When we think of street photography, we think of images with people out in public going about their daily lives. It’s the people in the images that play a pivotal role in the success of a street photo. But, what if we take the people out of street photography? Can it still be considered a street photo? While many may argue against it, photographer Faizal Westcott believes that it can still be called so:
“It can be easy to get caught in the mindset that you have to be photographing people in order to be doing street photography.”
Westcott presents his view that doing street photography is not just about having humans in the frame. We tend to leave our traces wherever we go. Most of the things around us are all man-made. So, photographing them is somewhat the equivalent of capturing the human presence. He also shares some work of photographer Fred Herzog who managed to capture brilliant street photos with zero people in them.
Another approach you can use to think of street photography can be to photograph not just people, but human experience as well. Keep an eye out for subjects that are the result of some human action, or are vital elements of our day to day lives. Towards the end of the video, Westcott also shares his tips on taking street photos that do not include people.
What do you think of this ideology? Do you agree that you can still take great street photos without actually including people in them? Let us know what you think.
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Interesting and inspirational
“Capturing the human presence”
What a wonderfully simple definition.
And refreshing. If I had to wait for people to get into frame in my hometown, I’d be a long time waiting for a photo, much less a GOOD photo.