Urban/street photography subforum?

[thompsonkirk]

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I'm often confused when I post pictures from the street. I usually photograph on the street, as do so many other forum members, but I never know if these should be posted as People, or Landscapes (if no people in them), or just Others. It's particularly confusing that the People thread says it's for 'portraits,' though few of my people-pictures are portraits in any strict sense – nor are many of the other posts there. If I take a street photograph without people, I know it's an 'urbanscape,' if that's a word (the spell-check just told me it isn't); but I don't think this sort of thing mixes well with the anticipated tree, river, beach, rock, & mountain-type of Landscapes.

 

Stuart, for example, is making an extended portrait of New York City. But some end up in People, some in Architecture, some in Landscapes, some in Other. And what's he to do with his mannequins? He must stay awake nights worrying about that.

 

Maybe a Photos sub-forum on 'The City/The Street'? That's a traditional Leica subject, & perhaps what the camera is most famous for?

 

Kirk

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[bill]

Hi Kirk,

 

I can see where you are going with this, but I think that a sub-forum is not necessary for two reasons.

 

Firstly, I suspect that you are being too literal in your interpretation of the use of the word "portraits" ~ I'd be interested in a native German speaker's take on this and on how the word (or phrase) is understood in the German forum.

 

Secondly, I think that if you had a new sub-forum as you propose then there would be no reason not to have "The country/the lane", "the seaside/the shore" or similar "fractures".

 

I suspect that this is more of a concern to those who live and work in an intense urban environment than those of us who simply have to go in occasionally to a meeting. The common thread for shots with people in is people, regardless of context or backdrop - I'm for keeping it that way.

 

Stuart rightly posts his photos where they belong; the Other sub-forum, far from being a dumping ground of the things that don't fit anywhere else, has become a place full of surprises; it is the second place I go after People for my "fix".

 

Regards,

 

Bill

[stunsworth]

My approach is that snaps where the subject is the people in them go in people. Snaps without people in them tend to go into travel and landscape. If I want to put together a body of work I use my website.

[earleygallery]

Likewise - if my 'street' photo has a significant people element to it I post in People. If the main point of interest is somthing else they go into the most suitable depending on the subject matter, but most usually Other.

 

I don't lose sleep over it!

[thompsonkirk]

OK, I just wanted to open up the idea. I guess most people don't agree.

 

Hmmm, seems to me I've had ideas like that before....

 

Kirk

[yanidel]

Due to the long tradition of Leica equipment in street photography, I agree that not having a dedicated sub-forum feels kind of odd.

[daveleo]

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Kirk, you give up too easily.

 

I think that "street shooting" (or whatever) is a genre unto its own . . . and the "people" subforum is now a conglomerate (dumping ground ? ) of anything with people in it. . . . from intimate portraits, family snapshots up through soon-to-be-city-life-classics.

 

The world knows, and so do I, that I personlly don't understand street shooting, but it's obvious to me that it has a niche of its own with an audience and a group of "gurus" of it's own. I don't belong in there, but it's a niche that needs its own space for people who understand the genre.

[daveleo]

I give up.

 

[erl]

The prime objective should be to shoot what gives you "the buzz." If it happens, great. Where to post it? Well, IMO that is not too important. Just post it somewhere (where no one complains to me about 'wrong forum' ) and enjoy any responses.

 

As for 'street' stuff. Well I am often confused about my own stuff in this department. I shoot quite a bit in cafes and the like. Is that 'street', or should I ask for a 'cafe' section? In reality it fits in many sub fora, and so does a lot of our other images. Don't lose sight of the prime objective, which should not be "which sub-forum" should I best post in? If you are only shooting for posting on the internet, I question your credentials for shooting with a Leica anyway.

 

For me, the best aspects of my images will never show through on the internet. I like to print, and print big. These days, my default print size is A2, and larger if I feel the image warrants it. I like to think that this size justifies using a Leica. Of course there are other reasons for using one, but, for me, they are esoteric and selfish, and not demanding of Leica quality, just Leica 'feel.'

 

To stay O.T. I believe we should post images where we are comfortable and to attract viewers whom we know 'habitate' the sub-forum we have chosen.