6 January 2024
People often ask me what sort of photography do I like to do. My usual answer, to keep it simple, is landscapes and people. Then the conversation changes to something else.
My websites theme is mainly Travel photography and that comprises mostly of two parts- landscapes and people. I travel to do landscape photography or experience a different culture. I don’t travel to do street photography. That just happens because I’m holding a camera and I don’t have much else to do apart from trying the street food or waiting for someone to exit a shop. So in my case it is sort of a default position.
One of my favourite photographers died recently. Elliot Erwit was a fantastic street photographer. He had that eye that could spot something amusing or interesting in an ordinary, everyday street scene. Some photographers (like me) feel they need to go somewhere exotic to get a good photo. Examples of this are littered on my website- South Island NZ, Myanmar, China, and other parts of Asia. If I was to be absolutely cynical (who me?) I would say if you go somewhere that is different, preferably more extreme that your normal living environment, and you know how to operate a camera, there is a good chance you would get a photograph you like enough to publish or print. However good street photographers just go outside the front door and start clicking. They can capture things in that fraction of a second when random subjects come together to produce something amusing, or interesting to the eye that will never be seen again. However that image lives on forever thanks to silver halide, or a digital sensor. This is one example on how I define a great photographer. It is someone who can produce an image out of nothing. By nothing I mean the mundane stroll through everyday life as opposed to standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon. BTW did I tell you I added Morocco, and Patagonia to my list to try and get great photos?