Evaluation

Evaluation

Street Photography

The first Photographer I was introduced to by my tutor was Bruce Gilden. After watching a short video of him I was blown away by his unique style and the amazing outcome of his images. As his work was like no other work I had seen before, it really captured my interest. I would say that the main inspiration I found in street photography was from Bruce Gilden. No matter what other photographers I began to research, no other photographer grabbed my attention and interest as much as this photographer did. Throughout this whole project I have kept the work of Bruce Gilden in mind, constantly trying my best to capture images like his.

Using a 35mm SLR and the developing process was not an issue for me, as these were aspects I was already familiar with. However when I stepped out onto the street for the first time in this project, it was then, it dawned upon me that this was going to be harder than I had originally thought. The main challenge I faced throughout the project was gaining the confidence to capture images close up to people, like I was intending to. Before this project I really had not realised the way in which the public react to a person taking photos in the street. I learnt to overcome this fear of people looking at me, as through research into the laws around photography in the UK, and seeing the way Bruce Gilden would react to abuse on the streets, I came to realise that I had every right to be there taking photographs as I was doing no harm.

After gaining the confidence to capture images on my first roll, I ended up exposing my film to light in some areas, due to not fully winding the film back into the canister. I soon learnt from this mistake and I think that is made clear when you can see the progression of my contact sheets. A progression which I believe can also be clearly seen in my contact sheets, is the way my confidence grew throughout the project, meaning that by the end, I had some really close up shots of peoples faces.

My five final prints, link together as a series. Despite the final five not showing influence from Bruce Gilden, whom I was inspired most by, during the project I came to realise that without intending to do so, I had created my own ongoing theme throughout my rolls of film. My natural style was evident; I seemed to be attracted to capturing images of individuals often from a side on view, central to the image. I feel the five final prints work well as a whole, show a strong sense of my individual style as a street photographer and meet the requirements of the brief successfully, especially considering the images had to show some aspect of human interaction.

On reflection, I am pleased with the outcome of this project. However if I could have done things differently, I would have experimented far more in terms of variety within my images. Although my final five do work together well as a whole, I do believe more variety would have made my outcome more appealing, interesting to look at and would have shown my ability as a street photographer even more so. 

Markus Hartel

Markus Hartel 

Black and White street photography – New York

http://www.markushartel.com/american-street-photography/black-and-white-street-photography

The work of Markus Hartel really appeals to me and I think he has been a useful street photographer to research as his work appears to be more modern than a lot of the photographers  have previously researched. Here i have picked out a handful of images from Hartel's website. I've chosen the ones which I find most interesting, and relate best to the approach and style I've had in my own street photography project.

What I like most about the work of this photographer is the variety of his images. I think its really important to capture images not only on the busy streets, but also on the subway like this photographer has done, if you are wanting to truly portray New York in your street photography. After looking at the vast range of images this artist has within his street photography album, it has lead me to think that i should have or could have captured more variety in my own shoots. if i had longer on this project i would definitely like to experiment with capturing street photographs from within public transport.

My favourite image is the last image i have displayed here as i think the timing of the situation has been perfect. the photographer has managed to capture the difference between young and old. It's such a dramatic picture and really does make you reflect upon life.

Eric Kim

Eric Kim

"

My first interest in street photography happened by chance. I was standing at a bus stop and I saw a man with horn-shaped glasses reading a book. There was something so genuine and unique about the moment. My heart was palpitating and the second I brought my camera to my eye, he looked directly at me and I instinctively clicked. My heart froze, but I made my first street photograph, without even realizing it."

I've come to the conclusion that the theme within my street photography is "Individuals". 

It seems to have been within my natural style when capturing street photographs to capture images of individual people rather than any kind of  busy street scenes. After noticing this accidental theme i have carried it on and in my most recent two rolls of film I've purposely looked out for interesting individuals to capture images of.

I thought it would obviously be really helpful to find another photographer that shares a similar style to mine, other than that of loy-chuan, who i previously blogged about. when searching in Google for street photographers that capture images of individuals, the work of Eric Kim came up. 


here i have selecteda few of the images which i feel relate most to the work i have been producing myself. The more natural images where it is clear the person is unaware of their photo being taken are what relate best to my photography. 

"The City of Angels"

This image is definitely my favorite of the ones i have found. It relates best to my work as the individual is central to the image. The shot includes the majority of the body, then being cut off at about the knee area. This is roughly the same amount of the person I seem to also capture in my own work. The shot is roughly taken from the same distance as what i have managed to take mine at. The male is interesting to look at and appears to be fairly aged, this again relates very much so to the people I have captured in my work. What's different about this image and is really successful in my opinion is that there seems to have been a flash used. This really creates a bold contrast between the dramatic black and white tones in the image. If i had longer for this project I definitely would consider starting to experiment with the use of a flash, to achieve images such as this one or like the work of Bruce Gilden. 

                                         

http://erickimphotography.com/index.php?/project/the-city-of-angels/

Walker Evans

Walker Evans

After researching into the work of Gary Wingogrand, I found out that Walker Evans was one of Winogrands biggest influences. This therefore has led me to researching into the work of Walker Evans as a street photographer.

Here is a short video about the work of Walker Evans and the book of his work, "American Photographs" published in 1938;
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-23497137



http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/evan/hd_evan.htm


[Lunchroom Window, New York], 1929 Walker Evans (American, 1903–1975)



[Subway Passengers], 1938 Walker Evans (American, 1903–1975)


What I like most about the work of Walker Evans is his ability to see and capture normality in his photographs. The natural feel of these images of people going about their day to day life unaware of their photo being taken shows where Gary Winogrand got his influence from this photographer. Looking back at these images and realising what normality actually looks like really makes the viewer stop and think in my opinion as i believe so many people and photographers tend to look beyond that concept of normality and everyday behavior.



New Orleans House, 1935 Walker Evans (American, 1903–1975)

What I find most interesting this photo and what I have found is a repeated style throughout Walker Evans images of buildings is the straight on view point in which the image is taken from. The angel is unique as it is so simplistic, this simplistic way of taking the image seems to produce a very different outcome, as i feel personally it creates a much more dramatic feel to the image. The contrast of light and dark tones along with the very straight lines of the structure of each building throughout the image again adds to this dramatic effect. Because each building is so similar, I find that the eye is drawn all across the image rather than just toward particular area such as the center.






License Photo Studio, New York, 1934 Walker Evans (American, 1903–1975)

—Walker Evans, "Primitive Churches," Architectural Forum (December 1961

Couple at Coney Island, New York, 1928 Walker Evans (American, 1903–1975)

Even the images just taken of buildings rather than people still really portray street photography for me. I think documenting the actual buildings upon the streets as appose to actual people on the streets still makes a really interesting image, especially for the future. For example looking at these images taken by Walker Evans are so intriguing to look at today as it is interesting to see what streets and buildings looked at during that era. 

[Street Scene, Vicksburg, Mississippi], 1936 Walker Evans (American, 1903–1975)

Gary Winogrand

Garry Winogrand

 

American, 1928-1984





"Photography is about finding out what can happen in the frame when you put four edges around some facts,  you change those facts."  - Garry Winogrand



 What i find interesting and inspiring about this photographer is his ability to capture humor or irony within his images. many of Garry Winogrand's images appear to have deeper meanings or messages than what may first meet the eye. 


For example, this image here is firstly striking because of the couple carrying these animals in clothes, as though they are their children. This strangely enough draws attention to the fact this couple are of mixed race, seeing as though this would have been rare in the time the photo was captured. Views of mixed race couples would have been mainly negative around this time, is this image trying to signify that the children of a couple such as this would look like the animals they are carrying?  Whats really succesful about the image is the way it has been captured so close with neither person seeming to be aware of the photo being taken. I think the fact a child is also in this image at the bottom right creates an interesting comparison between children and pets being treat as children? Lastly the shadow captured within the image means the photographer has made his presence known, i think this idea is brilliant and is something i would like to try in my own work, as it creates more interesting eliments within a photo and is something which most photographers would understandibly avoid doing. 

What honestly first captured my eye about this photograph is the resemblance between the woman in the photograph, and what she is clearly choosing to be photographed with, at what looks like a zoo. This image shows exactly Garry Winogrands ability to capture rare moments and capture humor within his images. I like the normality of this image, its what we would expect any image of a person at a zoo to look like. This contrast of natural behavior with the comparison of irony and humor within the image creates a really interesting effect. 

The distance in which the photographer has chosen to capture this image from, really influences my opinion of the image. The fact the image has been taken a matter of yards away from this bench and every person on the bench is completely occupied and unaware that the photograph is being taken, makes me automatically assume that the image is taken in a park in a city? It represents how busy and caught up people are in their own activities or thoughts to even be aware of whats going on around them. The different shapes and angles of the peoples bodies also make the image so interesting to look at. In my opinion there is not really one particular person or area of the photo in which the eye is drawn to, as there seems to be so much going on in each section of the image. 

Again in this image, there is so much going on that the eye is drawn to so many different areas. Is this just normality in a big city like this, or has the photographer been in the right place at the right time? The diversity of activity and  rare characters in the image is so  interesting and is again something you'd only expect to capture on the street of a busy city like New York. Its interesting how the two most interesting characters happen to be in solid black. The angle in which the image has been taken from, means that the eye is drawn down the interesting angle of the pavement. 

the most interesting concept of this image in my opinion is the way the image has been taken on an angle. The main focus of the image is obviously the unusual stance the girl has in the phone box. Garry Winogrand has been successful in capturing this rare moment, i find it inspiring how he captures unusual activity on the street. I think the dynamic angle the image has been taken at emphasizes how unusual this sighting is. 

http://www.atgetphotography.com/The-Photographers/Garry-Winogrand.html

Walking

Loy Chuan Photography. 

http://www.loychuan-photography.com/2011/07/street-photography-walking/

After developing my first few images from my first rolls of black and white film, I've noticed that without actually intending to, I've started creating some sort of an on going theme throughout my street photography shoots. Some of my best images from my films which I have chosen to enlarge are of people walking.

 This was the first image I took in this style. I've found the images I've un intentionally captured of walking people so far really successful so I thought I'd do some research into this concept and see if there are any other street photographers out there which capture similar style images. I think now I've picked up on this style I could carry on capturing images in a much similar style, this could even be an ongoing theme in my project which I focus on and produce final prints relating to? 

These are two images which i have enlarged. both images were some of the most successful images on my roll of film. Again these images follow this unintentional theme of people walking. 

So when researching on google I found a street photographer who captures images using a digital camera called Loy-Chuan. This photographer has a whole range of images like the style of my 'walking' street photography.

These three images are what I would say are most similar to that of my own, as I have taken almost all of my 'walking' images from a side of view, focusing on the person more than part of the street may be in the background. 

The next lot of images I've found are slightly different and have a more modern street photography feel to them as they again consist of walking people, taken from a side of view, but the people all seem to be captured walking past advertisements and billboards. The images show that the photograher has really thought about what they intend to have in the background more so than the images above. This is an interesting idea as captures the eara the images have been taken in really well. The particular advertisements can also portray a message.. 

The images which has the billboard in focus and the person actually blurred creates an interesting look and atmosphere to the image. Trying this myself would be a great opportunity to experiment with slower shutter speeds.

I think it'd create a really interesting image by finding an advert or billboard with quite a stronger or particular message, then capturing a certain character walking past the billboard which would create some sort or irony to the situation? 

I've spotted a few billboards in Hartlepool so I can't wait to carry on this 'walking' street photography theme and give this idea inspired by Loy-Chuan a go. 

Lee Friedlander "America By Car"

Lee Friedlander

I've been massively inspired today by the the photographer Lee Friedlander. He is an American photographer who the majority of the time works with a 35mm camera using black and white film. Although it is two projects in particular that have really captured my interest by Friedlander, it appears that practically all of his images are captured on and around the streets. So straight away it seems like this photographer is a pretty great photographer to research and reference in my work.

"America By Car"

This first series of images by Lee Friedlander which have inspired me so much are called "America By Car". The title literally says it all.. these are images taken over the last decade, in almost all of America's fifty states,  from within a car. 

              Lee Friedlander, Las Vegas 1997 gelatin-silver print

http://fraenkelgallery.com/exhibitions/america-by-car

Lee Friedlander, Connecticut, 1997 gelatin-silver print

http://fraenkelgallery.com/exhibitions/america-by-car

http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2011/sep/02/lee-friedlander-america-by-car-in-pictures#/?picture=378522299&index=0

Lee Friedlander, Montana, 2008

Lee Friedlander, Nebraska, 1999

http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2011/sep/02/lee-friedlander-america-by-car-in-pictures#/?picture=378522305&index=2

Lee Friedlander, Las Vegas, Nevada, 2007

http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2011/sep/02/lee-friedlander-america-by-car-in-pictures#/?picture=378522308&index=3

I mostly like the images where you can see a vast amount of the inside of the car, such as the second last image that I've presented here. I think the unique interior of the car, or as i would imagine any car for that matter, creates an amazing frame to the image. Its very clear that from looking at these images you can see that the photographer doesn't just shoot these style images randomly, he purposely uses the car to frame what he intends to capture an image of. 

What is so interesting about this idea is also the wing mirror of the car. I think its amazing how the photographer clearly intends to capture certain aspects in the wing mirror as well, to create more than one view point within the image. this makes the image so much more interesting as it reveals the mystery of what is behind the car and reveals more  about the scene in which the image has been captured in. 

Martin Parr

Martin Parr

So, my last blog post ended on the inspiration I've found in Bruce Gilden's photographs especially those of Coney Island. This has now lead me on to begin researching into the famous British photographer Martin Parr, by focusing on his well known photographs of New Brighton beach resort, as I've found these images share numerous similarities with those of Bruce Gilden's Coney Island images. 

I think to most of those who know of Martin Parr's work, when they think of it, they'd straight away think 'colour'. The majority of Martin Parr's work does heavily revolve around bold colours, which yes, is very different to that of Bruce Gilden's work, and the work I will be producing myself thoughout this project, however it is not the loud colours of Martin Parr's work that appeal to me, it is more so the subject matter and the way martin parr photographs this. 

For decades now, it has been leisure, consumption and communication which this photographer has focused on and explored with his photography. 

     

http://www.magnumphotos.com/Catalogue/Martin-Parr/1985/GB-New-Brighton-The-Last-Resort-NN147024.html

Just like photographing people on the streets, the images involve ordinary people, carrying out their normal day to day behaviour. 

What I find all of the images portray, just like Bruce Gilden's Coney Island images also do, is National Characteristics. 

Just by looking at these images, you can see that they are typically British, right? 

It's interesting to think about why that is? 

The job center 

The litter 

The fish and chips 

The clothes people are wearing 

Images taken of beach resorts in any other country would be very different to this! Just as any images would be if you took photographs on a street in Britain as appose to any other country! 

I think even the colours add to the emphasis of the British theme in the images. However it's safe to say even in black and white these images would look just as interesting and still very clearly portray the typical British seaside scene. 

What exploring this concept of national characteristics has got me thinking about is how I can bring this into my own street photography. Seeing as though the vast majority of my images taken in this street photography project will be on streets within the North East, why not try capture regional characteristics in my images? 

By this I mean not only just capturing the everyday activity of people in Hartlepool and the north east, but focusing on capturing images that very clearly show they have been taken in the North East of England. Like photographs of Hartlepool characters tucking into a Greg's pasty? - that says 'North East' to me. Or photos of people stood outside the job centre, seeing as though the North East has such high rates of unemployment? Or street photographs of our famous colliery villages? 

These concepts may sound like they would portray the north east in nothing but a bad light, but Parr also uses his images as propaganda, creating a message of his own image of society. 

 

 

Bruce Gilden

Bruce Gilden 

"I'm known for taking pictures very close, and the older I get, the closer I get."

Bruce Gilden; an Brooklyn Street Photographer who has been capturing images of urban spaces within america for over twenty years.

What an inspirtation this photographer is, he has one of the most unique styles i've ever come across.

Bruce Gilden captures his images in black and white, which is firstly why he is a great street photographer to research in order to aid myself in my own project of street photography as i too will be using a 35mm camera with black and white films. I think before going on to speak any further about this photographer and what I love about his style of photography and the outcome of his images, it would be of great importance that I include a video of him at work, in order to properly show his technique. 

Street shots New York, Bruce Gilden

This video really goes to show how brave Bruce Gilden is! What I've found is the main barrier between a street photographer and capturing the images they wish to capture, is the fear of what people in the streets may think of you or what they may say. I've personally found that receiving looks from the public just for walking with my camera in my hand down a street is daunting enough, never mind the looks or abuse a photographer may receive for holding a camera and flash less than a meter away from a person's face. 

This attitude of not caring what people think however, is what really enables Bruce Gilden to capture these unique images. This is therefore why, as an ammeter street photographer, I admire him, as I know that I too must acquire the same attitude if I want to capture images in the streets of everything I want to. 

So its pretty obvious why Bruce Gilden's images are so unique compared to any other photographer? Whats so successful about this up-close technique in which he uses, is that the viewer is almost drawn into the image  when looking at it; You as a viewer, feel as though you're there, in that moment, that close to the subject in the image. 

What Bruce Gilden also does so successfully, which I am going to try within my own street photography, is spotting quirky "characters" as he calls them, to photograph. I've found myself that when walking through the street with a camera, constantly searching for interesting people to photograph, you spot so many out of the ordinary people and things, that you wouldn't normally see on a day to day basis as you rush through the street, in your own little world, like everyone else. 

In the video various images were shown of Bruce Gildens work in NewYork, however these are not the only series of images by Bruce Gilden that i find interesting and inspiring.

Coney Island;

http://www.brucegilden.com/portfolio/coney-island/

What I love about Bruce Gilden's images from Coney Island, is the slight sense of humor within them. These images really remind me of the work of Martin Parr, I love how the images are a true representation of people. I think when any person looks at the images, they would be able to relate to them and have a slight laugh, as we all know that these are the kind of sights we see on and around our beaches every summer. 

One interesting factor I have found when researching further into Bruce Gilden which surprised me, is that not all of his images are of people acting naturally, some of the images he takes are set up or posed. In this video, you are given an interesting insight and told the story by Bruce Gilden behind each image. while watching this it was then when i realised that at times, Bruce asks interesting Characters  to step aside and pose for him to take a photo. 

As I discussed in my last blog, on Tanya Nagar, I personally find it really interesting and helpful to hear or read the photographers story or opinion of their image, as it allows you as the viewer to really appreciate and understand what the photographer was intending to capture. 

The New Street Photographers Manifesto - Tanya Nagar

           Tanya Nagar

         


So before actually starting this project, last week at the National Media Museum, I bought this book: 'The New Street Photographers Manifesto' By Tanya Nagar. I personally think it is amazing! I thought I'd share a bit about this book as I think it is the perfect book for anyone who is new to Street Photography. 
The book covers everything from 'The mind of the street photographer' to the Laws around taking photos in public places in the UK, to the technical aspects; Aperture, Shutter Speed, light. 

Whats really interesting about this book is not just the photographer's vast range of street photogrpahy, but the way she presents each image with the story below it, explaining where it was took, why she took it, how it could have been better..ect. What i love about this is by being given the photographers insight into their take on the image, you then come to view and think of the image in a very different way.

Biker Boy- Zurich, Switzerland 

"I spotted this man taking a smoke on his bike, overlooking the river. i shot an image from the back, and then as i walked past i decided to shoot him face-on. As i composed and focused, he looked up and spotted me. At first i wasnt sure if he was angry as he remained serious, as though he was wondering why i was shooting him. i smiled at him, and he smiled back- a sign that he was okay with photographed. The tension immediately disappeared after this simple, natural gesture.

  

This example leads me onto the section which i think is probably most helpful in the book.  "The mind of the street photographer."Here Tanya Nagar gives some helpful tips and words of advise, on todays society and the mindset you should have to allow you to be successful in street photography.

"Todays society is paranoid more than ever of being captured on camera. As a photographer, you must be conscious of social norms and be sensitive to those you might be shooting, particularly when dealing with the likes of children and the vunerable, for example. by the same token, being too cautious will mean you will constantly be worrying about what people think of you."

"Practically every street photographer at some time or another will be on the recieving end of hostility. But any hostility can be appeased by one very simple gesture- a smile. in my experience, smiling breaks down the barrier between subject and photographer. "

I like the mystery of this image, the way the focus of the image is on the two people with their backs to the camera. I think this would be an interesting experiment to do in my own street photography; walking behind various characters and capturing images of them on their journey around  the streets. 

Truths and Myths about photography laws in the UK. 

Truth:

While there are certain restrictions around photographs on private property, there are no restrictions on taking photographs on public land. 

Truth:

With exception of Trafalga Square and Parliment in London and any Royal Park, there is no general requirement to seek permission to photograph on public land. 

Myth:

you cant photograph buildings on private property.

Myth:

"I am a police officer/traffic warden/security guard/ i can destroy your photos."

Truth: 

Although a Police officer may prevent you from taking pictures in certain limited circumstances, no police officer, traffic warden or security guard can make you delete a photograph. 

All images, quotes and information are from Tanya Nagar's book and website; 

http://www.tanya-n.com/