Call me stupid, but I’ve never been able to really understand what street photography means. Is it random pictures of strangers? Urban pictures? People living their daily lives? What defines a good photo in that category? For example, a good wildlife photo is one that shows an up close view of an animal in it’s environment, a good landscape photo brings out the beauty of a landscape with an attempt to make it look grand and dramatic. What sort of general criteria is there for street photography since it’s all the hype now
“…since it’s all the hype now”
There have been other periods of time where this has been hyped up as well. I remember in the mid/late 90’s a lot of museums and galleries showcased solo and group shows, usually with the big names (Sebastiao Salgado, Walker Evans, Robert Capa, Helen Levitt, Vivian Maier (not 90’s but 2000’s) , etc…). So, nothing really new here, just another wave that somehow has become trendy. I think there are some reasons behind this, maybe certain new artists springing up, new cameras designed for this purpose like Fuji XT (and resurgence of pivotal old film cameras such as Leica M), and of course there’s social media. I try not to get bogged down by the trends and hype. To me, great photography is great photography no matter how it’s categorized. I love “street photography”, but I am a little curious as to why it seems necessary to define this with people in public places, the decisive moment, and a gritty old urban background. I’d love to see a photographer pull off some good “street” shots in a new glitzy shopping mall, or in a bland quiet suburban neighborhood, or maybe even just their own backyard.
I was about to ask what even is “hype” in this context. I don’t see any more of it now than in the last 20yrs