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Street Writings: Reflections On Street Photography Vol 1
Street Writings: Reflections On Street Photography Vol 1
Volume I
Paul S Donohoe
(AKA Paul's Pictures)
(And a Short Intro)
Namaste and welcome. Thank you for checking out this, my latest ebook. If you've
seen my other ones, welcome back, and if you're new, then it's great to see you, and
welcome!
This time I don't want to take up your time with a long introduction. So, I will just
say is that this ebook is the first volume in a planned series designed to share my
writings on street photography.
In a nutshell my street photography has always been about being as fully present
in the street (or other public space) as possible, to meet with other people there and
sometimes photograph them as they go about their daily activities.
I would wander in the street with eyes and heart open, and with as clear a mind as
possible. I would allow images to come to me, scenes to manifest themselves, and
when the feeling was right, I'd raise the camera to my eye and make a picture.
Topics covered here vary, but all have in common that they are based on lessons
learned from my time on the street, as well as from other areas of my spiritual
practice. You see, for me, street photography is a special kind of spiritual practice: I
get to share moments with other people who, like me, have all the usual hangups,
fears, joys and sorrows, stresses, and complications in life. As you will read in a
couple of places, Love, Compassion, and Empathy are my guides in my art and
in my life.
Anyway, I promised a short introduction, so I will hand this ebook over to you. I
hope you find something to enlighten your day or that gives you something to think
about. The words you will read come from a labour of love, and I hope that you will
pick up some of that vibe along the way.
Oh, before you go, a quick word about copyright and cost. There are none. Like all I
create, this ebook is offered free of charge and free of any other restrictions. It's
what I do: make photos, write, and sometimes make other kinds of art, in order to
share them with the world, which is of course you!
All the many hundreds, even
thousands, of people who invited
me into their lives for so many
shared moments over so many
years, on so many streets.
These thoughts, insights, ideas,
beliefs, bits of knowledge,
opinions, none of them would have
been possible without you
Thank you
I'm Saying Nothing
No doubt you've noticed the little thumbnails scattered here and there. I
often see and photograph people writing on the street, as well as the
occasional interesting writings on walls! So, a brief word on each of those
included here.
I wonder how many of you know that I am a poet. Well, I'm not really;
let's just say I occasionally write poems. I might go a year with no poems
appearing, and, then, as happened a while back, I will write one a day for
several days in a row.
Anyway, mid way through that poetic surge, I was reflecting in my
journal on one of the emerged masterpieces, and I found myself writing
that I was really quite pleased with the poem and how I expressed some
real feelings in the piece and that it contained some really nice images (of
the wordy variety that is).
I stopped writing at that point. Then I started writing again. Here’s what
I wrote:
I'm really struggling to come to a point where I do all my creative
work and especially my photography simply because it is what I
want to do, and to let go of any expectations of it being liked by
anyone else or commented on or whatever. I am trying to realise
that my role is to create and to share. That is all
Then I stopped again. After a few moments, I wrote in bigger letters and
in the middle of the page:
Meet Wayne. Wayne sleeps rough and in shelters for homeless people.
He is a gifted & generous artist. Always ready for a chat, or to show you
his art, demonstrate his way of painting - and he really knows what he's
talking about. We used to help him out with supplies sometimes, but he
never took too much. He said having much of anything made him a
target for theft.
Haves & Have Nots
Very groovy don't you think? A really excellent and innovative idea and
project. The world is in great need of new and expressive words and ideas
we can all share and relate to. Koenig also invites us to write him with
ideas about emotions we can't find words for.
Anyway, back to my newly discovered word, sonder. Here is the
definition from the Dictionary:
Outside Looking In
After all, they are just like me, and I am just like them. This informs my
work and enables me to meet the people I photograph as equals; there is
no imbalance. Our encounter becomes a sharing, an acknowledgement
that we are all in this life together.
My job is to simply make a note (through using my camera to make a
photograph) of a few of the moments in which we cross paths. I can then
share our encounter with others, who in turn may come to understand at
least a little of the lives of others.
Sonder is also a word in German. It means special. And I like that too.
The realisation of the things we have in common is a truly significant
insight (and it cries out to be shared). It follows that the brief encounters
between me (with my camera) and people in the street are special. Like I
always say, there are no ordinary moments.
But wait, there's more! Sonder is the Swedish word for, among other
things, broken. As in broken apart. The English word asunder is related.
And aren't we all, in some way or other, at least a little bit 'broken'? We've
all had hurts, disappointments, losses, traumas in our lives that have left
us a little damaged and 'worse for wear'.
And, you see, this is a huge part, at least for me, of what street
photography is all about. As I encounter people in the street, I try to
remember that, just as I am doing my best to make my way in the world,
so are they. Their humanity is my humanity; their brokenness is my
brokenness.
I'll leave you with a quote from a great humanist photographer
The world is in need of affirmation. At the very heart of our humanity is
the challenge of unconditional love, which is to suspend judgement
and open fully to the vivid reality of other beings. Unconditional love
does not know barriers; it says yes, it affirms the moment even if it is
full of grief
Abraham Menashe
Doin' the Busstop Boogie
For a long time now I've been concerned about the language of
photography. I don't mean here the ability of a photograph to
communicate an idea or story. No, I'm referring to the language we use to
talk about things photographic. There's a school of thought (of which I
am a member) that asserts that the language we use is
aggressive and violent. I would add one more word to these two:
acquisitive. Let me try to explain.
What do we say to describe what we have done when we press the
shutter of a camera? Usually it will be something like, 'I've taken a photo',
or if you are a little more posh you might say, 'I've captured a lovely
scene'. What about if you’ve been out with your camera for the day and a
friend asks about how it was? A usual answer might be 'Great, I got some
terrific shots'. And, my favorite: you post a photo in an online gallery or
group and one or more of your fellow onliners says something like, 'Wow.
What a shot. You really nailed him/her/it didn't you?
By now you're probably starting to where I'm going with this: taken,
shot, captured, nailed. All rather harsh words aren't they? Are they
accurate or appropriate words for describing what we do as
photographers? Look at the image above for example. It's a fun photo of a
couple who, while waiting for the bus, spontaneously began a lively
dance routine. When I asked them why they were dancing, the guy said,
'Well we like dancing, so why not?'
Good answer! So, what do I say about this? I could say something like, 'I
took this shot on the weekend, and I think I've really captured the souls
of these people, and I've really nailed the couple having fun, don't you
think? I reckon this shot justifies the effort I made to go shooting that
day.' Oh, sorry, I forgot to mention that onDoin'
thattheday
Busstop Boogie
I was out on the street
hunting people to take some good street shots.
This all sounds rather unpleasant, don't you think? Of course, don't get
me wrong: I'm as guilty as the next 'shooter' of using this kind of language
(though I try hard to break the old language habits).
And that word nailed is for me truly problematic. I don't have to learn a
new word to use in its stead: I've never used it to refer to photography or
anything else other than carpentry or woodwork. It has other
connotations which I have also never liked. Just goes to highlight even
more clearly the importance of language and how we use it.
In recent times I've seen little hints of change. Not many, but change is
often slow and rarely easy is it? It is time for a new way of speaking about
what we do as photographers. We really need to be using language that
does honor to, and speaks accurately about this great art of photography.
Drinking Fountain
Thank you for making it this far. You've probably worked out by now
that Street Photography is important to me. Serious business as they say
(whoever they are). For me it's a special vocation, a calling if you like.
It involves a sacred trust that I have always taken very much to heart.
Street Photography brings with it the same sorts of responsibilities and
obligations that come with, say wedding or portrait photography.
I don't need to say a lot here; what appears in this book stands as
testimony of my philosophy and approach to the work.
You will have read a few times that Love, Compassion, and Empathy are
my guiding principles. I could add honesty, integrity, a high ethical
standard when dealing with people, whether they are conscious of my
presence (and my camera's) or not.
I hope you have enjoyed my writings here. If you have, then you'll be
happy to hear I'm planning at least a couple more volumes to follow this
one.
Because I have been so passionate about Street Photography over a long
period of time, I have thought deeply about many aspects of the genre.
What you've read is a kind of summary or ongoing reflection on that
thinking.
Thank you for your time and please feel free to contact me.
Peace and love to you from me.
paulspictures242@gmail.com