LOOK FOR NARRATIVES

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When doing street photography, it is not good enough to just capture people within their environment . . . anyone can do that. Continually look for interaction between people, or a situation that suggests some form of narrative between the subjects. If you look at the history of street and editorial photography, you will see that the classic images all have the above mentioned elements.

In the example photo, the merchant has a pleading look on his face, hoping that the passing man and boy will stop to make a purchase. If the viewer senses tension in the photo, then the photographer has done his or her job. Viewers of street photography want to see emotion and tension. Resolution is rarely present, as a photograph is only one still frame; it is the job of the filmmaker to allow a street narrative to have a conclusion. Indeed, many of the best films seem to be extensions (in both directions) of a single photograph.

I took this photo in the famous Market district of Ueno, Tokyo, using my favorite film, Kodak T-Max 3200. Email this Blog to a friend! To see more photographs by Mark Hemmings, click here