What is Street Photography?
I recently made a video discussing what street photography means to me and why the genre is so difficult to define in a way that makes everyone happy.
As I alluded to in the video, when it comes to other genres like portrait photography, for instance, you’ll likely talk with a model, plan out the outfit and location, shoot at a time when the light will be right, and so on.
In the world of product photography, you’re tasked with getting particular images that showcase the product from certain angles, in a certain environment, being used by a certain kind of person, etc.
But where street photography is concerned, not only is it difficult to find a definition that won’t upset one type of photographer or the other, but the subject matter is almost completely random. Of course, you can expect to see certain components in any given city environment, but beyond those urban staples, there’s not much rhyme or reason to what you might photograph on one outing or another.
This article serves to compliment my video on the same subject and elaborate a little more on the points made there. For the best experience, I recommend setting aside a few moments to watch the video beforehand, then dive into the following article once that’s done.
The ‘Official’ Definition of Street Photography
While it’s hard to nail down a single answer that encapsulates the genre of street photography adequately, you’ll usually hear similarities between different definitions. Most definitions I’ve seen or heard tend to pick and choose their core elements from the following list:
Humanity/people/faces as a subject
Candid moments
City or urban environments
Observation/documentation of everyday life
Could you take these bullet points and build a decent definition of the genre? Sure. Will it ever be the definitive recipe for a ‘true’ street photograph? Absolutely not.
Take a look at Wikipedia’s offering on the subject. Feel free to skim it, but do take note of the way the author(s) dance around outlining most aspects of the genre in black and white terms. Much of the definition reads more like a short exploration of the street photography movement than a true definition of the genre.
The Wikipedia definition is actually really well written, and goes into lots of interesting little tangents about the art of street photography and even discusses some of the emotional and personal motivations behind the work of many artists in the genre. The highlighted portion is a pretty typical definition of street photography too.
Now take a look at the Wikipedia definition of ‘portrait’ on the other hand.
Not only is this definition comparatively minuscule, but actually defines the genre as it pertains to multiple artistic mediums. This is not at all to say that portraiture is simple- I have a great deal of respect for portrait photographers. In fact, it’s a genre I want to explore further in the near future! Nonetheless, the genre of portraiture is very straightforward to define.
Portrait, like most other forms of photography, relies much more on technical ability, creative vision, and experience than street photography usually does. Something I feel is worth mentioning as we transition into discussing the origins of street photography.
Traditional Street Photography
In the world of street photography, there are traditionalists who stand by the sentiment that a photograph must meet a set of requirements for it to be considered ‘real’ street photography.
To be clear, I do not share this mindset. In reality, I think that trying to follow traditional street photography rules made me a worse photographer in many respects. The ‘rules’ you’ll be told that are supposed to determine whether a shot is considered true street photography usually sound something like this:
Must use a certain kind of lens - you’ll usually be preached to about wider primes
Must be physically close to your subjects
No over-editing/cropping/post-processing
Film photography is more ‘authentic’ or respected
Images must include people/faces
As it happens, I created another video on this subject as well!
The most important thing to understand from all of this is that the traditional way of doing things is not necessarily good or bad. Some of the things on this list might be good advice that helps inspire you, and some might make you feel restricted. The only thing that is certain here, is that one way of thinking is never right for everyone.
The larger takeaway here, is we have examined yet another tool often used to define street photography, that doesn’t quite accomplish what it sets out to. At least not well enough to become the golden standard for determining whether an image is a true street photo regardless of how adamant its adherents might be.
It is, entirely possible after all, to create a great street photograph by cropping and editing an image or shooting with a zoom lens attached to a digital camera.
The Missing Piece
As I touched on in the video, regardless of how many people subscribe to a particular definition or set of rules that the genre must follow, I’d argue that the subject matter, camera gear involved, and particular techniques used to capture a shot take a distant backseat to the feeling, mood, and story conveyed by the final image.
This may sound wishy-washy on the surface- after all, no Wikipedia article will ever read: your photos just have to have the right VIBE you know??
In all seriousness, I’m not suggesting that we strive for a definition that everyone agrees upon, and certainly not one that relies on everyone feeling the same way about street photography.
I also feel as though people seeking different subject matter or compositions than what is usually touted as true street photography are still creating valid work under the street photography umbrella which often serves to actually help the genre progress as opposed to playing ‘copy Cartier-Bresson’ for the rest of all eternity. So let’s avoid the usual limiting or exclusionary definitions entirely.
Everyone has something slightly different in mind when they go out to shoot.
You might be a photographer who starts to look at the work of your peers a little differently. You notice the kinds of feelings and stories we’re all chasing on some level, and begin to find your own way of locating, documenting, and presenting them.
You may even push boundaries enough that the question of, “does this belong” begins to arise in your community.
A Solution
Street is, in many ways, the punk rock of the photography world. It can be chaotic and confrontational and raw and emotional, and I would argue that the only necessary component of a good street photograph is the kind and quality of message, story, or emotion that it conveys.
Freeing ourselves from the traditional constraints and limitations is probably one of the most important things to the progression of the genre as a whole, but that doesn’t mean that every single urban composition now qualifies as a street photography masterpiece, or that anything goes. Mediocre shots will always be mediocre shots.
I’m simply suggesting that whether we agree an image qualifies as street or not, art is enhanced when the work is informed by its creator’s experience and humanity rather than hampered by the burden of imitation. So instead of asking whether a photo was taken the right way, let’s ask if it accomplishes the greater vision of the artist. Let’s ask what the image communicates. Let’s ask why.
Let’s ask ourselves why we take the shots we do.
Would you have an answer if someone asked you why you took the last shot you posted online?
What are you looking to get from street photography?
In a world where millions of images are churned together by social media algorithms each day, and judged in an instant, why should anyone pause to look at yours?
What makes you return over and over to such a brutal genre that is known for its low success rates, and lack of control on the photographer’s end?
Failure, introspection, and self-examination are far better teachers than arbitrary rules like using a certain focal length or seeking out a specific kind of subject.
And after all, wouldn’t you rather live in a world with more good photography than more ‘correct’ street photography?
Closing Thoughts
There is most definitely room to improve by examining and imitating the work of great photographers, but it’s the art you create that doesn’t follow suit that adds to the conversation. So next time you pick up your camera and head out to shoot, be intentional about what you’re setting out to capture and ask yourself better questions in the process.
I’m still working on practicing what I preach here and asking myself better questions, but I can say it’s a hell of a lot more rewarding than comparing my work to what others in the genre say is the ‘right way’ of doing things.
Thanks for reading! You can stay up to date with my most recent work via Instagram.
Questions, comments, or criticism? Feel free to shoot me a message at nick@gunairy.com.
Try something new today.
-Nick