Street Photography - Moments Captured In Time
July 1, 2021
An Introduction to Street Photography If you have a camera, some confidence, and a street with people wandering around, can you can snap away and call it street photography? You certainly can, but will it be good street photography? That depends on how good you are at setting up your camera, how clever you are with composition, and whether Lady Luck provides good lighting at the right time and in the right place when something interesting happens in front of your camera. In a very broad sense, street photography is when you take photos of people, everyday life, and objects found in streets and laneways. The only rule of street photography is that it shouldn’t be posed. You have to capture the action as it happens — you can’t set it up.
Notable Street Photographers
Many names tend to appear when you start researching the history of street photography; here are some of the most important ones...
Henri Cartier-Bresson was a photographer for Life Magazine. He also had the job of a
documentary filmmaker during the Spanish Civil War, but it was his photographs of everyday life in France that led him to fame, especially after he wrote about the concept of ‘The Decisive Moment’ which is when a photographer anticipates the most important moment of time within a situation, and captures it with their camera.
In 1968 Joseph Louw was traveling with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and was at the motel in Memphis when the assassination took place. One of Louw’s photos shows Dr. King’s body surrounded by his friends as they point in the direction of where the shots came from. This photo is one of the most famous street photography images of the twentieth century.
An American street photographer called Elliott Erwitt is famous for his humorous street images. He captured candid moments that are very amusing. His most recognised images feature dogs and their owners.
Famous street photographers are not only found in the past; Billy Dinh is a modern day street photographer. His dream-like images of big city life have become a hit on Instagram (@ BillyDeee) and he has gained a huge following thanks to the accessibility of social media.
How to do Street Photography: You can use any type of camera for street photography. Cameras with a powerful zoom are useful, so that the people you are photographing are unaware of your presence and they’ll stay relaxed and natural. Wide angle lenses are also handy, in order to include as much as possible of the street scene. Even smartphones can be used for street photography, and they have the advantage of not being as intrusive as large DSLR cameras.
Advice for Street Photographers
If you want to get an overall ‘feel’ of a street, the key is to keep as much as possible of the scene in focus. When using a DSLR or mirrorless camera, turn the aperture between f/11 and f/16 for a long depth of field. For portraits of people in their environment, choose a wider aperture, such as f/4 to isolate them from a distracting background. Black & white images are great for street photography. The high contrast of shadows and light creates dramatic monochrome photos.
The appeal of street photography is the possibility of finding the perfect photographic moment around the next corner. Street photography is about capturing insights into people’s lives and finding treasures in the grittiness of everyday scenery. It opens your mind and eyes to life itself.
On March 3, 2023, the M3F McDowell Mountain Music Festival in Phoenix, Arizona, kicked off with a fantastic lineup of musicians. The first day saw performances by Maggie Rogers, Polo & Pan, Quinn XCII, COIN, The Knocks, Hayden James, Neil Frances, Becky Hill, Del Water Gap, Neal Francis, Winston Surfshirt, Darius, Jim-E Stack, The Lagoons, St. Terrible (and the Gospel of Nothingness ∆), and Veronica Everheart. Maggie Rogers mesmerized the crowd with her soulful vocals, while Polo & Pan delivered an electrifying performance that had everyone dancing. Quinn XCII's catchy pop hits and COIN's indie rock sound were crowd favorites, while The Knocks kept the energy high with their infectious beats. Hayden James' smooth electronic rhythms and Neil Frances' soulful pop were also highlights of the day, as was Becky Hill's dynamic vocals and Del Water Gap's indie rock sound. Neal Francis' soulful and bluesy tunes, Winston Surfshirt's hip hop and R&B fusion, and Darius' electronic soundscapes were also popular with the crowd.
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There are many different types of popular music, each with a different effect on people. For example, the notion of pop music is far different from that of folk and classical music. The influence of popular music on culture is not limited to music. It is important to note that the history of popular music reveals how much it has changed the culture. Popular music is influenced by society at the time. For example, the popularity of swing and other dance forms reflects the dominant language of the group. For instance, the demand for dance music led to the development of jazz styles. Big band jazz and upbeat swing forms were created. Similarly, work-songs were popular in early America and became a comforting medium for slaves. The influence of music on culture has varied over time and across cultures. The impact of music on culture is profound. In the early twentieth century, the influence of music on culture was so great that it transformed the entire society. Before the 1930s, the role of popular music in society was limited to the development of a nation. Nevertheless, today, the impact of music on culture has remained undiminished. With a little imagination, one can determine how popular songs have shaped the society of a nation.