Street Photography is overrated. Yeah. That sums it up. So to all the fanboys and purists out there; this is easily the shittiest introduction I’ve written in a while. At least we can agree on that.
Public Enemy
Here I stand before the The Grand Street Photographer jury. ‘’Guilty!’’ Exclaims The Grandjuror.
With a barely audible click of the schutter my sentence is passed. ‘’The Sinner shall serve in Plastic Bessa Jail House for four years, twenty days and sixty nine hours.’’
The jury stands. ‘’Nice!” The chant booms through the vastly deserted metro station.
I turn towards Chris, my representative. He looks at his feet and mumbles somewhat below his breath. ‘’Nice’’ he says. ‘’We’re all nice’’
A hypocrite, a brute, but mostly a sinner. In the world of Street you’re all, but when asked you’re none. Simply because in the world of Street; ‘We Are All Nice’.
Purists stay nice by keeping their tongue. By law they’re only allowed to give sage technical advice to amateurs. Praise to the Great One is mandatory and critique outlawed. Secret underground portable document formats exist. They aren’t rare and can be easily traced back to some purists. Though in the eyes of Street. They are all frauds and therefore non-malignant.
Amateurs are benign little creatures. They vastly outnumber The Purists and can be found prowling the streets with aftermarket straps chained around neck or hand. The Mantras ‘’No Share, No Exist.’’ or ‘’Now, Or Never, Better Now’’ are etched into The Amateurs core being. Though some Purists managed to free themselves from Street’s dogma. These mantras resonate deep with all classes and members.
In Street Amateurs are the capital producers and also its largest consumer. Amateurs rule the roost and decide what’s street in Street. Film and Fuji are ‘’pretty street,’’ though Ricoh and Leica ‘’’have always been street.’’ Digital was ‘’very not street’’ until the 2010’s. But you see. The Amateurs decide. Hence Digital is ‘’OK’’
Gilden only knows how unpleasant my stay at Plastic Bessa Jail House will be. My attorney, Chris, did his best. He’s a nice guy. At least I think he is.
That’s my problem, he says. ‘’Think less, shoot more.’’
Add comment
Comments