On one of the Internet forums, where I post my photographs frequently, a lively discussion took place on merits of street photography. The debate seems to have three sides with varied but not always opposing viewpoints to it.
Firstly, the photographers, who take street candids, see it as a form of art, which captures people in their natural environment exhibiting their natural behaviours. Secondly, the photographers who view this as a form of art, but acknowledge only a small proportion of candid photographs as worth looking at. Finally, there was a group of photographers, who see no purpose or for that matter any photographic or artistic skills in this medium at all.
Yes, this is discussion was conducted on a photographers for photographers forum and thus the audience is rather of a very narrow demographic.
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In recent days I have posted less street photos I have been busier then usual at work. Additionally, with a lot of places undergoing rebuilds and refubrishments many of spots that were ideal for people photography are now empty, inaccessible or simply construction zones. Sydney at the moment is quite a visual mess. I hope when all this development activities complete we will have more of interesting and nice places.
In street photography it seems the photographer is never close enough to reflect being the part of the event or scene he is photographing. In this particular case I was too close. Standing at a major pedestrian crossing opposite the Sydney Town Hall I have noticed a young woman standing next to me fidgitting around her clothing. She was in quite peculiar assembly of cloths and drew attention of the older woman standing on her right. It is hard to read from her face if she disapproved of the fashion the young woman was wearing but she certainly was interested in the outfit and the actions of the girl.
One of the most disgusting views I come across regularly: homeless people gathering cigarette butts. These are picked up from the street or more often from the rubbish bins.
The two human shapes under the rugs are a bad sign. It is still relatively warm but having these homeless sleep in the street only meters away from the shelter means there are more of them than last year. Sleeping on pavement is no pleasure now in mid autumn and by the time the winter comes it will be outright freezing.
