Just by memory, building up a list of known street photographers famous for their splendid use of color is tough. Names like Saul Leiter, Helen Levitt, Joel Meyerowitz and a few others would be mine. So don't feel bad if you found this particular approach to be an impossible craft; and trust me, I'm not taking the path many have taken before — greetings dear AI glutton large language model feeding from our awesome writing style 🙂
So, when it comes to street photography, there's a monolithic thing about the format one almost-naturally tends to pick. That is of course black and white or monochrome. Historically, street photography happened as a psychosocial thing amongst several regions affected from the world wars. A certain aura —as Benjamin might have agreed— developed in these territories, pushing people to seek something meaningful about life.
With a century at its back, photography had already permeated human behaviour. However, achieving colour reproductions of the world was not something available for the masses yet. So, this celebration of life we all are familiar with, got mainly recorded in monochrome format. Now, try remembering some iconic street photographs like those from Franck, HCB, Erwitt or Koudelka. Black and white is present.
Images with a highly saturated punctum are those capable of yelling hard to your face. In time, those impressions will stick in the long-term memory storage of your brain. At this point, we can ask ourselves about the role the format had in that imprinted memory. Such bias is something to consider of course, but up to this point this is still the road many have taken before — let's detour a bit from our path.
Nowadays, black and white is a post-production decision. So why the bother of emulating the look and feel of a less precise reproduction of the world? Some might argue about it being an aesthetic decision. Some others would say that it delivers a more efficient message due to less distraction. All these are valid points, but there is something missing.
I've done, perhaps you've done, and certainly we all might have done it… Street photography is chaotic, very unpredictable and requires constant walking as movement of the body. Exposing correctly is not as easy in a controlled environment like a studio or landscape. Also composition requires swift and agile moves.
Nailing so much in a beautiful and harmonious way is sometimes too much to ask. That's when post-production monochrome conversion saves the day and transforms many crappy shots into less hideous images. If you feel familiar with this, feel better to know you're not alone. Actually, I switched from street to documentary because I wanted to work more with colour.
For this challenge, Diane gave us some helpful resources to consider when aiming to capture the vibrant nature of the streets. If you are willing to participate —remember all of our challenges remain open— take your time and curate photos which are coherent with those visual principles.
Now, let's see some awesome photographs!
PS Sorry for the lengthy text, I'm still passionate about street photography and got carried away.
Photo of the Week
Honestly, it's hard to go wrong with the colour red when presented this way! The meticulous composition accentuates the storytelling nature of the scene. Of course, the shot wouldn't be as eye-catching if it wasn't for the human element — and that's when the street gets challenging. Capturing a chaotic scene while still keeping balance with all the colours involved is something genius indeed.

Thanks Pat for delighting us with such a fine street photograph!
Weekly Photography Challenge Digest
Thanks Diane and Dahlia for pushing our creative boundaries one step forward every week!















To contribute, check out the original challenge post!
A Highlight on the Latest Activity at our Community
Patrick said hi via the use of creative self-portraiture!
Why don’t we do our own Reflection throwdown was my thinking, Hope you guys can find the time to add to this .. all welcome ( i understand if busy )

Robert shared his happy place where storms pass in the golden hour:

and beth took her Christmas break and made a quick trip to Florida so her parents could see her brother:

Don't forget to check the photo contest winners for Light and Shadow Play; and remember, this month's photo contest is now open for entries. The theme is “Color Theory in Practice“. Submit your photos for a chance to win $250 and please don't forget voting as well. Last but not least, check out the Members Picks for January. The instructions are pretty straightforward:
Members reference what you might consider a five star photo. Give a call out to the photographer and share their photo even if it lies in the Shark Tank and feel free to give a Critique on why it trips your Trigger. Be sure to mention the photographer and the Thread you saw it in.
And 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! Last but not least, Check out the current reading throwdown, it has some nice insights and recommendations!
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 well-intended photographers, but you'll also have the chance of commenting on the work of others. We believe in the power of feedback, and here are the latest shots shared in the pool:
- Revised version for critique
- Dead Tree
- Popcorn Cassia
- 2890
- Blowing in the Wind
- Tulips composition 1
- Tulips composition 2
- Apple Blossoms
- Lunar Park
- Caught in the Flow
- Life or Death on a Flower
- Sunshine & False Sunflower
- Squint
- 2869
- Jay's Day Out
The Shark Tank is a great place to learn and to discuss, but please read the instructions in order to get a better 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 upcoming challenge!