It's no wonder why Susan Sontag defined our photographic relationship with the world as “voyeuristic”. For those who ever took street photography seriously, the word “candid” greets us as a good friend whom you randomly stumble upon on an idle Tuesday. Speaking of which, I want to share the anecdote that inspired me to use that odd metaphor.
In 2017, photography chaperoned Melissa and me during an exhibition in which some of my street shots were being showcased. The event was at the National Museum of Anthropology Dr. David J. Guzmán, at some point during the evening she approached me and asked me to sell her some smokes; I refused and gifted a few. From there on, we became like siblings.
A couple of weeks ago, we serendipitously met up with each other while doing the same thing – changing our cars' oil. Inside the shop, she took this candid shot of me while working. Now it's my profile picture on WhatsApp:
Back to Sontag, the scope of our voyeuristic behaviour ain't limited to just visual consumption; it also tells a lot about our conduct as photographers! Hence capturing candid images is something highly prized by us, especially when doing street photography. This feeling is so deep, that I wouldn't be surprised to read “invisibility” in the comment section below if I ask about which superpower you would like to have🦸🏻♀️
No matter the nature of your subjects, getting back home with a few candid keepers requires some patience, especially when using a 23mm (35mm equivalent) lens as I've been doing since 2016. However, after my encounter with the academic world in 2018, I sort of stopped feeling identified solely as a photographer and became interested in telling stories; that's how my documentary work came to be!
Despite today being more of a researcher than just a photographer, I do hold on tight to the candid aesthetic I enjoyed so much during my years as a street photographer.
Now, I've been talking about capturing this type of image while on the street; but achieving to register candid emotions in public spaces, that's something else! That requires a cold mind, a skilled eye, and some damn luck!
PS I'll be telling more about the importance of profile pictures online; that's exactly what my PhD dissertation is about, so stay tuned😅
Photo of the Week
When a photograph is capable of raising so many questions, then you know you are in front of a masterpiece! Not only is the scene intriguing, but the overall composition and colour palette enhance the story behind this image. Also, this is a great example of how accurate is to mention luck when capturing candid moments around us.
Congrats @kwongphotography, thanks for sharing such a high-quality photograph with us!
Weekly Photography Challenge Digest
Thanks, Tersha and Dahlia for pushing our creative boundaries one step forward every week!
An Apple A Day , Keeps The Doctor Away
Surprise shower
For more visual imagery, check out the 693th original challenge post!
A Highlight on the Latest Activity at our Community
Robert shared something moving and necessary to read; Whispers of Agony:
These were Coal miners without a penny to their names. To bury the crib with the child meant there would be no more children, they didn’t just loose a baby, they lost hope. This grave yard was full of babies Patrick, This was at the ghost town of Gebo, in the bad lands , no telephone reception out there, no radio broadcasts, nothing to connect you with the outside world, we spent the day there. The loss of all these children was heavy on my mind when we left there, when we got back to a paved road I turned on the Radio and the first thing we heard was the news that Roe vs Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court. Could you imagine what these folks would have thought about that , it’s been 2 years and that moment returns to me every time I see these graveyard photos.
Kenneth had an outstanding idea earlier this week, he proposed starting a thread where we can share and dispel the many of the “myths” and misleading information about photography found online. This is going to be a personal favorite of mine and I'll try my best to scrape some weird stories from the web!
👻Actually, I'll start with this video on paranormal photography from Leonard Nimoy 🖖🏻
In Search Of Ghosts In Photography … With Leonard Nimoy! (1981).
beth shared this fun shot and told us all about it here!
And let's congratulate our member Jim for passing the 3k contributions mark!
Our monthly contest is live, and is all about “Faces of the World”.
Go check out the guidelines if $250 sounds like an interesting prize!
Last but not least, if you want to make out the most of your LightStalking user account, make sure to check the latest posts. Also, don't forget to swim the Mobile Monday Challenge!
We'd Love To Hear Your Thoughts
Our Feedback Forum is a fine place for all those people wanting to grow fast as photographers. Here, you'll get your work reviewed by friendly photographers, but you'll also have the chance to critique the work of others. We believe in the power of feedback, and here are the latest shots shared in the pool:
The Shark Tank is a great place to learn and to discuss, but please read the instructions in order to get the best experience. Share your comments, opinions and doubts on any or all of the images above. We also will be delighted to see some of your own images. Remember all comments are given to the photographs; not the photographers.
Also, don't forget to participate in our current challenge on the dance of emotion!
