Sunday, May 02, 2021

The Sunny Side of the Street

Waiting for the bus to Monterrico from Antigua

The Kissing Alley, Guanajuato, Guatemala

After examining the ethics of photographing people on the margins of society two weeks ago I have selected a few images of a happier persuasion. Cheerful stories are no less important than the images of destitution that appeared in the April 18th edition. Yet they don’t pack the emotional wallop. And they seem less of an intrusion somehow. We can share cheery moments in time without regret or embarrassment. So, have a blast. Candid street photographs of the joy in everyday life speak of the human condition as eloquently as darker ones that reveal misery and hopelessness.

Payent, Avignon

Connected in Marseille

Gallic nose, Marseille

Traje de Gitana, Flamenco dress, Sevilla

Whether photographing the down and out or a loving couple in The Kissing Alley, I’m squarely from school of anonymity. It’s the only way to avoid influencing the scene. Sometimes even a stealthy shooter gets caught in the act. A matron in her fitted traje de gitana struck a flamenco pose when she saw me photographing from a Seville sidewalk.

1 comment:

Blacks Crossing said...

The Sunny Side of the Street is significant because the ordinary, although perhaps not as exciting, is important. And I thank you for giving a nod to it. Walker Evans did it in his own way, as did Imogen Cunningham in hers. The ordinary becomes beautiful in the right hands. In this morning's blog portfolio, the Gallic nose is a wonderful street portrait. The dog in the cafe take away window in Payent, Avignon is one of those ordinary things that many would not notice but you have brought light to it. The flamenco dancer is in a perfect pose, but the laughter and smiles of the women in the side photograph frame say so much. Thanks for putting these together, Steve!