Pedestrians And Colorful Wall. © Copyright 2020 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.
Pedestrians walk past a colorfully-painted wall in Manhattan.
Photographing street art, graffiti, and other things created by others on the walls of urban spaces, often poses an issue or two for me. In some cases I have to ask myself if photographing certain examples might have the potential to encourage what could be regarded by some as vandalism. In other cases where the work was placed by permission or in a location where the unspoken rules allow it I still have to ask myself whether I am creating something or just recording someone else’s creative work. So I rarely photograph such things “as is,” instead looking to use them as part of my own take on a scene, and often letting passers-by populate the composition.
Perhaps because its bold design and colors were so much in contrast to the somewhat drab and even dark Manhattan surroundings, this example caught my attention right away. But, as per the above, I wasn’t really interested in just photographing the wall. So I employed a strategy that I often use when photographing street — I find a “street landscape” and with for the urban wildlife (e.g. “people”) to populate it in ways I find interesting. I have to work quickly since these subjects don’t stand still, but I hope to find interesting characters, interesting placing of the figures, relationships to that background landscape, and more.
G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books and Amazon.
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