Taking Pictures of Strangers: Part I

Just came across this article (through Digg) on Metal Floss called Taking Pictures of Strangers: Part I. The writer talks about how he used to enjoy heading out into the street and just shooting random strangers and thinking he was some voyeur while doing it then realizing there's a whole movement called "street photography" that it is actually a part of.

It got me to thinking of how we don't quite have this opportunity in the Sault. Winter days there are usually few if any people around the downtown core even during the busy times -- I bring my dogs down there often around 1 - 3 for their usual walk. I like running into crowds because it helps in training them control etc but there's usually a maximum of 5 people we pass. Summer months are a bit busier for foot traffic but it's still nothing to write home about. We usually have to wait for our festivals to get good crows -- RotaryFest, Buskerfest, Dragon Boat Races etc but these don't quite lend themselves to the full aspect of street photography, it's more "festival" photography.

It then reminded me of my short stay in Toronto at the end of August. I was there for work but knew I wanted to get downtown to shoot. I had no clue what day it was when I was there as work confuses me like that but my contact picked me up at the hotel and we made it to the downtown core which was packed -- it was a Saturday night. There was some sort of fashion show going on in a large open area (my geography and names of Toronto suck but I'll say it was Dundas Square, when I was there two days later the cement area had fountains squirting out of it -- so someone may be able to correct me on that). There were people everywhere and there was just an electricity and energy running through the area. It was probably one of the most motivating photographic experiences I've had.

I actually envied people who lived in Toronto for the few hours I was shooting for the opportunities that they have present every day to them that they more than likely take for granted, street photography is quite fun and exhilarating.

I was going to post a couple of my shots from then in here but I'm putting this up in the general talk area instead of gallery as I think the words mean more than photos at this time.

I will comment later as I have to run to work. I recently had a conversation with Ken about the difficulties of shooting 'street' in the Soo. It is a huge deal to me as street photography is what I enjoy doing most though it is one of most difficult things to do well. Street photography is not voyeurism.

I think my goal this summer is to prove you wrong about street photography in the Sault, Nando. I think we all just haven't been trying hard enough. Toronto is no challenge, point your camera in any direction along the X,Y or Z axis and you get something. There are a lot of people who have an incredible amount of character in this city and it's just a matter of snapping the pic at the right time.

Going to have to put this on my "to do" list.

As the consensus goes, it's definitely not Toronto but I don't think it's a lost cause. I've kicked myself a few times for not bringing my camera when I'm downtown. (why is that always the way?)
There are certainly some people with character here. Street being on of those styles where you've got to be in the right place at the right time (Toronto seeming to have no wrong place or time) It's just going to have to be a "war of attrition" against the relatively boring streets of the Soo.
I'm not sure of the accuracy of this little tidbit (I'd love to hear from Nando about it) but I'd heard of two styles of street photography. 1- The Hunt: Trudging around with eyes wide open, finger hovering over the shutter waiting for that perfect moment to happen. The second is where I would love to know if it's fact or fiction. I've heard that Cartier-Bresson would pick a scene and camp out. Waiting for something to happen right in front of him. From what I understand, at least two of his most famous shots were accomplished this way. The biker, from atop the stairwell.(not sure of real name of that photo) And the puddle jump (Nando's avator)
I found that way of shooting quite motivating, though admittedly never really worked it.
I guess it probably doesn't count as street, but the most exciting photos i've ever taken where of a protest in Ottawa when G.W. Bush came to town. I guess almost getting beat by riot police will get your adrenaline pumping every time.
Anyways, I'm pretty excited to try my hand at it soon. Though I have visions of one of us at each intersection of Queen street. (only getting beautiful photographs of each other. )

I'm on my lunch break right now but still don't have too much time to write as it is a bit chaotic at work today. I'll write later.

Street photography requires people and more importantly, people in plain view. That's the main problem with this city. Now I have somewhat changed my stance about street photography in city since talking to Ken about it a few days ago. I still feel that street photography is very difficult to do here and especially the type of street photography that, say, Winogrand did. You may perceive street photography in Toronto to be easier because of the abundance of opportunities but I'm not saying, necessarily, that getting a few 'street' shots isn't impossible here in the Soo but rather a really good and substancial body of work.

Winogrand has around 100-200 photographs that seem to be published over and over. Perhaps 5 or so of these photographs are really well known. However, he shot thousands upon thousands of rolls in his lifetime. Has anyone here actually seen Winogrand's Leica?

I'm at the point now that I'm not thinking of snapshots and single photographs anymore - I want to build several meaningful bodies of work and I was hoping that one of them would be centred around street photography. Unfortunately, I don't think I can accomplish this, especially in a Winogrand type of style, in the Soo. However, I'm going to try different approaches... Thankfully, I recently decided to review Koudelka again and I have seen a light at the end of the tunnel.

As for HCB, the analogy of a hunter fits him. He was a big game hunter in Africa before WWII. However, the impression that most people have about him being like a sniper, waiting to shoot at the perfect moment is a myth. Looking at his contact sheets, one can tell that he didn't shoot this way.

I know we can try it here but I think what I was trying to get at was it isn't as easy to do and we don't have the variety. Toronto (and other big cities) just have the different class systems prominently available in one space from a street person hustling on the sidewalk to the person walking past them in their business suit and everything in between.

We do have our people here but it's a bit harder to capture them. Could be a good challenge for someone for sure.

I also think our downtown core lacks a strong architectural feel -- it's sort of a cobblestone of different things and to me is quite bland with store front after generic store front. TO had the big buildings mixed in with other elements, even Sault, MI has an older nostalgic feel. I actually think in the summer you can grab more action/people shots in Sault, MI with the way they have their downtown set up and tied tightly into the locks, it's always bustling with tourists.

(wow I just used hustling and busting in the same post)

Ok, here are my feelings. The Soo is not a good place for a street photographer. Street photography is really poorly named - it is all about photographing human beings doing natural and unnatural human things in their habitat and it doesn't necessarily mean that it has to be done on city streets. So what is so special about the city streets? Well, it is the place where people are found, out and about, doing people things and interacting with each other and their environment. Moreover, it is a public place and people are in plain view. So from a legal perspective, in Canada and the United States, I can take their photograph without much worry. Often, street photography requires the photographer not to be noticed. I do not find this to be voyeuristic. Instead, I feel that the photographer has to be a witness and try not to influence what he/she is recording.

Now in the Soo, there is hardly anybody on the streets these days especially downtown. People that are on the street usually are going in or out of buildings and there isn't much else that goes on. Frankly, there is probably almost as much action on my quiet avenue (I'm in the P-Patch) with neighbours walking their dogs than there is downtown. I know exactly where the people are. They are in the Walmart, in the Station Mall, at Rome's, etc. The problem is, I can't just walk into those places with my camera and start shooting. Do you know how many photographs I'm shooting in my head every time I'm at a Walmart or at the Station Mall? It's like being on the sidewalk of a busy street in Toronto. So there are people here in the Soo to document but they are not exactly in an ideal spot for photographing.

Just an aside:
Martin Parr of Magnum actually photographs in malls and shopping markets as western commercialism is the overall theme of his work. http://inmotion.magnumphotos.com/essays/agenda.aspx
Photographer Brian Ulrich also goes into shopping centres to photograph.
http://2point8.whileseated.org/2007/11/09/brian-ulrichs-photoshelter-presentation/

As for events. Yes, events do bring people out and there are great photographic opportunities. Many great photographs by HCB, Winogrand, etc. were made at public events and gatherings. I see a few differences in shooting at public events than on the street. First, more people will become aware that you are photographing. Second, I find people at events are generally putting on an act. Their behaviour is different. I start to see things differently and shoot differently. On the street, it is much more instinctive. You sense something is about to unravel or you see a nice scene and you start shooting. At an event, I basically go through the same feelings but I find myself thinking too much and I start calculating things more. Personally, instead of waiting for a photograph to unravel to me, I start seeking out people that are falling out of character or trying to find something essentric. Third, public events are usually predictable. The biggest problem I find with public events, is that they are few and far between in this city. When I go to Portugal, I spend most of my time there in a city called Coimbra. It is smaller than the Soo in terms of area but the population is a bit higher - probably close to 90,000 or so. There are public events (that are free) every few days and in the summer, almost every single day! Concerts, fairs, dances,... Not only that but the streets are full of people and bustling with activity. I think that the main reason why is that this city dates back nearly 3000 years and it was never designed for the automobile.

People here in the Soo seem very tied to their automobiles. I think that generally people will only go where there is parking readily and conveniently available. I am an automobile enthusiast but I find that this to be quite sad. I think this will be an area that I will be exploring in my photography..

Also in street photography, the hit/miss ratio is really bad. Normally, for me, I get about 3 or 4 photos that I like for every 36-exposure roll. Out of those, perhaps one is a keeper and worth printing. If I were doing street photography, I would need to shoot a lot more to get that keeper. It is not like you are shooting with a machine gun and hoping to get one good shot. On the contrary, you are aiming for the right shot. You take a photo, then you realize that something was in your way so you move slightly forward and take another shot but then you figure that you could get a better angle by moving a little bit to the.... too late, the subject is gone. Doing landscapes, shooting flowers, etc. a photographer has some time to work with but in street photography, its like being in a race. Street photography is something that you have to do all the time - not just to get some good shots but also to practise. Street photography is kind of like playing a musical instrument, if you don't play it for a long time, you get rusty. When I go to Coimbra, it takes me about 3 weeks to get really going and by that time, it's almost ready to come back home to Canada.

Winogrand is the quintessential street photographer of our times. Like I said earlier, he shot thousands upon thousands of photographs. Here's a link to photographs of his Leica M4 rangefinder.

http://www.cameraquest.com/LeicaM4G.htm

Winogrand's thumb and index finger has rubbed of not only the chrome but also some of the solid brass plate undearneath! The image of film has been worn into the pressure plate!

After my email exchange with Ken about this matter, I also talked to my photography friend and co-worker, JB. I was a bit fixated in following the type of street photography that Winogrand and Mermelstein do perhaps because of the experience of actually doing that sort of photography on the street. Cujo is right, street photography is very exciting and can become addictive. Winogrand certainly had an addiction to it. JB suggested that I look more closely at Josef Koudelka who made much more simpler photographs of people in their everyday life on the streets or wherever. Many times there would be no more than two people in the photograph. I was borrowing his copy of "Exiles" by Koudelka and started studying it more deeply. Everything is very simple and it seems that Koudelka, although a witness, was more of a person who was trusted and let into an inner circle than someone who is a stranger on the street. Though Koudelka was the stranger on the street many times. HCB is regarded as the father of street photography but he also took many simpler photos like Koudelka as opposed to the very animated street photos of Winogrand. I also started looking at the work of Larry Towell - a Magnum photographer from Canada, and how he documents people in rural settings. I've realize that really don't have to be in the middle of chaos to make interesting photographs of people in their habitat.

That said, I think that it will still be difficult to shoot street in the Soo. Like I said before, I can see being able to get good street photos once in a while but not a substantial body of work. It would be too big of a time investment here with little return. You can probably do more in a place like Toronto, Paris, New York in one week than you can do here in a year when it comes to street photography. I feel that if I really want to document people here, I probably have to narrow it down to a group. I will have to be honest with my intentions and earn their trust with the hope that they let their guard down for me to photograph them.... but how do I know that their guard is indeed down?

As for HCB's shooting style. He himself often referred to that hunter analogy but although he is a great photographer, I don't really think he describes his photography and what he does very well. Like many artists, he often just can't explain what he did or why he did it.

Regarding the "Behind the Gare St. Lazare" or 'Jumping Man' photograph (in my avatar), I don't believe that HCB waited and waited until something happened. He himself said that he was looking through an opening in a fence when the man jumped. I believe that it happened in a flash because this particular photo is one of only two photographs that HCB admitted to have cropped. In the HCB Foundation's release of "Scrapbook," that is more or less like a recreation of the scrapbook HCB bought in New York after WWII to put his photos into, reveals the original uncropped version. The uncropped version has very blurry fence posts running down the left side of the photo (since the fence was so close). If HCB waited and waited or if the photograph was staged, those blurry fence posts wouldn't have been captured. Here is the photograph along with the precious, precious negative. See the blurry fence posts on the left in the negative?


The bicycle photograph. I believe that he may have waited there. Bicycles are still quite popular in European cities where the streets are not very suitable for automobiles but back in the 1930's, the bicycle was much popular. I have thought that perhaps he probably visualized a good photograph ahead of time. He probably found these interesting stairs and perhaps he knew of someone who passed by on a bicycle everyday and was ready. Who knows?


If you look at HCB's contact sheets, you'll notice that he usually took 4-6 shots for any given scene. Like I said said earlier, he didn't use the camera like a machine gun. One can see deliberate adjustments - a move to the left, right, forward, a different angle, etc. He also would usually choose one of the last photographs in the series for printing. One can tell, however, that he did shoot very fast. I'll refer you to another thread I started here with a link to a video featuring HCB's contact sheets:
https://saultphotography.forumotion.com/general-f6/contacts-henri-cartier-bresson-video-t49.htm

Edited: for terrible spelling

Great read Nando.

I sort of relate with the small adjustments and reshoot as my main subjects is usually the live band in the small bar. Action is happening fairly quickly and you need to be in the right spot at the right time to get the shot. It's a little different in that the band knows I'm there but I want them to behave and play like I am not. When a band member does a typical "band" pose the shot just looks staged and cheap and I usually won't keep the shots at all -- or even take them if I see them posing.

I try to hide in the crowd if there's one available to hide in, this gives interaction as the band will play and perform for the audience and if lucky enough my lens sneaks in and gets the shot.

Once again though, great read, very informative.

Thanks Cujo.

Here's a link to perhaps the best street photography blog, 2point8:
http://2point8.whileseated.org

Some videos on street photography and street photographers. By the way, Ken, if you want to see some "pros" using Leicas - here you go.

Joel Meyerowitz - Introduction to Street Photography for Beginners (some of it is parody and play on stereotypes of street photographers - one doesn't have to dress up like Leon the Professional)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dipTqJfiE4

Garry Winogrand: http://2point8.whileseated.org/2007/03/23/garry-winogrand-with-bill-moyers/

Martin Parr:
http://2point8.whileseated.org/2007/07/06/quick-bits-from-london/

Cary Cornover:
http://2point8.whileseated.org/2007/07/13/cary-conover-on-filtrtv/

Jeff Mermelstein:
http://2point8.whileseated.org/2007/08/01/jeff-mermelstein-video-from-media-matters/

I sure am getting an education on street photography. Not something I've ever really tried....wanted to, but just don't have the guts to take random people's pictures. I guess I'm too scared to get punched?! lol.

Very interesting though....someday maybe.

When you get caught...


be friendly, explain who you are, what you are doing, complement the subjects...



and hopefully they will be understanding and may even let you take another photograph.

Otherwise, I follow HCB's advice. "Take the photo and scram!"

Here is a popular e-Book by Chris Weeks on street photography that is somewhat a guide and somewhat a manifesto. It is called "Street Photography for the Purist". Weeks is a well known celebrity photographer (not paparazzi) in Los Angeles - his photographs are found in Rolling Stone, People, Vogue, etc. (His website: http://www.chrisweeks.net/). Celebrity photographer is what he does for a living - street photography is his passion. WARNING: CHRIS WEEKS USES VERY STRONG LANGUAGE IN THIS E-BOOK! It is a 160 pages of photographs and rude, opinionated, foul-mouthed commentary but it is informative, poetic and entertaining.

"Street Photography for the Purist" by Chris Weeks:
http://fc05.deviantart.com/fs11/f/2006/227/e/2/street_photography_for_the_purist.pdf

I think 90% of this is in your head. Nobody thinks the place they live is that interesting. Trust me, if you did a good series on life in the P-Patch and showed it to people who lived in Iceland, Japan, Cuba, Prague or Cairo the people there would probably be fascinated at how different life is here.

You are all bellyaching that Sault Ste Marie ISN'T Paris or Toronto or even Soo MI, but that is exactly what you should be embracing. Do a series about all the old retired steelplant workers that take up all the seats in the Station Mall foodcourt. That's one thing that struck me when I moved here, most malls are overrun with teenagers, ours is overrun by old people.

Instead of complaining about what Sault Ste Marie isn't we should all be showcasing what Sault Ste Marie is.

Kenneth Armstrong wrote:I think 90% of this is in your head. Nobody thinks the place they live is that interesting. Trust me, if you did a good series on life in the P-Patch and showed it to people who lived in Iceland, Japan, Cuba, Prague or Cairo the people there would probably be fascinated at how different life is here.

You are all bellyaching that Sault Ste Marie ISN'T Paris or Toronto or even Soo MI, but that is exactly what you should be embracing. Do a series about all the old retired steelplant workers that take up all the seats in the Station Mall foodcourt. That's one thing that struck me when I moved here, most malls are overrun with teenagers, ours is overrun by old people.

Instead of complaining about what Sault Ste Marie isn't we should all be showcasing what Sault Ste Marie is.

I'm 95% going to Cairo at the end of Sept/start of Oct (well Egypt but Cairo is city one). Also my dad is one of those mall people but he's not retired so don't paint them all with the same brush

Well then you have a good place to start, with your Dad. And when you're done, you can show the photos to people in Cairo.

You're two steps ahead of everyone else.

Kenneth Armstrong wrote:I think 90% of this is in your head. Nobody thinks the place they live is that interesting. Trust me, if you did a good series on life in the P-Patch and showed it to people who lived in Iceland, Japan, Cuba, Prague or Cairo the people there would probably be fascinated at how different life is here.

You are all bellyaching that Sault Ste Marie ISN'T Paris or Toronto or even Soo MI, but that is exactly what you should be embracing. Do a series about all the old retired steelplant workers that take up all the seats in the Station Mall foodcourt. That's one thing that struck me when I moved here, most malls are overrun with teenagers, ours is overrun by old people.

Instead of complaining about what Sault Ste Marie isn't we should all be showcasing what Sault Ste Marie is.

I'm not complaining about Sault Ste. Marie in general. I very much enjoy living here. What I'm bellyaching about is that I cannot do street photography in the way I would like to. Yes, perhaps some of it is in my head but not 90% - perhaps more like 40% as I have been in a deep slump lately. Yes, I realize that I have to adapt to the environment here and I'll do it. I am currently re-evaluating where I'd like to go with my photography and how I'll go about doing it. However, street photography is one of the best, if not the best, way to hone your skills as a photographer and to train the eye. An hour or so of shooting on a busy city street everyday is akin to working out at a gym everyday to keep fit. Ultimately, it is that aspect of street photography that I will miss the most.

As for shooting in shopping malls, I've mentioned that in a previous post. Certainly, I would love to shoot at shopping malls and department stores. However, when I am on private property, what I am allowed to do as a photographer is limited by the owner or someone acting on their behalf - like a security guard. Personally, I know if that there was a single complaint about me photographing at the Station Mall, I'd be booted out by security. Disobeying would constitute trespassing. I wouldn't have this problem if I was shooting on the streets as I would be on public property. Yes, I do shoot in bars, cafes, and sometimes in shopping malls but there is less freedom. I don't think I could, for example, walk up and down Station Mall for two hours on a Saturday afternoon taking photographs of people without eventually dealing with security.

For starters, I'm a bit sad about the old HCB myth. Especially about the "Behind the Gare St. Lazare" photo. I'd imagined that day (incorrectly) in my head since I first saw the image and learned about him. Even more so that it was a crop. (not that it's a sin or anything. Just knowing how much he seems to resent cropping images.)

My opinion about street photography, and it’s no more than an opinion.(which as we’ve all heard are like A##holes, everyone’s got one and they all stink). I think of street as reportage. Which places a responsibility on the photographer to accurately represent the people, environment and interaction between the two. Walking into a documentary situation with a preconceived notion of the shots we want to capture makes us blind to situations(and framing) we hadn’t predicted.
I realise that the sault doesn’t have the street activity that Toronto or NY does, but a collection of only those rare moments where the Sault gets busy wouldn’t be an accurate depiction of this city. It may be time to start working on how to depict solidarity in an image. Maybe that would better represent the soo and the lone pedestrian on Queen st. most days.

I’m also a big believer in personal style. Admiring the masters and drawing inspiration from them is an important step to the growth of many photogs. Though there is a fine line between drawing inspiration and recreation.(I’m not saying that you are hoping to plagiarise a style, maybe a better explanation is to have one’s vision fogged by it) The images from the photogs mentioned are exceptional, but they are also accurate to the environment they were taken.
If you enjoy the process of street photography, than go do it. But don’t worry about comparing your images to these icons(or anyone else for that matter) shoot when it feels right, don’t when it doesn’t. I had gone through a big slump a few years ago. The worry of not being able to grow at the pace I had before was daunting. But that’s how the learning curve goes. Slow progress at first, then giant leap after giant leap, then the dreaded slow down. I finally started photographing anything and everything. Not just what I felt had defined me as a photographer up to that point. Despite taking a lot of CRAPPY images, I found that these lessons brought progress and inspiration to my original interest. My new belief is that worrying about not being able to shoot something good, inevitably guarantees that I don’t.

I think Ken’s got the right idea. Think of what makes this city unique, then think of how to get the pictures. As for the approach of interacting with a subject and earning trust. I learned a VALUABLE lesson from the weirdest place. Wildlife photography. I couldn’t figure out why, when I had my camera, even ducks that would eat out of the palm of my hand the day before would avoid me as if I were a hungry lion. That’s because I basically was. I wasn’t interested in them, but achieving my goal. I wasn’t really there to interact with them, but to use them for my personal gain. Fundamentally, I was a stalking predator. This sounds weird, I know. But the basic psychology is the same. People (and ducks) know if you genuinely want to get to know them or if you are working with a personal agenda. It’s instinctive. The best way to be accepted to shoot a group with their guard down, is to actually care about the story and people you want to capture. Make it genuine. Maybe steelworkers would look cool, but if you don’t really care about them or their stories. They will know. Maybe only subconsciously, but I guarantee they won’t truly open up.

With many of my portrait sessions, if I don’t seem to make that instant connection with that person, I deliberately fiddle with my gear, as if I’ve got technical adjustments to do.(nope) The entire time chatting it up and asking questions I genuinely care about. Sometimes I even forget about the photograph. I want to know this person. I also desperately want to take their mind off of that piece of glass pointed at them. Some of the best photographs I have ever taken where before the subject knew I was ready to shoot.

I realise that this is a HUGE rant. But, it hit pretty close to home for me. I’m an open guy who would do anything to help, so please don’t take this as anything other than that.

My last little bit of info, may help anyone daring to go after those tricky mall shots.


Privacy laws, we have more rights than are commonly known.



ONTARIO

This is the important one: For properties not listed above,(Military establishments) when there are no signs, you may enter the premises, and perform any lawful activity you wish, unless told otherwise by the property owner (or someone acting on behalf of the land owner, like a security guard). This is why you are allowed in malls. However, you should always use common sense. For properties that have notice (signed, verbal, etc), you must abide by the notice, but you may still perform any lawful activity on the premises that is not prohibited.

However, if you are taking photographs in a mall, or some other privately-owned-but-open-to-the-public property, and their security guards confront you, they can permit or deny you from doing any activity on the premises, just by telling you. Since they are acting on behalf of the owner, they can control what you are allowed to do, where you are allowed to go on the property, or whether you are allowed there at all. If they tell you that photography is not allowed, continuing to take photographs is trespassing. They may also simply ask you to leave, and by not doing so in an orderly fashion, you are trespassing. They can also ban you from the property, in which case, if you come back, your trespassing.

CANADA

According to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, every Canadian is guaranteed a reasonable expectation of privacy. However, this charter applies only between the government and a private citizen, not between you and another private citizen or company.

You can not take photos of people who are in circumstances where they believe that they have a reasonable expectation of privacy, for example, a bathroom. This generally extends to include a person inside their own home, or anywhere where they have reason to believe is a private place.

(Information taken from http://ambientlight.ca/laws.shtml)

I’ve found that these situations are where digital photography really thrives. If you get spotted and the subject is extremely opposed to having their picture taken, it is easy to show them the deletion of that specific file. As opposed to having to ruin an entire roll of film. As Nando had stated earlier, it has also been my experience that Curtis explanation of your intentions usually allow calm heads to prevail. (you may still have to get rid of the image, but will walk away without black eyes)

As for security... until i’ve been notified that my actions are not wanted, I assume that there is no foul. Once notified, I sincerely apologise and immediately comply with their direction. (usually to leave) If that’s not working, it’s time for the shoelace express. To steal a line from Monty Python, “RUN AWAY! RUN AWAY!”

I’m hardly an expert on anything photography related(or anything at all for that matter) I’ve met some great people in my life that have freely passed on their personal experience. This is mine.

I will never compare to any of my photography heroes. I am a copyist at the moment and I'm not ashamed of it. Most rock musicians, after all, start by playing cover songs. I think that everyone has to be a copyist at some point and many will not evolve past that point. I hope that I will.

Street photography is something I very much enjoy to do. I am missing it. I am trying to find some other means of representing where I live or at least some aspect of it. I just have to get myself organized. The March break willg give me an opportunity to do this. I do feel that one can do urban landscape photography quite well here in the Soo. Ken's "Silent Night" photo is a good example of this. http://www.flickr.com/photos/rubbergorilla/2137076338/

Urban landscape is not street photography though. Again street photography is poorly named.

I will eventually try shooting inside shopping centres, restaurants, etc. Despite the problem that comes with shooting on private property, there are some advantages. In cafes and bars for example, people tend to be more still while still doing interesting things. The hit/miss ratio usually improves as a result.

Here are two photos from the iconic Cafe Santa Cruz in Coimbra Portugal:





In regards to 'Jumping Man' - I feel that the cropping actually solidifies the HCB legend. There has always been accusations made that this shot was staged. How could it be so perfect if it wasn't staged? The fact that HCB cropped out the fence posts, in fact, proves that this shot was not staged. This is only one of two shots that HCB has admitted to cropping. (The other one being the shot with Pope Pius.) HCB has always insisted that the decision to crop was made exactly when he took the shot. He simply did not have time to capture this moment if he moved forward to avoid the fence posts. And who besides HCB would have the cat-like reflexes to capture this moment? Only 2 photographs cropped out of hundreds that were published and thousands captured on film... That is still impressive, I think. Looking at HCB's contact sheets changed me forever, as a photographer. I realize that the decisive moment exists but one can't hunt it. HCB always said that one mustn't want. Instead I feel that we must master the observation of the pregnant moment. Boxers, for example, don't actually see a punch coming at them, I don't think. They probably sense the punch is about to come by a combination of things - the opponent's chest muscles tensing, a change in breathing, a change in rhythm, etc. Still all very instinctive but must now I feel I must be sensitive to things that will possibly lead to a decisive moment... if that makes any sense.

Going back to dealing with security - HCB was imprisoned three times by the Germans during WWII and he escaped three times. After the war, everyone thought he was dead. [I'd really like to know how HCB managed to get himself a Zeiss 50mm f/1.5 Sonnar in Leica Screw-mount during the war. This lens was considered by many to be the best lens of the time and since Zeiss was a fierce competitor of Leica, Zeiss made it in its own Contax-mount. During the war and a bit during peace-time, Zeiss made lenses in Leica screw-mount for government and military use.] HCB was nearly imprisoned in the Soviet Union as well. I guess that there is always some risk and sometimes it can be worth taking. I'm not implying that Station Mall security is anything close to like dealing with the Nazi's but... umm... perhaps a little risk wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing and it can add a level of excitement.

I'll leave with HCB's "The Informant"