Street photography emerged with the advent of portable cameras. Street photography captures daily life, human interactions, and candid moments. Capturing pictures as a street photographer involves observing and reacting to the environment around you. There is no simple, precise definition of what qualifies an image as street photography. However, there are several acclaimed street photographers such as Helen Levit (1913-2009), Garry Winogrand (1928-1984), Robert Frank (1924), Vivian Maier (1926-2009) and many more.
Helen Levit
Garry Winogrand
Robert Frank
Vivian Maier
These examples all have a very similar aesthetic. They show candid pictures of people in urban environments. They were all taken using film cameras. This aesthetic is still very popular today. Many photographers still prefer to use film cameras, with black and white or color film, to capture images. Many people, professionals and amateurs, act as street photographers. It is very easy to see how this aesthetic is still alive today by simply looking under tags such as #streetphotogrpahy or #35mm on Instagram.
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Thanks for sharing this – I’ve seen this aesthetic before, but I never knew what it was called, or the history behind it. It’s also interesting to learn that street photography continues to thrive online. Street photography has always had a “New York City” feel to it for me, but I’m sure there are great examples from all over the world.
Great post and pictures Liz. I have always felt that photographs capturing the most candid, human moments are what tell the true story of humanity. Some of the most memorable pictures of all time fall into this category. Thank you for sharing.