IMPROVE YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY
STREET
& DOCUMENTARY
FROM THE MAKERS OF
• Advice and tips
from the masters
• Photography
to inspire you
• The essential
equipment
you need
ISSUE 10
KELSEY media
£7.99
One of photography’s most important roles is to create a visual
record of the society in which we live. Our understanding of what
life was like for people in any given time and place over the past
150 years comes largely from photos taken at the time.
Street photography is about capturing candid moments of
everyday life in public places, and is strongly embedded in the DNA of image
making – indeed, some of the earliest photographs ever taken were of street
scenes. It’s also a genre associated with some of the greatest photographers of
the 20th century, including Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Doisneau, Martin Parr,
Diane Arbus and Vivian Maier.
Documentary photography is a related genre that’s more focused on telling
in-depth stories exploring events, issues, groups or individuals, usually with their
consent and participation. Some documentary photographers have dedicated an
entire lifetime to a single subject, but it could be as little as a few hours.
Both genres remain very popular today, and it’s not hard to see why. They’re very
accessible; you don’t need to jet off to some exotic location, and you don’t need
a lot of expensive kit. Just a single camera and standard lens will do, and often
the smaller and more discreet the better. They offer endless variety, too – telling
the many facets of a story may involve calling upon skill-sets in portraiture,
landscapes and even action photography.
This packed guide is a celebration of street and documentary photography, with
lots of practical advice, insights and inspiration from some of the world’s leading
photographers. I hope it inspires you to take to the streets with your camera, or
start a personal project. Good luck!
Nigel Atherton, Editor
IMPROVE YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY
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© DAVE FIELDHOUSE
© ED PETERS
Contents
6
Stories of the street
Leading street photographers share their words of wisdom
12
Know your rights
Get informed about the legalities of street photography
18
Backlighting brilliance
Denis Thorpe’s important record of northern working life
22
Get the shot
Three experts reveal their street photography secrets
28
At the water’s edge
Four photographers who studied Britain’s piers and proms
34
The people person
How Niall McDiarmid attempts to tell the UK’s story in portraits
38
Something of the night
Mike Crawford talks us through his Nocturne project
42
The future of iN-PUBLiC
iN-PUBLiC’s role in popularising street photography
46
Never forgotten
How the late Tish Murtha’s important work is being revived
50
Street view
David Gibson on the ethics and frustrations of street shooting
56
Six steps to success
Peter Dench explains his approach to candid photography
60
The way we were
Homer Sykes on 50 years of documenting the British
www.amateurphotographer.co.uk 5
© DENIS THORPE
64
Facetime
Dave Fieldhouse’s project looks at people on their phones
66
The shape of the city
Tony Sellen talks about his skilful B&W technique
70
Life without mirrors
Using mirrorless systems for observing everyday life
76
Sold up the river
Mike Seaborne’s document on the loss of the Isle of Dogs
80
Exploring new avenues
How three pros adapted during the Covid pandemic
86
Gilden edge
Peter Dench introduces himself to the work of Bruce Gilden
88
Miller time
Dod Miller talks about his book, Birdmen
92
Street smarts
Why a smartphone is perfect for capturing life on the street
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