What Story Are They Talking About in Street Photography?
One of my favorite bloggers in street photography is Simon King. I read his blogs in Petapixel. He is smart, opinionated and something of a rabble rouser, all qualities that I find compelling. In reading his blog, Why Is Street Photography So Contentious, I came across his description of what constitutes great street photography. Simon says, “My personal criterion for great work includes images with a tangible aesthetic, a storytelling component, emotion, and contain an unrepeatable moment.” Durn, Simon, could you possibly set a higher bar? I fully understand every part of his definition, save one. I might not produce the most aesthetic compositions, but at least I know intellectually how that might be done. I have a pretty good grasp on capturing emotion, at least I feel the emotion. Of course, I sometimes go down that street photography rabbit hole of confusing emotion actually depicted in a picture with emotion I felt when the picture was taken. As far as the unrepeatable moment, that requires skill and determination. There is not much question in my mind that it is a skill that can largely be learned, although starting at age 72 lowers the odds. When it comes to the story telling aspect, I have to ask, what story is it that street photographers talk about?
First of all, we do not tell a story, we create the potential for a story. Like a book or a movie it has to have a beginning, but the photographer does not have the advantage of a first page or an opening scene. They have to have a composition that makes it clear to the viewer who or what the main subject is. The story can then be suggested with additional details. Sometimes there is a secondary story line.
Here are some subjects that are story starters.
Interesting characters or expressions.
Photo by Paula Reardon. Used with permission. You can see Paula’s Instagram gallery at @paula_r_nyc.
The strange or weird
The unexpected
Photo by Ryan Davis. Used with permission. You can see Ryan’s Instagram galleries at @intothelight_ and @intothelightstreetphotography.
Human interactions, particularly those that include gestures
Photo by Giuseppe Ardica. Used with permission. You can see his Instagram gallery at @ilovethestreet. His photographs have been published a number of times in the Italian newspaper, La Repubblica. This photo is one of 16 compelling photos published in the article, “Life in a Streetcar. Travel in Rome, from Vatican to Centocelle.”
Here are some elements that can suggest a story.
Push and pull of contrast and connection
Relationships
Social commentary
Photo by Kostas Galinas. Used with permission.
Normally I would never identify this as social commentary. However, this was published after weeks of pandemic isolation. The first thing I thought was , “Ah, there will be a light at the end of the tunnel.'“ Each viewer is likely to see a unique story for a unique reason.
Atmosphere
Humor
Photo by Ryan Davis. Used with permission. You can see Ryan’s Instagram galleries at @intothelight_ and @intothelightstreetphotography.
Curiosity gap
Photo by Sam Kanter. Used with permission. You can see Sam’s photos in his first book, Native New Yorker. This image will be included in his upcoming book, Bus Ride, which will be available soon on Amazon.
We have no information about the interesting fellow who is outside of the bus. That creates a curiosity gap that we need to fill.
Sense of mystery
Photo by Roland Lüthi. Used with permission. You can see Roland’s Instagram gallery at @rwluthi.
Sometimes mystery is created by something being hidden. In this case, it is the cat that is in the picture that completely baffles me. I cannot help but wonder what circumstances in the world came together for this picture.
Extraordinary elements
Photo by Ryan Davis. Used with permission. You can see Ryan’s Instagram galleries at @intothelight_ and @intothelightstreetphotography.
Story telling through shadows, silhouettes or reflections
Photo by Ryan Davis. Used with permission. You can see Ryan’s Instagram galleries at @intothelight_ and @intothelightstreetphotography.
Recognizable universal truths and values
Photo by Ryan Davis. Used with permission. You can see Ryan’s Instagram galleries at @intothelight_ and @intothelightstreetphotography.
Exercise
Find three of your pictures that tell stories. How did you tell the story?