Capturing the Essence of Life : Street Photography Now & Then

Over the years, my passion for candid photography has evolved into what is now widely recognised as street photography. What began as a simple fascination with capturing life’s unposed and authentic moments has grown into a deliberate practice of documenting the observed moments in everyday scenes. Looking back I can see that my early attempts were somewhat different to my efforts today, mainly due to the equipment I had at the time and the different techniques I now employ to capture an image.

 This first image I captured on film in Tenerife in the 1970s. I was so surprised to see that the photographers had actually added golden sand to the existing sand for what I would guess was a commercial shoot!

Another image shot on film, this time, St Marks in Venice. I liked the idea that while the vendor was busy reading his paper the pigeon used the opportunity to steal from him.

Today’s “street” images tell a different story. Today I tend to go out with the intention of looking for stories, whereas in the past it was more the case of shooting candid images alongside my more general photography.

One of the photographers whose work I greatly admired since my early journey into photography is the remarkable Elliot Erwitt. His images continue to inspire me with their wit, humanity, and timeless storytelling. So with his wonderful legacy in mind I will continue my journey into the street.

https://www.magnumphotos.com/arts-culture/remembering-elliott-erwitt-1928-2023/