From observing affection between two people to the smell of a dog and an off-duty police officer, street photography is the art of capturing life’s spontaneous and extraordinary moments. It encapsulates the personal, sentimental, sensational, and exquisite aspects of life, offering an interesting contrast to the more formal perspectives of life, such as the news.
A new festival that shines a spotlight on this dynamic art form, featuring exhibitions, workshops, and presentations, has recently been launched. What sets street photography apart, though? According to Des Byrne, a distinguished photographer and co-director of the Dublin Street Photography Festival, street photography intersects with photojournalism and documentary photography.
Byrne explains that while photojournalism aims to share stories of events, street photography is an artistic expression. Fascinated by a photographer in his neighbourhood in Bray, Co Wicklow, during his formative years, the cost of developing film was prohibitive due to his labour-class background. With the digital age, this has changed, allowing nearly every adult in Ireland to access cameras. Regardless of their prestige, all photographers, Byrne claims, – occasionally take flawed photos, but when they capture a great shot, it’s incomparable.
According to Byrne, street photography’s popularity is growing. However, legal rules about street photography vary from one country to another. In Ireland, taking pictures of people, including children, in public areas is not against the law. However, harassment is prohibited, and individuals are required to obtain permission if they intend to use someone’s image commercially.
One of Byrne’s inspirations was the acclaimed New York-based photographer Jill Freedman, who passed away in 2019. The festival features a retrospective of her work. Freedman, self-taught in photography, believed in telling “a story in the blink of an eye”. Her career took her across continents, from the Resurrection City slum erected in Washington DC after Martin Luther King’s assassination, to popular locations in New York such as SoHo and Studio 54, Holocaust sites in Europe, and even to Ireland.
Upon reflecting on her visits to Ireland, she wrote, “I loved the gentleness, the sweet shyness, the warm welcomes”. However, she noted that each time she returned, she observed the changes brought about by the noisy, invasive modern world.
What contributes to an exceptional photograph? Here are ten photographs as defined by various street photographers that embody good snaps:
1. The snap titled “42nd Street, New York, 2018” was beautifully captured by Melissa O’Shaughnessy. It intensely portrays a confident, graceful woman, whose gaze is mirrored by a man in a baseball cap, behind her. The picture has a perfect equilibrium, with two women and a man at each side of the key figure in the photo. Other characters in the frame seem oblivious to whatever is transpiring out of the camera’s view; Paul Murray shares these insights.
2. “Hawk on Bus” was brilliantly photographed by Tony O’Shea. Emulating feelings from Ken Loach’s renowned 1969 film, Kes, the picture seems to blur the line between street photography and documentary. It stunningly captures an offbeat yet common scene featuring two boys on a bus, divided by a bird of prey. The brace in the boy’s teeth on the left hints at a sort of uncomfortable innocence, mirrored by the impish smile of the child ahead; Brian Lloyd Duckett shares these musings.
3. Gustavo Minas beautifully captured “Men drink beer in a public market in Cruzeiro neighbourhood in Brasília”. An exceptional street photograph is one that grasps elements in a captivating, aesthetic manner. Beyond the scene’s rich, vivid colours, the photo provides a remarkable narrative of the past and present, two mates conversing and chilling, with the engaging shadow of youth in close vicinity; said Danielle Houghton.
4. A snap from Oxford Street, London, taken by Matthew Stuart stands out. Stuart possesses the knack for capturing life’s overlooked moments. The clever composition of the serious male model gazing down on a group is interesting. This method provides the spectator an idea of what captivated Stuart’s attention; noted Paul Murray.
5. Polly Rusyn shot an impressive photo known as “Valencia”.
The technique of making full use of the photography frame is commonly employed in street photography. A prime instance of this can be seen in a snapshot taken in Valencia by Polly Rusyn. The photo features a bollard ingeniously used as a seat by a woman. In anticipation, Rusyn managed to include a second character into the scene, positioned at the lower right corner. It was fortuitous that the elderly woman who entered was wearing matching sunglasses and glittery antlers, providing an unexpected twist. – Paul Murray
While discussing street photography with pupils, I frequently resort to a particular image captured on a NYC train by Richard Sandler. The photograph is striking due to the mirror-like effect that nearly makes it appear as a set of two images. The metal pole dividing the scene in half generates intrigue and pushes the observer to question if there is any digital manipulation involved and to imagine their respective life stories. – Brian Lloyd Duckett
Shane Taylor beautifully captures one of the timeless attributes of street photography on the London Underground. Without the slight clue of people donning masks towards the right-end, one could mistake it to be a shot from several decades back. A poignant moment has been freeze-framed – picturing a woman either offering solace or receiving comfort. – Danielle Houghton
London has been encapsulated by Lloyd Duckett, focusing on a delightful aspect of street photography – animals. The charm of dogs exhibiting human-like traits is distinct, and the expressive “mango courier” dog in his picture accomplishes just that. The elegant stance of his crossed paws and his fatigued look towards the heavy traffic, almost as though he has succumbed to the rush hour, makes the image noteworthy. – Danielle Houghton
Danielle Houghton’s photo of Strangers Powered by Horsefeed in Phoenix Park shows the subjects looking in diverse directions, including one directly engaging with the observer. The image emphasises the importance of gaze direction in photography – a traditional aspect known for its potential to steer observers’ eyes around the frame. – Kevin Lim
Martin U Waltz delivers a stunning picture of Berlin in his street photography.
The artistic technique known as “Rückenfigur” [which displays a character from the back as they are highlighted in the direct front of the image] is deeply inspired by the methods of German Romanticism, and stimulates contemplation of the unknown journey that awaits. Adding an otherworldly ambience to the city, the nocturnal rainfall implies a metamorphosis, symbolising the departure of the mundane, and the familiar. – Kevin Lim
The Street Photography Festival of Dublin is scheduled from the 3rd to the 6th of May, set at Charlemont Square. Information can be found at dspfestival.com. Search for Des Byrne on Instagram under the handle @des_byrne_street_photographer.