sort like to weigh in on bad trends as I see them, glad you watched more to see that my intentions and I'm also happy with your approach to things, it's smart to understand and expand :).
Justin, an old mentor of mine told me many times “if the truth hurts, maybe it should”. Thusly, I respect and agree with your opinion.
As I have been a photographer for nearly 50 years, and actually worked in the industry in portraiture and photojournalism for part of that (a long long time ago) I see the same scene - repeated over and over, in not only my work but the vast majority of others posting online.
Nowadays, I shoot for a very limited audience - a very critical audience … “me”, and I can tell ya I hear the same thing of my work - frequently.
Would love to catch up with you someday. If you ever swing through Doha Qatar… look me. up.
Take care…
Thanks, yeah, I imagine many people will be angry saying I'm generalizing, etc. I'm not trying to call anyone out and I'm tired of spending 3/4 of my time in my videos overexplaining and defending myself so my new thought process is just say it, say it as nicely as I can and try not to call anyone out, but just say it truthfully and let the chips fall where they may. Same goes for Hanoi, give me a shout of you want to come visit and chase beams of light with people in them :).
We're at a very different place now than 1965, "Street" wasn't even a thing it was just a new vision set against what there always is, mundane pretty pictures technically executed. Most people won't be very good, but digital has must made it possible for most people to be averagely better than people used to be in film. Technically the bar is raised, but aesthetically it's the same as ever. In their day, Evans, Frank, Winogrand, Arbus, Friedlander were outsiders, Winogrand said famously "we know too much about what a good picture looks like" or to that effect, he was trying to "break" photography and find something new. Friedlander has evolved steadily while keeping his essential look. The reason street is boring now is because it's like Club Jazz, you sit-down to the two drinks minimum, and hear a recreation of Giant Steps. It's trying to make the "good" picture. It's not having a conversation about pushing the art into a new direction. Art seems to have little power against social media. Instead of arguing through ideas in art, we are just arguing the comments. I'm happy for TH-cam, more creation is good even if the things being made are middling. There will always be a very few doing it better, and they will be doing it so much better you cannot fathom, just like in sport. When it's better, it's not even close. Think Arnold, Mermelstein, Sarah Vanrij, there are others.
I've been thinking about this for the past few as my instafeed is filled with nice yet souless shot. Working hard to bring some emotions into my work as I want to explore new territory
I think over-consumption of media is to blame for the substantial output of unoriginal photographs. When a photographer browses Instagram several hours a day they will likely be unconsciously directed to re-create what they have seen. So when they take a photograph, they might think of it as original, but it’s actually more or less a recreation of something they have already viewed. Later they’ll come home and post those photos to social media where more people will be exposed. It’s a vicious cycle.
algorithms are killing art and probably contributing to this
the fault lies in the stars, what shows up is what people will show;
I like the idea that it's important to "have a 'why.'" My camera is always with me, so it's easy to capture a photo when I see something interesting. But, not every shot has a purpose (a 'why'). I've come to believe that finding the meaning/purpose in a photo involves finding the emotional message of the image. Conveying the emotion of a picture is really hard to do. But, for me, it starts with genuine empathetic observation. Which, in itself, is a difficult skill to develop.
I have mixed thoughts about studying the masters from the last century, then trying to find a style I might pursue or relate to. I am happy to see the resurgence of film shooters, can’t decide to laugh or smile, having started my photo journey in 1967.
You can’t be like someone else, worse reaction, he/she is just copying, a watered down version. Just shoot. Also it is very tough to reinvent the wheel, is anyone in landscape photography the next Ansel Adams? or Ernst Hass, Saul Leiter or Henri Cartier-Bresson. I love their work and look to create, but I’m not them. So I guess just studying their images and techniques then trying to apply them to what I see and create is the best I can do. Just shoot.
Fair enough Chris, I just hope it becomes more trendy to capture emotion and tell stories a bit more .
@@AskMOTT "Capture Emotions and Tell Stories" is now on the lock screen of my phone.
@@AskMOTT Emotion and Story. I look at some work on you tube and don’t feel it.
Good rant! So tired of seeing photos of strangers walking in Tokyo. So who is actually leading the way in creative street photography???
Thank you!!!! You just read my mind
Interesting analysis of the situation with a lot of food for thought. Thanks
I am guilty of all the sins you named (except smartphone photography, which is deadly). Sadly, as the EU banned portraying persons in the streets, I had to transform myself into a museum photographer. Works of art took the place of people, and museum directors followed the "community aesthetic": if you want to eat, you have to. Do I like it? No, I'm studying to become a philosophy researcher at 53 because that "stereotype" you describe is not photography, and it disgusts me. So, I changed my life since I can't change photography's new "standards." I admit I really miss the old good street photography. Legislations and bills to pay aside, it seems to me that nowadays, street photography has become a competition, and it is no longer a dedication: making "impactful" standardized images to get as many "likes" as possible instead of building a body of work, a portfolio, a project and evolve as a photographer. If photography is your job, then "likes" will not pay your bills; hard work will do. Thank you for the hints and reflections.
Great video. Thanks. You have nailed it.
Thanks , got a little blowback but overall the feedback had been good :)
“It doesn’t have to be this way.” I don’t agree. I feel it does have to be this way because it is the reality of life that people who are truly great at something are rare by definition which is always in comparison to the field. In anything, but especially art, you have the ones who are at the top and the rest are people who try to copy what they can. I would say most musicians that have existed, even with great technique throughout history are copying and can’t imbue emotions like the greatest, but they’re good enough for the public. All the average people will always look up to the ones with some skill and they’ll make a living off it. In short you’ll always have this majority group of “copiers” and the public that will praise their work
Very interesting take. As a relatively new photographer I am already finding I can spot these sort of cliched photos, but I suppose like all the other composition 'rules', you need to know what the conventions are in order to know how and when to break them. Also it is worth saying that sometimes a conventional 'cliched' photo just somehow works ...
Hmmm… Some good points here, however, the mass of street photography has probably always been in a sad state. The difference is, that today we get to see all those "negs", that never ever came to light prior to social media and instagram in particular. Digital has freed up street photography to the masses who just want to have a go, and social media and Alogrithms has socialised those wanting to have a go, into shooting shadows and thinking that that is what street photography is all about. Digital editing tools, enables images with little to no soul, to be photoshopped to your hearts content, and even over-processed images are considered a style choice today. I think that all these things probably used to happen back in the day also, but in most instances, to a lesser extent. Deffo the publication aspect. Some old film shooters, still have rolls and rolls of film that they haven't even processed due to lack of funds, and I'm guessing that a large proportion of those shots probably have no soul, and are not "bangers", and when you are paying to have them processed, that's as far as some of those images will go. It becomes a part of the selection process, determining the worthy from the non worthy shots. In digital today, we don't have that, so some of those "no soul" shots make it through much easier. When we look back to the masters, the great shots that we see from them, tend to be the same few repeatedly shown all the time. Probably not more than ten memorable shots from the masters, over forty or fifty YEARS of active shooting!… Why would anyone think little old "me" could match anything like that, uploading every day to instagram? We need to stop comparing what we do, to what the masters did, and just get on with our own growth and development, and learn to gauge that in the time and space that we are in today. If we are lucky enough to get our images into print, we may be blessed to produce one or two really memorable shots in our lifetime, for the future generation to pour over with whatever capture devices and social media implants humans will have in the 2100s. That's if AI hasn't killed us all off by then.
I spent Christmas and New Year mostly alone in India, and took a very long hard look at myself and reflected on my photos. And I was guilty as hell of so many of these "recipes" that had worked for years. It's hard to change when you feel like you're deliberately making life harder on yourself, but I'm so glad I did, and now I feel my photos have far more substance to them (Even if I'm taking 95% less photos than I did before.) Sometimes the best advice is the hardest pill to swallow, but this video is exactly on point. Cheers for this sir, much appreciated as always.
Great. ☹ Lately I have been wanting to get into doing some street photography. I've done a bit of photojournalism, lots of sports and entertainment, and a whole lot of wildlife, but I feel as if I'm in a rut and need to expand my skill set. And, now, here you come to tell me that everything I have been seeing regarding street photography is not how the genre is properly represented. Thanks a lot. 🙂
Justin, thanks for the photography “tough-love”. I’m SO guilty of soul less photos (but I’m working on changing that). Take care & be well.
I am so glad you posted this. If I see another picture of someone walking in light between shadows, I will vomit. And don’t get me started on the red umbrellas.
Relax....calm down....
Nailed it. Soul and storytelling is what separates Garry Winogrand, Elliot Erwitt, and Vivian Maier, from the rash of snapshot peddlers out there. If it was easy, everyone would do it, but instead everyone is trying it but most are failing. It's hard; I've been working at it only for a couple of years and am just starting to be able to create the feeling in others that made me take the picture in the first place. As a career musician and critic, I can tell you it is the same there, carbon copies of carbon copies. If you are just rehashing Fan Ho, Joel Meyerowitz, or Sebastiao Salgado, god bless but we don't really need a TH-cam channel by you purporting to teach us street photography. As AC/DC's Angus Young said, "There is a place to practice your scales; it is just not in front of me." Keep preaching brother.
of course you are not getting street photography like you didn't through the 20 century eg 1900-2000 . especially the first half , or up to the 60s because every country still had its unique identity before globalisation and the market economy took a grip , today , most countries are identical in their identities, people are behaving in the same way apart from the very poor and undeveloped countries were you are not going because you will not survive . eg Haiti , Sierra loane, Yemen , central America, Venezuela , etc etc ..You are not getting anything new or unique because all people are doing now is looking at their phones .. People are just hypnotised zombies , their is very little variance in behaviour , but also people taking photographs , street photographers , are using the same boring equipment that all yeld the same results , they are using the same refined processes .. following the same formula .. copying one another .. its all Been done before ... these 2 facts/statement explain the state of street photography ...
Agree with the street photography critique. On the positive side, the TH-cam photographers are inspiring people to go out and shoot more. I like that
I hear that camera sales have gone up year-on-year, for the first time since 2011. that too is good news
@@wnn5508 Agree
Can we (partly) blame the internet?
We are constantly bombarded by information 24/7. After seeing quite lot of photos, my brain built some sort of knowledge database and quickly recognize those "cliches", something like these:
- Close, wide-angle look? Aha...Garry Winogrand
- Decisive moment, like jumping or doing something interesting? HCB
- A rather complex, colorful multi-layered framing? Alex Webb
- Dramatic B&W lightning? Fan Ho
- Anything mundane in color? Eggleston.
- Etc
Without no doubt, copying is the most basic form of learning. Not all of us strive to be a pro or established artist, so being unique isn't a major concern. And this is not a street photography specific problem. Basically applies to any photography genre.
Not offering a solution, just kinda exaggerating the problem. BTW, I still ocassionally do 1 or 2 things above :D
Just like you need catchy subjects for your videos to get views, street photographers need catchy pictures to get the mainstream public to get views and followers on IG. The good and creative street photographs are often not understood by the general audience. So really it's up to you, to either feature what you consider your very best work, or seek popularity. I try to mix it up, but always within my creative vision.
Oh hell yes. Too true. It seems to me that social media is driving/enabling this tendency. The nexus of this phenomenon seems to currently be Tokyo, where the street photography scene is so popular there are roving posses of (mostly) young dudes with either a vintage film camera or a Ricoh GR, producing thousands of images of Japanese people living their normal life. Alternatively you have legions of US photographers taking pastel film shots of old cars and gas stations. Literally soulless. The positive side of this self-perpetuating cycle is that interest in photography remains strong.
Well said Don, I forgot about all house terrible self published books about old gas stations, maybe I’ll rant about that next :).
Love what you do, and do what you love and dont hate on others, I say. For every amatuer using a formula there are 10 TH-camrs pretending to be pros, o ex-pros....
Spot on! If you aren't original and don't stand out, you are just more noise to drown out the signal. Be the signal, not the noise. If you follow the rules, you are just like the rest of the herd. Break the rules, but break them with purpose.
A lot of this is social media. Everyone needs to upload every minute of everyday. Too many rely on the camera to do it all. Auto everything. For them to make a living, they have to post, post , post regardless of the actual content. Not a rant, fact
The Chiaroscuru street shot, I feel like that’s 94% of street photography at the moment AND I HATE IT 😂. It’s the epitome of being abstract for the sake of being abstract, and is a prime example of the soullessness pervading so much of photography at the moment. The problem is in a social media driven world people are just so afraid to develop their own style and copy paste whatever else they see as popular at a given moment just to stay relevant. This Chiaroscuro style shot is popular in the doom scroll and has a relatively high chance of receiving engagement vs a much better documentary style shot. Until the dynamic with socials changes the quality of work will continue to come second to whatever has the highest chance of receiving the click imo.
As an aside, I also think some of the problem is due to shooting digital vs film. Or maybe less deep, film and slow digital vs modern unlimited shooting digital. With the pressure to make every shot count removed people’s worst add impulses take over which causes us to loose sight of the little details that made photos of the past so dynamic and interesting. O well I’ve droned on for long enough, in the end I agree something is off in photography in general and has been for quite awhile. Great discussion piece 👏
I largely agree. I see so many me-toos. I think the intent drives the output. If the intent is to build a social media or TH-cam presence that drives what you post and how often you do it.
I don't post regularly or have a substantial following. If I did I know I would feel pressurised to post and more often than not would post images that simply wouldn't make the cut if I was working on a body of work for print publishing etc.
There are some amazing street photographers out there, but generally they're doing their work and not cultivating their TH-cam presence.
They may not be truly original (is there such a thing??) But, they've taken the essence of past masters and applied that intent to a more contemporary setting.
Really hard to achieve, but hard-hitting when you see and experience such great work.
Many, if not most, of the legendary street photographers were accomplished professionals, often with a background in art or design.
Knowing what you’re doing is helpful.
It definitely helps :).
Your rant is valid. Nowadays street photography is pointless, meaningless and boring. (mine too) All of the new SM photographers doing the same production line BS. They always talk about "my style" "do this way or that way", or "this gear or that lens is the best" but they never will get "a picture is worth a thousand words" kind of image. Do you know why I'm not on SM because I know my images suck or least mediocre, however, I was a Master photographer and an ex judge.
Totally agree with this statement.....Xerox photographers....just like modern music (personal rant).... great that someone had aired the state of affairs!...
OMG SO TRUE
Dude you are so right in a funny way and you made my day.
First time here, subscribed , don't let me down.
By the way, were you drying your nail polish whilst shooting this video
So I think you hit a home run with the "know your why" but you strike out here: perhaps 98% of people's why they do photography just isn't transcendental and they are happy with that ... hence all the "boring" photography. Some people just like taking pictures, and the act of photography, and the gear, and all that -- and I think that's ok cause who cares. But yeah, I agree, most of the stuff out there feels like fast food -- satisfies (maybe) for a few moments, and then is digested and forgotten quickly.
Yep!
Thanks Gary :)
I don't know... I partially agree. I think there are some tropes that are over done... but I do see alot of good photos.
I think alot of this "soulessness" is just that, we tend to be very nostalgic... seeing the past as better days... there's not necessarily more soul in older photos, just that we see naturally see even mundane photos from the 40s, 50s, 60s etc as more interesting, older clothing, cars, signs, store fronts... we see it as a more distant, lost era that we are connecting to in the photo... maybe in the 2060s, they will look at our shots from the 2000s to 2020s as being more soulful
Amen! One thing that annoys me of late is when street photographers travel to exotic destinations like Azerbaijan or India but then they find some hard leading line of a railing + a reflection and then make it super contrasty and it's like dude this photo could have been taken anywhere, what you're bringing back from this place has nothing to do with what this location is about. You've taken a clever photo with a clever recipe but you're not giving me anything that tells me what is the vibe of this location? One thing I like about interior design or architecture is when the designers pay respect to the place where the building or location is by including elements of their surroundings into the design. Same with food, I love it when chefs pay respect to their surroundings by only using food which is locally available, thus creating a unique experience which can't be replicated.
Thank you very usefull and inspiring, but i believe many people shoot repetitive and soulless photos because we feed ourselves with only social media posts rather than travel, talk, read, feel emotions.How can we take soulfull photos if we become so soulles ? Does walking only around daily life street rutines in a hyper focus mode can gives us that vision or aim to built create that authentic feelings ?
Well that was dark. It’s so tough when a dog we love unconditionally (and vice versa) isn’t doing well. Really hope he feels better, Justin.
Right on the money, Justin. Well said, man. Soulless photographers. Copy and paste photography. Instagram and Facebook have more or less created this, where Likes and ego pumps on sharing mediocre stuff are seemingly important to an ever-growing number of folks with shiny cameras and little skill. I'm a crusty old dude who is getting tired of what SM, technology-driven smarts, post-production and AI technology have done to photography, and I sense there are many folks in the same boat. Most of such photos lack soul, a story or a basic appeal. A right thumb flip past and instantly forgotten.
Also I have to say although I don't always shoot film I've been using what was my dad's now my F3/T with a 50 mm f1.2 and I've gotten some incredible stuff on Kodak Gold 200. In fact I've been enjoying street photography more in color on my film camera usually when I shoot black and white I put the 26 mm f2 on my z9. I know that's a bit wide for street photography but it lets me shoot from the hip with a camera that has a pretty big profile
I am only an amateur photographer who has been at it since the late 50s. I gave up on street photography 50 years ago when I finally admitted that, if there was one thing I hated more than people, it was streets. I'm happy with wildlife and am far more interested in the subjects than what anyone else thinks of my pictures. We have a family Signal group called the poorly focused wildlife group where we share our pictures (all photographic defects are not only accepted but actively encouraged). It's impossible to make a picture of, say, an osprey nest so bad we wouldn't be excited to see it.
Why don't we have nowadays superb photographies like those made by Cartier-Bresson and other ones? We have now very fast focusing cameras, digital cameras, Photoshop, etc. But I never see story telling photographies, with no composition, but only street images with people walking. Old style photographers had rudimentary cameras but their works are superb.
Just take photos you like, not what others may like.
Agree
Hmm... my take is that sometimes we overcomplicate photography by assuming it's not just a photograph. Because at the end of the day that's what it is is a photograph. There's no need for all the standards and philosophies and dissenting opinions.
It's just photography. It doesn't matter. If someone has their camera and they like what they're doing THAT is the purpose, that's the only aspect of it it that actually matters.
Spot on critique. Study and be inspired by the greats. The reality is that to stand out with an interesting and fresh take on things take a lot of time and effort. Unfortunately so much easier to stick with cliched aesthetics. Many started around the time of covid, maybe a little before, so hopefully give it a number more years and some of them will develop a more singular vision and produce compelling bodies of work. Who knows, maybe to the point whereby top fine art galleries and curators will champion it again. In terms of making it relevant and finding emotion and soul, I feel that we live in interesting times, kinda edgy, especially here in the US, whereby arguably the most consequential election year has befallen. It shouldn't be too difficult to capture some of that!
I so totally agree with you that I subscribed.
J thanks for the shout out. The New kids on the block are missing a whole bunch. The TH-cam videos I see in New York Street seem to approach, snap, click and hope there was something in the capture. No thought into the work. but for the narration I wouldn't even listen to the presentation. Tip for improvement take a workshop on Street and watch your growth.
I am a street photographer, and I do agree with you
Thank you 🙏
+1 on this.
Thanks Erik.
Yes well said!!! Unfortunately our culture elevates mediocrity and today's glut of street photographers give importance to work that is undeserved. Multitudes of YT and Instagram identikit photographers churn out soulless images and massage each other's egos and end up believing they are creating special work. Someone needs to tell them that shooting with film and a Leica M6 doesn't make crap special. It may be fun, but boring street doesn't give me any emotion. Photography is important when it takes the form of projects - the photo essay that is attached to personal human experiences is the stuff that has real depth, not random shots of stuff we have seen a million times before! Rant over lol.
We have a "video" for projects about personal human experience. It way more better for these cases.
It’s quite interesting to think about. I feel like there is a very apparent lack of character in much media these days and I am not certain where exactly the line is between corporate bs (what the algorithm pushes on yt, insta, tv shows and movies trying to appease political movements and country’s for $$$) and me just being old enough now so that I can start becoming the generation that is complaining about the new kids lacking character.
Potentially it could be a fun idea for a social media photographer to cut of (specifically social media) photography for a while in terms of looking at it for inspiration while also letting go of it to share. Just create for you, maybe a small curated group of people that also are on the same journey, and just see what happens within half a year or a year.
This dos not necessarily mean cut of learning and researching. Remembering the people that got heavily into library visits around the university photography classes, learning so much about all these different styles of creating and developing film as it’s been done in the last century and integrating that in their practice and creative process. It’s not everything, it’s not “you, in. A box” but it’s going to be much easier to find your own language if you try new words and accents.
Well said!
Thank you Ross, I'm sure I'll ruffle some feathers here but that's ok.
Hell yeah and yep sometimes I am guilty of this but trying not to be - cheers Craig
I suspect a lot of “street photographers”are just camera enthusiasts that need something easy to point their camera at. So in turn the work is lacklustre, soulless and copy and paste. There is so much obsession about needing a small camera for street photography. Oh you can’t shoot street unless you have a very specific camera.
Street is usually something I do when I have downtime. I usually look for interesting characters and interactions, gestures. Most of the time I’m unsuccessful but I persevere nonetheless. I tend to use a 28mm and I have a real aversion to the long telephoto shot from a mile away.
Interesting, although I generally prefer positivity rather than negativity. There's a lot to unpack here in terms of the current state of street photography and some of it overlaps with the state of photography in 2024 more generally. There are of course more street photographers than ever before thanks to the popularity of the genre, fanned by the flames from social media. This inevitably means quality will be more variable I think, but in my view there is still stunning work to be found if you know where to look. I agree that there are a lot of images where you think "that's just a person walking past, standing around staring at their phone, etc" and I hold my hands up and admit I have taken that kind of image too. A lot of folks are attracted to street because it looks like a hipster thing to do, but the reality is it is actually very hard to do really well in an original way. I'm pretty poor at it so far, but I enjoy trying to get better and I do feel that trying street is generally good for improving my overall photography skills. I think it can even be therapeutic and good for those who want to work on social skills or who benefit from just getting out. It's not surprising that folks these days often chase social media attention, likes, shares and there are indeed formulaic ways of shooting street that guarantee likes from the hipsters - solitary figures in moody light shot in contrasty mono, etc., etc. It is what it is - like the world of music, there is a smorgasbord of mediocrity now, but still some gems to be found if you look for them. I don't like attempts to define and constrain what is "true", "good" or "bad" street photography generally, but then maybe that's just my dislike for rules when it comes to art.
The difference is the newer “street photographers” are not as good as these legendary photographers. I see tons of boring photos and people trying to pass as street photography. I don’t do street photography I do urban photography.
Bravo!
Prayers for your dog!
I shoot what I think is interesting to me. Don’t really care if it’s been done or who sees it. Not trying to be a professional or go viral. Just having fun and have images to look back on when I get old. Glad I don’t have this crazy complex about it all. Get out and shoot. Practice and grow.😬
I think it is a symptom of social media, and people chasing the sweet, sweet high of getting likes. These kinds of pictures, that you've just described, have a higher chance of getting that like. People also equate many followers with that person being a good photographer. That is most likely not true. It means, in my experience, that they've mastered a style that will give them alot of likes and followers. If you browse the profile of some of those high follower count people, all they post is one image - with many, many variants of it.
"The Instagram style" is something I've thought about many times (I need to get those thoughts on paper), and it have made its mark on photography so much that it will go down in photo history.
Yep, full agreement!
Any AI, no matter how stupid, can recreate a photo by Elliott Erwitt in seconds, but we as humans can do so much more. Creativity and intellect can create far more than simply recreating well-known street scenes and following some meaningless, self-created dogma. Street photography is not about reproducing, it is about trying things out, being creative and having fun with photography.
Thank you for your emotionality 😉
I don't always agree with you Justin, but this time I do 100% too many signage shots, balloon 🎈 head shots, no real decisive moments... Which was the very thing Street photography was based on. Unfortunately in my opinion people like Matt Day are the problem here, TH-camrs that promote a very boring set of work... Who in the real world would not be recognised as a great photographer.... So go figure, I do like Matt and his videos just not the photography. P.s I'm young..ish.
I appreciate your input here but I can’t possibly fathom why you don’t always agree me as I’m always right :). Ok, kidding , I’m fine w that , just giving out my opinion here from my experience and I welcome other thoughts here as well. I like Matt Day’s channel for reviews sometimes but I’m not too familiar with his photography but I will agree with you that the majority of the popular street photography and gear review channels are pretty subpar photography in my opinion. So many will tell me it’s subjective and blah blah but I don’t think that’s the case some work is just simply objectively average or below and most of it has little visual soul but people who don’t know any better just think it’s good because they have a popular channel or an affiliation w a camera company that cares more about their audience numbers than it does about the quality of their photography. I’m just trying to show people another way , whoever is willing to listen to me :).