Things are changed. Suddenly we found ourselves in a dystopian world. If street photography reflects society with its changes, its evolutions and its involutions, we cannot think of photographing as a few years ago.

Street Photos and the Pandemic society

Hey, I'm not talking about changing your vision or denying yourself the street photography you like. In fact, this post was born precisely to generate the opposite feeling: to restore trust to those who have lost it. That enthusiasm that drove us to take photographs on the street before the arrival of the pandemic.

Let's not fool ourselves, especially in some countries, this has been a terrible blow. There have been severe restrictions on personal freedom. In Italy, at some point, if you left the house, the drones followed you. And in some cases it seems to be more in the midst of a war than in the face of a health emergency.

All this is accompanied by a new climate that affects people, who are suspicious and distrustful of others. With masks to cover the face. Some colleagues have stopped taking street photography. Others have started photographing deserted streets, but to do that you are either good or you get useless photos. As boring as a photo of a mask thrown on the asphalt.

Never before has street photography experienced a severe crisis since its boom. Many have dropped out. Fortunately, there is still a hard core of photographers who just don't think about stopping and are still eager to do street photography.

My speech is not just about the pandemic specifically but just how the world has changed in these two years, its perception and how the media have influenced, in some cases manipulated, people and public opinion. Distrust is accompanied by a desire for politically correct that inevitably affects our world, that of street photography. As we saw in the previous article in this blog.

My idea of Street Photography today

On a personal level, this year has been really fertile for me from a creative point of view and specifically in street photography, with a personal return to a more classic street photography, no doubt also powered by this new site and blog that I had to build. After three years in which I have dedicated myself to the urban landscape, my return to street photography is also to be read as a reaction to the social difficulties that we are all experiencing since 2020.

Compared to many demoralized photographers, I consider this period exactly the opportunity to show the value of street photography. At the end of 2020, having gained certain reflections on the social situation, I began to mentally collect some shots in the new PANDEMIC LIFE project.

My idea about Street Photography has never changed: for me it is not a game for its own sake and I have never considered it as a mirror on which to reflect and maybe brag to others. Rather I have always seen street photography as a son-in-law different from photojournalism but equally important, focusing on the everyday. With this approach I have always considered street photography to be absolutely framed as documentary photography and for this very reason certain visual games that other photographers play leave me completely indifferent.

Today I consider Street Photography to be an absolutely valid and useful tool as an opportunity for reflection on society in a very special and difficult era like the one we are experiencing. And at the same time even more independent than photojournalism which is inevitably anchored, in most cases, to a commonly accepted and even manipulative narrative. By its nature, street photography responds only to those who produce it, it does not have an editorial policy to respect. And it tells, without superstructures and impositions, what is real life on the street, on the largest stage in the world.

The technical aspect

I frame my street photography as old school from an aesthetic and content point of view. To be clear, it is based on that street photography that had Joel Meyerowitz and Garry Winogrand as founding fathers. Nowadays a photographer like Graciela Magnoni can be a reference. I am interested in form and content as long as they are at the service of an approach attracted in a genuine way by humanity, gestures and expressions.

To achieve this I don't follow the trends that reign and just my way to understand and living photography to me. To give you an example, while today the favorite lens of many street photographers is the 28mm and I still prefer the 35mm. With my third party manual lenses this means we talk about a 38mm. Many street photographers would talk almost a tele lens, when is not but i don’t care.

Since March of this year I am working with a 7 Artisans lens and I am enjoying the results that for my photography are superior to those of the official lenses. Very close to that organic and more filmic result to which I have always aspired. It is a 25mm f1.8 lens that is equivalente to 37.5mm in full frame. Of course is only manual and I am using the zone focus technique.

To work with this lens allows me to be concentrated at any shot and having full control of the results. However, the lens is not super precise and you need to know how to use it. In any case, the more I use it, the less mistakes I make.

Some tips for Street Photographer in the new era

Not pretending you agree with this. I can talk about my experience and what works to me. In any case, I have always considered respect for the people we photograph fundamental. And what always works is a sincere interest in those we photograph. I too can take some shots in which people are just pedestrians inside the composition chessboard. But my favorite way to work is to grasp that heartbreaking, extraordinary humanity at close range.

Today getting closer becomes even more difficult. You approach with a mask, in a context of respecting the healthy distance. There is not a smile to support you, despite the smile sometimes can be revealed through our eyes, but is not the same. And then, after all this, you will obtain a photo of masked people. This is the reason why now anytime I see someone not wearing a mask is an irresistible call to press the shutter button of my camera.

Another tip is not falling in politically correct. I know: this is strictly personal and depending who you are, but street photography is not about political correct. And also those thinking to photograph èpeople without their consent: street nop can exist otherwise because there is no permit for this kind of photography. Street Photography is candid. In fact this is such a commandment that if you think otherwise I also wonder what you are doing here, reading about street photography, in this blog.

Another thing I feel to recommend: get rid from the marketing and the gear syndrome adquisition (G.A.S.). It is not good for YOUR photography. Just take a look at my camera:

Get rid from the marketing

As the most attentive will know, I was recently ousted from a certain photographic brand. When I realized that by making a photo to my camera I was promoting them, I thought it was not good. I am not going to make the ambassador for them anymore, not even by error. My fake Leica remarks my NO LOGO mindset.

In the past I worked with a Leica camera and the only reference for me is Leica M as system. The rangefinder concept to make my own thing.

As a professional with many contacts and experiences with photographic manufactors I can say that LEICA CAMERA AG are the real professionals, knowing for real photography and photographers. But this is just me, my experience and the way they manage with photographers and yes, also how much they recognize our work.

Currently I am making this: lens are from third parts. Not expensive, in fact totally cheaper and made of metal and not plastic. If I should buy a camera i would prefer to buy a used one in Donceles (the street of photography gear in Mexico City) to avoid giving a dime to the brands. I dream a film Leica and maybe in future I will do. But this is just for MY photography and not because I am interested to have a logo. The only brand that I would love to back to work with is in fact Leica.

Conclusions

I really hope this post will help and inspire you to go on the streets to make your street photography. We have a mission, guys. As photographers we are the witnesses of our time and street photography is about the society, without having editorial impositions. We are free and we are photographers!

How to shoot Street Photography in the new era

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