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Oxford School of Photography
insights into photography
Tag Archives: Street photography
Fan Ho: finding love and light
Posted by on August 20, 2014
If you are a bit fed up with photography as shown by the current crop of ‘art’ photographers, where concept is always more important than the moment you will enjoy these images
Nicknamed ‘the great master’, Fan Ho is one of Asia’s most beloved street photographers, capturing the spirit of Hong Kong in the 1950s and 60s. His work shows a love of people combined with unexpected, geometric constructions and a sense of drama heightened by use of smoke and light
• Fan Ho: A Hong Kong Memoir will be available this autumn
Approaching Shadow, 1954. Photograph: Fan Ho/AO Vertical Art Space
Private, 1960. Photograph: Fan Ho/AO Vertical Art Space
Afternoon Chat, 1959. Photograph: Fan Ho/AO Vertical Art Space
See more of these lovely images here
Texture: The Secret Sauce of Atmospheric Photography
Posted by on August 9, 2014
Knowing how to properly use texture in your images can make a profound difference to your photography. Composition, lighting, and tonal range are all important elements to consider…but by looking at the texture as well you can really ensure that the image you create is a true work of art……..more here Here’s a question for you…..why do photographers take long siestas in the middle of the day?
How the Fujifilm X-Series Made Me Feel Inadequate
Posted by on November 27, 2013
Another perfectly balanced article from PetaPixel, well actually it made me laugh so much that balanced was not the first thought that came to mind. This perfectly illustrates how we photographers truly believe in the magical powers of photographic kit. If you have ever bought a piece of gear ‘knowing’ it would improve your photography read on, Irwin Wong just tells how it goes.
Recently there’s been a fair bit of hullaballoo about these new cameras Fuji has been bringing out – the X-series. X100, X-Pro 1, XE-1 and most recently the X-M1 or something like that. All touted as great cameras – the perfect blend of retro styling and cutting edge sensor technology, paring away anything extraneous to the act of shooting.
The Fuji X series – peerless walk-around cameras that can be adapted for wedding work, editorial work heck, even commercial work. Photography bloggers whom I respect and admire all clambered over each other to shout the praises of these lightweight wonder-cameras. They could do no wrong on the digital camera review sites, and quickly developed a cult following which exploded into a massive fanbase. The Fuji X-series. Messianic……..
With these cameras I would be unstoppable. Invincible. No longer would I balk at the thought of lugging a DSLR around all day – with these cameras I could carry an entire kit in a shoulder bag and never tire. With these cameras I would never miss a photo because I would always have a camera with me – I would become a street photography god and everyone would respect me.
With these cameras I would be stealthy, quick, unobtrusive, silent, a vessel for recording the extraordinary in the mundane of the everyday. My photography would change, my life would change, and happiness was just around the corner…….
And yet the thing is, contrary to all my expectations, having bought these cameras, I did not morph into some Godzilla of street photography, or urban photography, or anything. Quite the opposite actually: I realized that my photos suck, although this didn’t happen immediately either.
I must have been in some gear-wanker denial stage – more in love with the perfect white-balance and skin tones that the X-trans sensor produced, than actually looking at what I was shooting. But slowly I realized – as I eagerly went back through the photos I had taken with these revolutionary new cameras – that I sucked, truly sucked, at photography.
He concludes
There’s a Japanese phrase that goes 「初心に戻る」Shoshin ni modoru, which means to go back and remember the feeling of being a beginner. It means that no matter how far you’ve come you shouldn’t forget the humility of starting out on something new. The Fuji X100s is a camera that will make you live that phrase. It’ll remind you that you still have a ways to go with your photography. The fixed 35mm equivalent lens forces you to get close and shoot, or not even bother. It won’t listen to your excuses. It’s a great camera if you’re hard on yourself and willing to do something about it.
Advice for the Aspiring Street Photographer
Posted by on August 12, 2013
Street photography. Is it as simple as going out into the streets and taking photos? In the narrowest of views, yes. But street photography is regarded by many as an art form; it is the goal of the street photographer to capture humanity at its rawest, most candid moments, unencumbered by the apparent luxuries of a formal studio session; no flash, no diffusers, no tethered shooting. In light of this more nuanced definition of what street photography is, we can now give a more distinct answer to the question of street photography’s perceived “simplicity.”
What makes street photography difficult for some is the boldness required to pull out a camera, approach a total stranger, and essentially enter their space, even if for a brief moment, as they go about routine activities that normally do not take place in front of a lens. It can be intimidating and challenging, but I would venture to say that anyone who has achieved some measure of success at street photography has found it immensely rewarding. And as a visual medium, street photography can be profoundly inspirational. So if you’re considering hitting the streets, here are a few basic DOs and DON’Ts to help get you started.
writes Jason Little a photographer (shooting macros, portraits, candids, and the occasional landscape), part time writer, and full time lover of music. You can see Jason’s photography on his photography blog
©Gary Winogrand
Click Here: Some Dos and Don’ts for the Aspiring Street Photographer
Garry Winogrand’s classic and unseen photographs
Posted by on May 22, 2013
In the Guardian/Observer culture section we find this gallery of images by Garry Winogrand
Garry Winogrand is seen by many as the father of American street photography. His output was so prolific, he left many images unseen in his lifetime, on contact sheets and thousands of undeveloped rolls of film. The best of this treasure trove is included in a new collection of his photographs
Los Angeles, c 1980Photograph: The Estate of Garry Winogrand, courtesy Fraenkel Gallery, San Francisco
15 Thoughts on Fine Art Photography Composition
Posted by on March 14, 2013
By alainbriot on Lightstalking
What are the most important aspects of composing a Fine Art Photograph? The answer to this question certainly varies from photographer to photographer because each of us places more importance on some aspects than on others. What follows is what I personally consider to be the most important aspects of Composition….
Much of what Alan says I think is fundamentally true and good starting points to think about photography as a medium for art. I do think that art is a much wider subject than can be addressed by consideration of composition, the definition between fine art and photography as a medium for art is a strongly debated. Just search ‘define fine art photography’ to see how difficult it is to nail a definition. Wiki says
Fine art photography is photography created in accordance with the vision of the artist as photographer. Fine art photography stands in contrast to photojournalism, which provides a visual account for news events, and commercial photography, the primary focus of which is to advertise products or services.
We don’t have to believe or agree with everything in the Wiki world though.
So basically is anything that is not photographed for the purposes of making money art? But that can’t be correct, just look at a site like Flickr to recognise that most people using cameras are not artists they are at best recordists.
These are questions we pose of our students in our Intermediate Photography course, our aim is to stretch their understanding of photography and to encourage them to incorporate these ideas within their own work. To help them to stop just recording what is front of them and to start using their cameras as a means of expressing their ideas.
Here are of Alan’s suggestions about making images with the intention of creating fine art. As I say I don’t disagree with any of these but I don’t think adhering to a set of rules can create art, fine or otherwise. I think that art is in the intention of the creator, therefore if you intend to make an image that is more than mere representation then you are attempting to create something with art at it’s foundation. Using Alan’s suggestions may certainly help.
Rhine 2 by Andreas Gursky; this is the most expensive photograph ever sold and is considered by some criteria as a pinnacle of photographic art. What do you think?
Click Here: 15 Thoughts on Fine Art Photography Composition by Alain Briot (With Photos)
Magnum City to Sea Workshop
Posted by on February 12, 2013
This spring, Magnum Photos are delighted to be partnering with Goldsmiths, University of London in organising a truly distinctive photography workshop with icons of the British holiday industry, Butlins.
The workshop is inspired by Goldsmiths’ 2011 international symposium ‘City to Sea’, which brought together artists, photographers and social scientists to develop visual projects and sociological research exploring culture, tourism, coastal regeneration and the heritage of the British seaside.
Following on from the symposium’s success, British Magnum photographer Peter Marlow will lead a four day workshop in the seaside resort of Bognor Regis in West Sussex, assisting participants with the production of new exploratory projects whilst developing photographic identity and visual narratives. During the workshop, participants will work alongside Marlow and the City to Sea curators, artists Rebecca Locke & David Kendall, in a daily program of shooting, reviewing, critiquing, mentoring and editing, hosted by Butlins.
The workshop program is accompanied by presentations and discussions with Goldsmiths, University of London researchers and artists, including Paul Halliday, Course Leader of the international MA in Photography and Urban Cultures and Bognor Regis historian Sylvia Endacott. Peter Marlow will also present his work in a public lecture.
Workshop by Peter Marlow
When: Mar 11 – Mar 15 2013
Where: Butlins Ocean Hotel Bognor Regis Resort West Sussex, PO21 1JJ United Kingdom
Costs: £950
Includes tuition and 4 nights’ accommodation at Butlins Ocean Hotel with breakfast. Also includes a welcome dinner.
Pictures of the Week: January 18, 2013
Posted by on January 22, 2013
From the always excellent Denver Post a selection of intense pictures from the last week
Indian Army soldiers march during during army day parade, in New Delhi, India, Sunday, Jan. 13, 2013. India marks Republic Day on Jan. 26 with military parades and festivities across the country. (AP Photo/Tsering Topgyal)
Michael Kiefer, of DeFuniak Springs, Fla., checks out a display of rifles at the Rock River Arms booth during the 35th annual SHOT Show, Thursday, Jan. 17, 2013, in Las Vegas. The world’s largest gun and outdoor trade show runs through Friday. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson
Jimmy Greene, foreground left, Nelba Marquez-Greene, center, parents of Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victim Ana Marquez-Greene, and Nicole Hockley, right, mother of victim Dylan Hockley, react during a news conference at Edmond Town Hall in Newtown, Conn., Monday, Jan. 14, 2013. One month after the mass shooting at the school, the parents joined a grassroots initiative called Sandy Hook Promise to support solutions for a safer community. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill
A woman helps adjust a mask for her friend outside an amusement park on a hazy day in Beijing Saturday, Jan. 12, 2013. Air pollution levels in China’s notoriously dirty capital were at dangerous levels Saturday, with cloudy skies blocking out visibility and warnings issued for people to remain indoors. (AP Photo/Alexander F. Yuan)
Pictures of the Week: December 29, 2012
Posted by on January 14, 2013
Pictures of the Week is a Denver Post Plog that gathers the strongest photojournalism from around the world.
Photographers, Know Your Rights!
Posted by on January 9, 2013
Every so often we hear stories about a photographer who has had their rights violated by the police or some jobsworth. The law in the UK is relatively simple, you can take any pictures you want as long as you are in a public space, the law does vary around the world. This article on Lightstalking by Jason D. Little explains some of the complexities of being a photographer and how you might resolve rights issues
We have previously posted about this subject here
https://oxfordschoolofphotography.wordpress.com/2011/06/16/street-photography-for-the-novice/
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