Pic(k) of the week 43: THE YELLOW STEPS - Street or Fine-Art photography?

Isn't it strange that us Photographers, often tend to be so bogged down on definitions? What is Street Photography? What is Fine-Art Photography? Does it matter?

While I'm in the middle of making a new presentation for Fujifilm Middle East for an upcoming "Street Photography" workshop at the Xposure Photofestival in Sharjah next month, this question came up several times recently. 

If someone asks me for my own definition of Street Photography, I would tell them it is "Documenting everyday human life and society in public spaces, mostly shot candidly". Does the image below fulfill this definition? Yes... no? Does it matter?

I find it quite interesting that even photographers like Henri Cartier-Bresson,  who is often referred to as the 'godfather of Street Photographer", hated the term. Maybe we shall just be "Urban Photographers", or "Photographers"? Does it matter?

Talking about definitions, lets take it a step further and try to define what a Fine-Art image is? Again, "my own definition" of "Fine Art" would be any image that somebody else than the photographer or his/her immediate family/friends, would hang up in their own living space". 

The image below, shot in Circular Quay Sydney, could certainly fulfill that requirement I guess, but then again, "does it matter"?

What I do know, is that I was immediately attracted to the great complimentary colors blue and yellow as I walked past these steps into the harbour just after sunrise. It is an image that I just send of for a large dibond print and of which I can't wait to see the results!

The wrinkles in the water, hopefully make the viewer ask some questions? Is that a fish just below the surface? Did somebody just jump in the water? 


Image details:
  • Fujifilm X-T20 with the XF23mm f2 lens
  • ISO 500, f8, 1/80s
  • RAW development in Lightroom CC
  • Photoshop CC for optimal sharpening using a High Pass filter in overlay mode
I'm writing this article on a plane (as a passenger and not the pilot!) on my way to Tokyo, Japan. I'll be documenting human life and society in the worlds most popolous city over a four days and I really don't care how you want to call it! 

BJORN











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