A barber takes a break on the steps of his shop, London
We spent a few late afternoon and early evening hours wandering around this area of narrow streets and small shops, killing time before a scheduled evening event. It was a warm evening, and this fellow was sitting on the steps in the doorway of his shop, probably getting a bit of fresh air, when we walked past.
From time to time I’ve read about people with some strict “rules” about what street photography is and is not. They often involve the equipment used, a preference for black and white, a challenge to get in the faces of subjects, and the desire to produce a certain “raw” look. There is nothing wrong with any of that, but I have my own notions about street photography — what it can look like, how it can be done, and even the boundaries around the subjects that qualify as street. It can be and up close, black and white image of a person doing more or less nothing special. But it can also be an urban landscape in which the wildlife is human. It can be in color. People do not necessarily have to be included. It can be produced in a slow and methodical manner or spontaneously while in motion. To make this photograph – notice the very low camera position — I held the camera down at my side and “shot blind” as we walked past.
A child appears to yell at a reflective window in front of a London street scene
This is one of those “either you get it or you don’t get it” photographs. We were in London for a bit more than a week, as part of a five-week period on the road through places including New York, London, Paris, Germany, and Italy. I know that not every “landscape photographer” feels the same way, but I love photographing the streets and people when I’m in places like this. In some ways it is a sort of counter to what I more typically do — I can work handheld rather than with a tripod, I tend to carry minimal equipment, and photographing “the street” often compels me to work quickly and instinctively.
We were out walking somewhere in London — I’ve forgotten the exact context — and we ended up on this busy street full of pedestrians. There is a lot to think about and to see in this photograph, at least in my view. The sky blue color figures prominently in many places within the frame. The carefree girl walking toward her reflection is the center of the scene for me, but behind we also see a couple and an older woman walking away.
A mask and the feet of a statue overlook the main courtyard at the Louvre, Paris
This photograph intends to combine views of the grand and the intimate scale of the Louvre, Paris. We spent about a week there in the summer of 2016 — one stop on a five-week trip that took us to New York City, London, Paris, Heidelberg, and areas of Italy including Chianti, Florence, Siena, and Bologna. (For those who wonder, no, this was not an organized tour. We were mostly on our own, though we met up with family members at various points.)
In Paris we spent a lot of time just wandering (and eating, but that’s another story), but we also made a point of visiting a few iconic locations. We had a day at the Louvre, which anyone who has been there knows is not remotely enough time to “see the place.” We managed on wing of one floor of one building, plus some shorter visits to a few other areas. I made this photograph when we stopped for a bite to eat and sat outside above the courtyard. This spot allowed me to photograph very close to a few of the statues that line the ledge along the upper floors facing the inner courtyard.
Photographer and visual opportunist. Daily photos since 2005, plus articles, reviews, news, and ideas.
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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.
