Ian_A
Avocadopearaphobe
Reged: 02/09/2002
Posts: 7836
Loc: Horwich UK
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Whats the big deal? It was s superb photo, and no reason at all to take it down. It says "Candid SLASH street" and nowhere in street do I see it has to be unplanned, or it would be, er, candid...  Throughout history street stuff has been planned.
I see you set the subject for this month, Erm, and I suppose by rights, you should be the one to define what you meant by street photography. However, it would be a continual bone of contention with some if I left it up and it found favour with GCW.
In the last day or so I've read dozens of definitions of 'street photography', few agree. It varies from 'anything taken in a street' to Diane Arbus's studio portraits. Some on the Leica Forum were among my favourites:
Quote:
*"To document and attempt to visually communicate those things in life that are of sufficient interest that we are willing to expend our time and resources in a attempt to record. A exercise in futility. Reportage."
*"If your subject chases you down the street after you make an exposure, you're probably a "street photographer""
*"The homeless and destitute photographers and there are many around!!!
Curious about the "true" definition.... ... .. .yep it's called bullshit"
*"Wasn't there something that Ellington said when asked 'what is jazz?' - if you have to ask you'll never know."
Street photographers can't even agree on who is one - Cartier-Bresson being one example as mentioned above.
However, I nipped out this afternoon and took a couple of snaps which will probably satisfy the moderate wing, if not the fundamentalist street photographers, and I invite you to choose which one to tack up in t'other thread:
"Suits You"
Curiosity Corner
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Ian A 
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AlanW
Reged: 08/01/2001
Posts: 3107
Loc: Edinburgh
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Street photographers can't even agree on who is one - Cartier-Bresson being one example as mentioned above
Simply because what he did covered more than a single genre, sometimes he was a street photographer, at other times a photojournalist and then again on some occasions he was a portraitist. In the 1920's he studied painting under the cubist painter André Lhote (and returned to drawing and painting for the last 20 years of his life). In 1947 with Robert Capa, David "Chim" Seymour, William "Bill" Vandivert, and George Rodger he founded Magnum. So, all in all, I think the term 'street photographer' is a bit limiting.
So, just for the record Ian, what would your definition of 'street photography' be?
AlanW
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bench_ubbster
Bench Meister
Reged: 08/08/2006
Posts: 2649
Loc: Cambridgeshire, UK
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Whatever the definition, you still had a super picture 
I thought that the rules were flexible and I can remember a quote from GCW saying as much. I also thought that this 'competition' was supposed to be fun and I for one derive a certain amount of pleasure looking through the entries. I especially look forward to the ones from you Ian.
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Master of the Bench and Global Ambassador of the Brotherhood of the Bench
Bench or No Bench
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ermintrude
Hinkypuff
Reged: 30/06/2003
Posts: 12486
Loc: London, UK
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it would be a continual bone of contention with some if I left it up and it found favour with GCW.
But at the end of the day, its Garry's decision When I said "what's the big deal" I was referring to the people attacking it for not being their "definition" of a street photograph. One minute it was a great photo, the next "Oohhhh no thats not the title". It was like one of those camera clubs that I dont go to for the same reason. 
Im not much into definitions, or the competitive style that some people take. Its not bloody quantum physics is it. Its like the Digital/Film debate all over again, yaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwn 
Anyhoo, Id vote for the original anyday. As well as the blue tack  Put it back up and sod 'em 
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AlanW
Reged: 08/01/2001
Posts: 3107
Loc: Edinburgh
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My own thoughts on the original (I'm working from memory here) and given that Ian had total control over the shot, were that there was just a bit too much blur in the female, there could have been a bit more space below her foot (but that's not a biggy) but the thing that I found really jarring was the wall mural, a plain simple backround would have worked so much better IMO.
AlanW.
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Badgerman
Nocturnal Non-Scaredy Cat In A Deep Pit
Reged: 05/01/2006
Posts: 2349
Loc: Devon.
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Quote:
Quote:
it would be a continual bone of contention with some if I left it up and it found favour with GCW.
But at the end of the day, its Garry's decision When I said "what's the big deal" I was referring to the people attacking it for not being their "definition" of a street photograph. One minute it was a great photo, the next "Oohhhh no thats not the title". It was like one of those camera clubs that I dont go to for the same reason.
Im not much into definitions, or the competitive style that some people take. Its not bloody quantum physics is it. Its like the Digital/Film debate all over again, yaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwn
Anyhoo, Id vote for the original anyday. As well as the blue tack Put it back up and sod 'em
Yep...I'll second that
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Regards
Colin.
If I could, I probably would.
www.colinsargent.co.uk
Wildlife Photographer.
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TheFatControlleR
L'éminence Grise, Devil's Advocate & AP Fanboy!
Reged: 24/04/2001
Posts: 11566
Loc: Not here, it's rubbish...
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Surely the onus is on the individual photographer to interpret the theme. Whether or not that interpretation finds favour with others is irrelevent.
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TheFatControlleR
And so, my fellow Benchists: ask not what your bench can do for you - ask what you can do for your bench... Ben Chism
Live fat, die young, and leave a self-basting corpse...
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madasabadger
journeyman
Reged: 10/05/2006
Posts: 72
Loc: Calne UK
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This is a competition on an internet forum, lighten up.
Stick the original back up
(cos I was away and missed it)
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Done&rundleCams
Senior Member
Reged: 20/12/2001
Posts: 16727
Loc: Vancouver, BC
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Evening Nigel,
That is an expletive deleted brilliant photo Well spotted.
Cheers,
Jack
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Life is a Photo-op
MY BLOG: www.nakedmanonawire.blogspot.com
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Ian_A
Avocadopearaphobe
Reged: 02/09/2002
Posts: 7836
Loc: Horwich UK
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Quote:
My own thoughts on the original (I'm working from memory here) and given that Ian had total control over the shot, were that there was just a bit too much blur in the female, there could have been a bit more space below her foot (but that's not a biggy) but the thing that I found really jarring was the wall mural, a plain simple backround would have worked so much better IMO.
I'm happy with the blur. There are three figures in the background that help make the shot for me - the one with his hand to his mouth, the one pointing out of the right of the picture, and the one appearing to beckon her along. I can't explain in public why, she'd sue me.
The main shot I went to take was this one:
(photo of print)
The colour shot was more of an experiment. The print went on to win a monochrome competition, the colour shot was stored for some time before I used it as it was shot on slide film, and my interest was in monochrome photography primarily.
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Ian A
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Ian_A
Avocadopearaphobe
Reged: 02/09/2002
Posts: 7836
Loc: Horwich UK
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Quote:
So, just for the record Ian, what would your definition of 'street photography' be?
What would it be? Some sort of mix of documentary, photojournalism, portrait, candid photography perhaps. How to mix them to cover the inconsistencies I've found while googling the subject escapes me though.
I've also gone through all the books I've got on photography - you'll appreciate these are for the most part portrait related - and haven't even come across the term 'street photography'. I think street photography popped up sometime in the 1990's when my back was turned.
However, while sorting through my books, I did find a copy of 'Bluffers guide to Photography' that I thought was lost forever, and two copies of 'Tragically, I was an Only Twin' - the complete works of Peter Cook. I can't figure out how I got twin copies of that particular work, but I'd be happy to send one copy to the entrant who has the best street photograph (your definition) in this month's competition.
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Ian A
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APchris
veteran
Reged: 06/05/2006
Posts: 1575
Loc: Lincolnshire
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I'm glad you decided to re-post 'Watching' Ian, it's a great image however it was created and deserves to be included in the competition.
Good luck with it
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Chris 
Better a bad day on the water than a good day at the office 
My Flickr sets
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BigWill
Gorgeous oversensitive Nikon-loving cream puff
Reged: 08/09/2000
Posts: 33756
Loc: Northern Ireland
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I'm glad you decided to re-post 'Watching' Ian, it's a great image however it was created and deserves to be included in the competition.
Good luck with it
Yes, it's the correct decision Ian. You know my opinion but that's all it is..................an opinion which I think I stated honestly and openly.................Garry is the judge around here and it's HIS "opinion" that counts so lets let him do HIS job folks.
BigWill
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I'm sailing like a driftwood on a windy bay.
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parisian
Over the hill and far away...
Reged: 10/02/2002
Posts: 7721
Loc: Môn mam cymru
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Interpretation is down;
1, To the photographer
2, To the judge
The rest of us to be honest have no right to an opinion.
Interpretation and judging can only ever be subjective and is difficult in the extreme. I cannot understand why so many folk have been energised by this unless they feel that their high moral ground actually matters to anyone.
We will interpret, Gary will judge, end of story.
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Hells pensioner - born to be mild
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Benchista
Wich Tyler
Reged: 11/08/2000
Posts: 37690
Loc: Everywhere and nowhere, baby
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The rest of us to be honest have no right to an opinion.
On the contrary, everyone has a right to an opinion.
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Interpretation and judging can only ever be subjective and is difficult in the extreme. I cannot understand why so many folk have been energised by this unless they feel that their high moral ground actually matters to anyone.
We will interpret, Gary will judge, end of story.
Absolutely. Having a right to an opinion, and those opinions being relevent are two very different things.
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Nick
www.nbrphoto.com
Light and Shade II - the new blog
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Hotblack
Dead Horse Flogger
Reged: 07/03/2006
Posts: 7324
Loc: Upstairs in the spare room.
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Quote:
Quote:
I'm glad you decided to re-post 'Watching' Ian, it's a great image however it was created and deserves to be included in the competition.
Good luck with it
Yes, it's the correct decision Ian. You know my opinion but that's all it is..................an opinion which I think I stated honestly and openly.................Garry is the judge around here and it's HIS "opinion" that counts so lets let him do HIS job folks.
BigWill
I concur with Will again. When I asked the question 'Does it count?' that was a question, not a complaint or a criticism. I was just interested to see what others thought and I have read the debate with interest. Have I stirred something up here? If I did I apologise.
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Cheers
David
David J White Photography
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Rustyknight
old hand
Reged: 06/09/2006
Posts: 858
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Quote:
The rest of us to be honest have no right to an opinion.
If that was the case, p'raps the thread header "Apr07 comments "Candid/Street"" should be changed?
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My Flickr..
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parisian
Over the hill and far away...
Reged: 10/02/2002
Posts: 7721
Loc: Môn mam cymru
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Comment in itself is fine but knocking the interpretation of the topic either by the snapper or the judge cannot be right. These are both subjective and singular to the individual. In themselves they are opinions and we must allow them the right to hold these. Whether we agree or not is immaterial and too much time has been spent in putting forward other singular views, which, in the context of a competition, are redundant.
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Hells pensioner - born to be mild
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El Sid
Going potty
Reged: 14/04/2003
Posts: 9437
Loc: Sussex-by-the-Sea
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Thanks Jack.......
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Nigel
Completely BSRIPN 
ElSid Gallery
A camera in the hand is better than one in the cupboard........
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bagpuss
Prolific Pam
Reged: 08/04/2006
Posts: 8979
Loc: Camulodunum
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Gorgeous!
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 Ooooooo eeeeeeeeeeeeeee ooooooooooooooo
Oh yes!
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