THE ART OF STREET PHOTOGRAPHY
THE ART OF STREET PHOTOGRAPHY
Multi award-winning photojournalist Jack Picone outlines the history of street photography and explains what he sees as the key philosophies and practices. Jack sums up street photography as “freezing a poetic moment in a nanosecond for perpetuity”.
We’re all familiar with the term ‘street photography’, but what is it exactly? ProPhoto sat down with awardwinning Australian photojournalist and documentary photographer Jack Picone – who has gained a global reputation for his reporting of world events and social issues – to find out what are the key philosophies and practices of street photography.
Does street photography have a precise definition or is it more a number of elements that all come under the general heading?
“If we’re talking about dictionary definitions, then yes, street photography has a precise definition. Encyclopaedia Britannica defines street photography as a genre of photography that records everyday life in a public place. However, I’d like to also add that street photography should be driven by the genuine motivation to capture raw slices of life. I believe accuracy is what really gives street photography true character.”
What are the origins of street photography? Presumably it would have been quite closely linked to the development of more portable cameras. Can you outline some of the historical milestones?
“Street photography ascended in the 1920s when the first commercially successful 35mm still camera was released. For me, street photography revolves around authenticity and spontaneity, and the 35mm camera really helped launch street photography and popularise it in the years that followed. This is a quality capable of keeping your subjects relaxed or even bringing them in close to you, outshining the bigger and bulkier cameras.”
Over the decades, who have been the great exponents of street photography?
“Josef Koudelka, Nikos Economopoulos, Gary Winograd and Robert Frank definitely have firm places in the street photography hall of fame. They’re my four favourite photographers from the past few decades because of the complexity in their work.
“Emotion is a key element that contributes to the complexity and is a vital part of a good street photograph. Whether it’s a smile or a face enmeshed in melancholy, the emotional element adds a subplot to the story you’re telling and can sometimes even serve as a lens through which you perceive the photographer’s philosophy and thought process.
Image composition also adds complexity. Everything on the street is
impromptu and often you’ll find your frame to be messy or incomplete.
“But when you look at the work of Koudelka, Nikos, Winograd and Frank, the elements in their image fall together so harmoniously. I often talk about photography as a subjective art form, but there’s just something in all these photographers’ work that is powerful enough to reshape subjectivity into a channel for universal aesthetic.”
Have there been any distinctive local aspects to the way street photography has evolved in Australia?
“In the early ‘80s, photographers mostly photographed to get their work published in magazines or made into art prints. I started photography around that time with a focus on social issues, so most of my work was of alcoholics, prostitutes and the homeless. I see myself as a lucky one, since my work fitted into a popular left-wing magazine called Australian Society. Having my work published in this magazine enabled me to receive exposure for my work and get my voice out to the public at an early stage.
“Yet what strikes me about street photography in Australia today is the number of people who are doing it, such that a landmark seems incomplete without a photographer or two pointing their camera at it. Presumably, this is linked to the popularisation of digital cameras and smartphones, and the accessibility of photography. Photography has been diversified over the years. It now holds multiple identities as a hobby, a professional job, a documentation of history and a reflection of self-perception.
“I believe Trent Parke, in particular, has shaped street photography significantly in Australia. His style is innovative, using highcontrast light, black and white with few mid-tones present, propelling the people he photographs into dark anonymity. His approach has certainly cultivated a raft of younger photographers who have since followed in his steps.”
What role do the subjects play in street photography? Is it always candid observations or can a subject be actively involved in the making of a picture?
“If you look at New York-based photographer Bruce Gilden, his work is a tableau of the many faces of New Yorkers on the street. Gilden’s approach is to hit the streets with a massive camera and ring flash, walk straight into a crowd and shoot photographs like he owns 45th Avenue. That’s when you know this is a guy who is as actively involved with his subjects as his subjects are with him. Because it’s such a provocative act by Gilden, often all he gets is one hollow expression after another. This is one way of being actively involved with your subject, and it seems to work very well for Gilden himself.
“There’s a whole myriad of approaches when it comes to taking street photography. I personally don’t like to change what’s happening in front of me or what’s coming towards me. As far as being on the street and remaining invisible – which a lot of photographers like to romanticise about – often it’s not about the subject’s perspective of you, but rather how you negotiate and manage that scene.
“I like to think of street photography as providing the one opportunity where you don’t have to construct something deliberately. That way, it becomes such a pleasure when the moving parts and variables fall into place visually, freezing a poetic moment in a nanosecond for perpetuity. Interestingly, only a camera can do that, something that the human eye and mind cannot do.”
Similarly, is street photography always about the quickly-snapped “decisive moment” (as Cartier-Bresson called it), or can there be more ‘staged’ aspects?
“Among the myriad of photography genres out there, photojournalism is really the only one that’s managed to stay authentic through the years due to its nature to help report an accurate representation of what’s being documented.
“We’re in urgent need of more photography that’s not choreographed and constructed or manipulated in Photoshop. Why? Because all photographs become a fiction altogether. It’s important that we aim to strike a healthy balance between fiction and non-fiction photography.”
What are the considerations – particularly in today’s society – regarding privacy? Is it becoming harder to photograph freely even in public places?
“I think it’s a cultural thing and depends on where you are. Here in Bangkok where I’m based, people don’t mind being photographed at all. In fact, they quite like it and probably appreciate the idea that someone would like to photograph them. Whereas in Australia, things are a little different. I remember around 10 years ago, I was heading to the beach on the Gold Coast for a swim. It was incredibly beautiful scenery with warm lighting spread across the coast and people having picnics under a stand of pine trees. I took a photograph of a late afternoon sun-drenched landscape dotted with diminutive people and within seconds an Aussie guy came running towards me, clenching his fists, claiming I had photographed his wife. Needless to say it was confronting, but the confrontation was quickly resolved by showing him his barely recognisable wife on the LCD screen.
“I pursue street photography simply to preserve storytelling moments. Whenever I
Street photography should be driven by the genuine motivation to capture raw slices of life.
can, I remain transparent about the photos I’ve made and my subjects would usually appreciate my honest intention. Sometimes they’d even drop a compliment after seeing the photos.
Because of the powerful systemic beliefs on protecting individual rights in countries like Australia, it’s becoming harder to do street photography freely. It’s important photographers know how to balance freedom of expression with the requirement to respect personal space. A little goodwill and decency go a long way for your photography journey.”
What are your own philosophies and approaches to street photography? Is it possible to develop a distinctive style in this area of photography?
“My philosophy is that you have to take a lot of photos that will never work in exchange for the one or two that would. And when they do work, they transcend the ordinary. I photograph with the goal of creating lyrical moments that serve a special purpose for future generations, such that when they look at my photos, they can see a world that has passed or in some cases, been knocked down. They can learn about where people have been before them, what they looked like and how they dressed. I see my photography through that lens, on its way to becoming documents of social history and documents for posterity.
“Is it possible to develop a distinctive style? Yes, but I actually have no style. At the very least, I don’t try to arrange one. I personally believe that when you become too focused on engineering a style for branding purposes, photography becomes a painting-by-numbers commercial and easily falls into the floods of socially induced expression. When I’m out on the streets, I let the world decide what to unfold in front of me, and my purpose is to capture those uncorrupted moments to the best of my ability.”
Is street photography all about simply ‘going with the flow’ in terms of what images you might encounter, or is there scope for some pre-visualisation?
“Interestingly, I can relate deeply to the concept of pre-visualisation. For instance, I may come across an attractive piece of architecture, yet in the moment I would forgo taking any photos of it. Instead, I’d
We’re in urgent need of more photography that’s not choreographed and constructed or manipulated in Photoshop.
make a mental note of the place. I’d walk away and give myself time to think about the best approach to take a photo, such as what angles would work best, what time of the day would have ideal lighting, what potential elements, such as plants or people, would elevate the photo with greater meaning. I’d then come back with a fresh eye and well-thought-out plan.
“Architecture is a great subject for pre-visualisation. If you can envision the potential image you’d make out of a still object, you make more informed decisions and take more refined photos.”
What cameras work best for street photography? What have been the historical developments here and, today, are mirrorless cameras a real asset?
“Small and easy-to-carry cameras are perfect for street photography. When you’re doing street photography, you’re working in nanoseconds. You have to be on high alert for any unexpected moment that may make for a stunning photo, and so having a lightweight camera is very helpful.
“You also don’t want something that hurts your neck and shoulders, especially if you’re an old guy like me who often does some serious walking of anywhere between 20 to 30 kilometres! Also, small cameras aren’t intimidating to people and therefore cause little negative reaction.”
What are your own personal preferences in terms of camera equipment for street photography? Are there lens focal lengths that work better, and do you have particular favourites?
“I am imbued with the Fujifilm X-Pro3. Before it was released, I used to look
down at my screen a lot when I did street photography, checking each time I had taken an image to see how it had turned out. The X-Pro3 completely changed that with its hidden screen. It compelled me to devote all my attention to capturing the moment without pondering on the results until I had sat down later at a cafe with a laptop open. A camera like this creates a synergy with you and the environment you are in. It reinforces the idea of being disciplined and rigorous when capturing street photography.
“In terms of lenses, 95% of my photographs are taken with the Fujinon XF 35mm f/2.0 R WR prime lens. Although according to physics, the 50mm lens most closely resembles what the human eye sees, I find that the 35mm actually does this better. Also, the compact 35mm lens is so much less intimidating than its longer counterparts, which is a great advantage when you’re walking around and photographing random people’s faces. Authenticity stems from being discreet, and I’m all about authenticity.
“Using a camera with decent film simulations is also very important. It allows your photos’ colours to be as close to what you see with your eyes as possible and have the least colour distortion when viewed on screen. The joy in photography is about documenting an unguarded moment that is beautiful as it is by itself. It isn’t easy to achieve, but when the light, emotion, moment and composition all coalesce in an aesthetically heightened way, it is like magic. After the magic, follows joy. Anybody can manipulate and morph an image to what they want in Photoshop – it is easy. But I’m about chasing that ‘magic’.”
So is street photography all about ‘pure’ camera work? What’s acceptable – if anything – in terms of post- camera editing or manipulation?
“Anyone has the freedom to manipulate their images as much as they want. Personally, I don’t do that. The most I would do is make sure the expansion and ratio of the image are optimised, which entails a minimal use of Curves and Levels in post-production. In my opinion, using extensive Photoshop in postproduction is like going fishing with dynamite.
“If you want to master digital photography, a good way to start is by shooting with film cameras. Film cameras enclose you in the mindset of creating nothing but the moment, and at no other times but in that moment. That can make you a much better informed and better practiced photographer.”