Three Veteran Photographers Discuss What the Term 'Street Photography' Means to Them

In the technological age of social media, the term “street photography” is often overused and misrepresented. PDN recently interviewed three veteran photographers about what their definition of street photography is, and misconceptions about the art.

PDN wanted to get to the bottom of what the term “street photography” meant to photographers who’d carved a spot for themselves in history by producing some iconic photographs that could be considered street photography.

Curiously, of the three photographers, two were hesitant to call themselves “street photographers” noting that they don’t consider themselves to have the title, nor do they set out to capture street photography. It’s interesting to hear the methods each photographer uses, and the mindset they have when they go out to capture photos, as many photographers consider street photography to be one of the hardest styles of photography to master.

Joel Meyerowitz, a photographer who is well known for being the only photographer allowed into Ground Zero to capture the aftermath of 9/11, and one of the first documentary-style photographers to use color film to capture his subjects, says that a street photographer goes out with the intention of “watching the way the world keeps presenting itself with ideas and incidents and moments of consciousness.”

Learning the mindset of other photographers who have mastered a style of photography that one may be interested in is a great way to get better at the craft. Check out the PDN interview for more insight into how these veteran photographers approach their photography.

Lead image by Kaique Rocha via Pexels.