"Street Photography is Weird..."
The biggest push back I get regarding street photography is that it’s weird. On the extreme end, some people label it creepy, but for the most part those who have an internal conflict with the practice tend to find it a strange thing for someone to do - I think they’re wrong, but in a way, kind of right.
According to the online Cambridge dictionary, the definition of weird is “very strange and unusual, unexpected, or not natural”. The first three descriptions feel subjective, but the last one, not natural, we can certainly debate.
Society has changed a lot in the digital age, especially since the pandemic. Deep human interaction seems more difficult to come by, and there’s a whole generation of humans that find any type of social interaction an absolute nightmare.
But, at our core, we are social creatures. We’re curious about one another, we like to be amongst each other and have a connection. Street photography, in my humble opinion, epitomizes all of that.
We’re not very strange or unusual to be curious about society, humanity and all of its beautiful unpredictability. And, no matter if you shoot like a ninja or interact with your subjects, there’s a connection and overall, a positive one. What’s weird about that?
However, let’s look at it from a subject’s perspective. I was making a street photograph the other day, and as is often the case, the subject caught me in the act. Standing before her was the short, pale, smiling British dude, waving and saying “I think you looked cool”: I guess that’s a strange experience for a person to have when they’re just going about their day.
Perhaps, street photography is bizarre, rather than weird, especially in today’s climate where “it’s all about content”. It’s hard for people to distinguish between those who have a general interest in humanity, and those who are like “think of the likes and views”.
When you think about it, it’s kinda eccentric to love to spend your days walking around with no real plan, photographing strangers who have no clue who you are. But, regardless whether it’s bizarre, eccentric, or just plain weird, none of this is a bad thing.
It’s good to be different, as long as you respect those who prefer to conform to a more general approach to life.
Whatever street photography is, I love it, and I’ll continue to beat its drum as long as my heart beats in me. Go be weird, because you’re not doing anything wrong, and in the long term I believe street photography is more beneficial to society, rather than detrimental, in the sense that it helps bring society closer together, something we desperately need.
Related: Best Camera for Street Photography
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