One of the most candid styles of photography is street photography. It consists of candid pictures taken of people in public situations. Street photography was done everywhere on the street and now has moved to the mall, at clubs, streets, parks, and practically anywhere. A street photographer never asks anyone to pose, and he or she does not want anyone to act as if he or she knows what might happen next. This takes away from the natural look needed when using the technique of street photography.
Street photography stems from another type of photograph that called documentary photography. Documentary photography once said to be the most honest and true to life picture taking. There are professional and amateur brands of documentary photography, as well as street photography. Street photography reflects society in its untainted state. This accounts for many pictures we see on the internet and television that reflect what was happening at the time.
Pictures of this genre use black and white film. Street photography often shows irony in situations. Many street photographers use wide view lens cameras to capture a wider area. The shots usually have the appearance of a screen or a window viewing the human state at a particular moment. The photographer becomes removed from the scene. This type of picture taking captures the most honest moments in life.
Some photographers who specialize in street photography take their cameras to public events like conventions, meetings, and tragic sites. Others simply photograph life around them. A famous street photographer named Garry Winogrand was well known for capturing New York everyday for years. He was interested in shedding light on the contemporary social issues of his time. He became prominent after the 1960’s. He shot about one hundred photographs a day for about thirty years, and left over three hundred thousand unedited exposures.
One interesting thing about street photography is that sometimes a photographer might capture things on film that they were not even focusing on. Strange and funny things might be happening in the background or the foreground of a photograph that they do not even notice. When the film is developed, they often find things within the scope of their shots that are ironic, interesting, or funny. Many times, things are seemingly unrelated to the rest of the shot, but because of this factor, one can say that street photography is one way that we use to capture the moment.
The genre of street photography started between the end of the 19th century and the mid to late 1970s. One of the assisting inventions of this type of picture taking was 35-millimeter film. Thirty-five millimeter film was introduced towards the late 19th century. Photographers from both Europe and North America spread the popularity of the genre and developed the art behind it. Including in the early development were photographers Henri Cartier-Bresson of France and Robert Frank of Switzerland.
You do not have to be a professional to take on street photography. You do not necessarily have to use black and white film either. All you need is a way to take pictures. You can make your own documentary film series. The pictures you take can comment on society. Your photographs can record people doing mundane activities like eating or sleeping. It is important to remember, however, that you should not publish pictures of people without their consent.
Becoming a street photographer can be a great hobby. You can donate your pictures to museums and websites, or you can start your own website. There are also photo archives that consist of collections of pictures that are available for public use. This is also a place that you may have your pictures displayed. Street photography is one way to capture the real moments of life. Thanks to technology, film editing is easier than ever. Once you try street photography, you find yourself caught up in the real world. The pictures reflect the everyday life and times.
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