Street Photography in an Image-Filled Age

[johnastovall]

"In our media-saturated culture, everyone is a picture-taker and image-maker, adding a new wrinkle to the work of those who practice the time-honored tradition of street photography...."

Note: all three photographers in this story shoot film....

[afrikaner07]

great article, and they had some great photos

[johnastovall]

Here are three videos of Jeff Mermelstein, who is mentioned in the article at work in the streets of New York.

[ldelacruz]

Stovall,
I only saw the photos on the main page but didn't notice anything spectacular...what should I be looking for?

[johnastovall]

Originally Posted by ldelacruz

Stovall,
I only saw the photos on the main page but didn't notice anything spectacular...what should I be looking for?

If you can't see, I can't help you.

You might start on a study program on the work of HCB, Robert Frank, Gary Winogrand and them see if you can see.

[ldelacruz]

No thanks...not my cup of tea or maybe I should say can of beer.

[Afragola]

Originally Posted by ldelacruz

No thanks...not my cup of tea or maybe I should say can of beer.

Whose work then, do you study?

[ldelacruz]

Originally Posted by Afragola

Whose work then, do you study?

What do you find so amazing about the photos on the link that Stovall posted? I am sorry but i just don't see what you see.

[afrikaner07]

I like the humor in some of them, like the author said, the complete emotionless embrace, the people constructing something, but looking in a specific direction. I don't know, they are just well captured moments in time, that most people miss in their day to day hustle...imo

[Afragola]

Originally Posted by ldelacruz

What do you find so amazing about the photos on the link that Stovall posted? I am sorry but i just don't see what you see.

It was/is a simple, straightforward question: whose work DO you study? I don't care if it's a photographer out of the Manila Times. I was simply asking: whose work do you study?

[ldelacruz]

And I was asking you a straight forward question...what do you see in the pics that should make me study?

[kenw]

interesting article, but nothing to light any fires of passion or even interest.

to paraphrase one of the article commenters: A picture is still worth a 1000 words.... but sometimes it is a very mundane and uninspired 1000 words.

The fact that they all shoot film is pointless. Nothing in their work is anywhere near making a technical or artistic point for or against film.

[Afragola]

Please. Please don't answer a question with a question. I simply asked whose photography do you study? What's so hard about that question?

I didn't comment, one way or the other, whether I liked the photography you asked about. That's irrelevant to the question I asked you anyway.

I was simply curious what photographers you admire, whose work you study.

No one said you should, or had to like the photography you keep asking about.

Since you appear to like sports photography I thought maybe you studied Jim Bryant's photography out of the AP and Seattle papers. Jim was in my graduate class at Syracuse back in the mid-70s. He's really quite good, has worked on three, four continents.

My question isn't a hard question, unless you don't study other photographers' work, then, indeed, it gets problematical.

[ldelacruz]

Now that you elaborated more on your question I will answer it...I don't religiously study but I do enjoy the work of Peter Read Miller, Brian Stewart and Gary Land. I don't see anything wrong with the photos in the post and in my conquest to learn I wanted to know what Stovall found interesting about them...I've seen his work and his pics are much better.

I didn't read the article because I was not interested after looking at the photos...I understand the concept after reading Johan's post...but this type of photography does't interest me the least...I am in no way criticizing them but just confused.

[Afragola]

Thanks, Lonnie, now much clearer from both perspectives I think. Thanks again.

Joel