The Weekly Street Photography Thread #1 21/03/2025

Wow, that's a really huge number, 500K ! And yes, these events give ample opportunity for photographers.
Your shot is very energetic, as you mentioned.

I am afraid to say that this is a name-only Lambretta. I still like their shape. Italian ones are really expensive, though.

Thanks. She was a very interesting person. I don't know for sure, but she was looking like a religious person; I thought it could be the reason for her clothes.

The rain is a great favour for street photographers. I like the reflections and repetition of patterns.

Yes, it is busy, but then, having layers of interest is no bad thing. I think the problem is that the most interesting subject, the elegantly dressed woman, is tucked away. It makes her an interesting find when we study the photo, like finding an Easter Egg, but she does not help to attract attention in the first place, which means the photo relies on Lucky Dogs initially. That still leaves an interesting image, but not as interesting as if she had been buying a hot dog, for instance. And I am not sure your friend would find anything Lucky about it!

You mention the conundrum of permission in street photography. There are no easy answers. Apart from any ethical questions there are legal issues and grey areas too, and they vary from country to country. For instance, there are two recent legal additions in Germany. Firstly it is now a criminal act, not just illegal, to photograph someone in a vulnerable situation. This was meant to protect against hidden cameras in dressing-rooms etc., but is also interpreted to include people, who are drunk, homeless or other compromised situations, although I am not aware of any convictions against any of the latter cases. The second is an interpretation of the data protection act, where a face, a time and GPS data in a digital photo can be seen as a violation, although again, I am not aware of any convictions. The data protection act cannot be brought against analogue photography, of course.

Personally I use my own sensitivity as a guide. I would not want someone suddenly intruding into my personal space to take a photo, so I don‘t do it. I am not worried by somebody having my photo, but do not want them annoying me whilst taking it. If I can make verbal, eye or sign contact with them, I will, to ask permission, even if it is only after the event, and then I will refrain or delete if they are not happy.

The image is very tightly cropped, with the eyes right up against the top border. This does not conform to the usual composition guides and is quite unsettling for the viewer, but I think this nervous tension demands attention and actually helps make the image stand out. Together with the clothes, the make-up and the bike, there is a lot of energy and the attention it demands is rewarded. Nice one.

Nobody has commented on this yet, which is probably because (a) people don’t like it, or (b) don’t really understand it. I can’t do anything about the first, and anyway it is fine if people don’t like it, but for the second, I can at least try to explain what I see in it.
The facade is of an art museum, and all the niches had portraits gazing out into the square and seemed to be looking at me and everyone else. They gave off quite a presence and I felt compelled to stare back. Everybody else in the photo has no eye contact with them, or with anyone else in the photo. Obviously, this is quite normal, as they have probably seen the facade many times, but for me, the tourist, it had this strange vibe of deliberately avoiding those powerful gazes and in doing so, became isolated from others too.
Of course, it is different for me as I was there and experienced the scene and the viewer only has a photograph.