Jer Loc: Mesa, Arizona

A young woman sits outside a convenience mart.

10MPlayer Loc: California

I don't do much Street. Do you guys in this section want critique? I'll offer some. If I'm out of line let me know and I'll shut up.

I just don't get what's supposed to interesting about a random woman sitting on the ground smoking a cig. The pic doesn't tell me anything about her. Street photography is supposed to tell a story about the human condition as I understand it. I don't mean to be harsh but I see a lot of shots in this section showing people who are crazy, on dope or just down on their luck but I mostly feel like their privacy is being invaded. Maybe it's just me. I'm not singling you out, Jer. I just thought i'd offer a general comment. Thanks. I'll post one of mine and open myself up to criticism since I opened my mouth, and you guys can have at me.

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

You hammer nails rather well!

What you say is mostly dead on with one small exception (that never seems to be understood): A single photograph cannot tell a story. To paraphrase Garry Winogrand, the picture shows what is there but not what is happening.

Street Photography is about the non-tangible relationships between the objects that are there. The objects are not the subject, they are just visual symbols (much as are words) that convey information about the actual subject. Hence there is no need or desire in that picture to show anything about the woman. She is a symbol that shows something about the human condition by how she relates to the surroundings.

In this image perhaps the relationships are not dramatic, maybe not well enough presented, or whatever, to make a grandly compelling Street shot. But your point that all the various other attempts at adding drama are grossly misplaced is valid! We pick out one instant in a person's life and define them as that and only that forever. We ignore the human, and the human condition, and exploit them to get our moment of fame with a dramatic (and worthless in the end) image. Susan Sontag, in "On Photography" essays published decades ago, called it subliminal murder.

As for whether your comments are out of line... absolutely not! All opinions about what is or isn't Street Photography are the order of the day in this Section.

waegwan Loc: Mae Won Li

This reminds me of a famous Norman Rockwell painting of a young woman on a platform with a suitcase and you don't know if she just arrived or if she is leaving. It conjures up all kinds of stories. Good shot.

rlaugh Loc: Michigan & Florida

I think a good street photography shot is one that gets us thinking or wondering what is going on, or what is the situation that led to this scene! So I imagine a shot could get some wondering and wanting more of the story, and others could care less! Also I think any time we take street photography shots that include other people, it might be considered an invasion of privacy, but we are told that out in public we are to have no expectations of privacy.
With this shot some might say, a lady smoking a cigarette..big deal, but others might say..is she homeless, is she sick, does she need help, or does she just need a friend! I think it is the viewer who decides if the shot is good to them, the more that think the shot is good, the better job the photographer did!

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

Everybody needs somebody to look down on???

That photograph does not suggest your list any more that it asks if the woman is driving a BMW, or has just won the lottery, or if she runs a multimillion dollar charity organization to assist demented Street Photographers trying to refind reality!

Your last sentence is correct, but "good to them" can't mean so ambiguous that it triggers random neurotic impulses!

rlaugh Loc: Michigan & Florida

Your second sentence is exactly what I was trying to say...it's what the shot says to me, or gets me thinking about, good, bad, or otherwise.

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

Then don't be photographing somebody to look down on them.

rlaugh Loc: Michigan & Florida

I didn't take the shot, so I guess I don't understand what you are saying!

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

Lets not promote photography that lacks a minimal level of ethics.

rlaugh Loc: Michigan & Florida

Now that's a stretch if you think that's what I was doing...but if that is your opinion..so be it!

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

But look at the list you provided for what the woman might be! No stretch at all... that was exactly what you did.

rlaugh Loc: Michigan & Florida

I gave a partial list of what could be going on, many more things could be read into the shot, and as I said..I didn't take it. I think it's unfair to be hijacking this persons post, and I apologize to Jer, I was just giving my opinion!

travelwp Loc: New Jersey

Street Photography can tell a story, but sometimes the story is in the mind of the photographer not necessarily the viewer, and if it shows real life as it exists on the street, most of the time it's good.

Here is another definition of Street Photography:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hClWW0mIfmY&feature=youtu.be

ebrunner Loc: New Jersey Shore

Well the bike is not hers. It appears to have been there for a while. The front fire is flat and it is securely locked with a chain. So, how did she get there? Where is she going? We don't know; but the photo makes us wonder. I like it.
erich