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February 13, 2012
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Street Photography - The Origins

Mon Feb 13, 2012, 12:56 AM
As we all know from the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding everything was invented by the Greeks. Well, ok we left some trivial things to be invented by the Chinese as well. What you may not know is that Street photography was also invented by the Greeks before Photography itself was even invented.

Seriously now:
Kairos is an ancient Greek word meaning the right or opportune moment or "the supreme moment". The Greeks believed the concept of Kairos is achieved when such a moment is grasped for otherwise the moment is gone and cannot be re-captured.  According to ancient Greeks, Kairos was the god of the “fleeting moment.”
Interestingly the ancient Greeks had two words for time, chronos and kairos. While chronos is quantitative, kairos has a qualitative nature.

Does the above remind you of the "Decisive moment", the essence of Street Photography?

Street Photography - a brief history show

better viewed in full screen



Street photography stems out from another type of photography called documentary photography. Documentary photography was once known to be the most honest and truest to life picture taking. Street photography reflects society in its untainted natural state. This accounts for many photographs we see on the Internet and magazines that reflect what was happening at the time.

When Street Photography Started?


The genre of street photography started between the end of the 1800s. One of the assisting inventions of street photography was the 35-millimetre film. The 35-millimetre films were first introduced towards the late 1800s. Photographers of both Europe and North America spread the popularity of the genre and developed the art behind it. Some well-known street photographers of that time were Henri Cartier Bresson of France and Robert Frank of Switzerland.

Photography first emerged in the first half of the nineteenth century, but it wasn't until roughly the 1880s and 1890s that film speeds became advanced enough for a normal street scene to be captured (without having to use a long shutter speed that would normally result in blurs). Also around this time, the flash was developed, allowing the photographer to venture into areas that were once too dark for exposure.

Art Becoming History


As time passes on, street photography goes from being a piece of art to a historical document. What might seem like ordinary street photography today will eventually become a window into the past, and that's what makes it great.



Links

Henri Cartier-Bresson The Decisive Moment Photobook Photography

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:iconoo-rein-oo:
*oO-Rein-Oo Feb 27, 2012   Photographer
It is intriguing to know that such concepts about the decisive moment were already scrapped by the Greeks :confused:
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:iconstamatisgr:
`StamatisGR Feb 27, 2012   Photographer
it is, isn't it? ;)
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:iconoo-rein-oo:
*oO-Rein-Oo Feb 27, 2012   Photographer
good thing we can practice it ourselves :lmao:
Reply
:iconmr-ripley:
*Mr-Ripley Feb 14, 2012  Professional Digital Artist
Very interesting article :thumbsup:
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:iconguruzone:
~Guruzone Feb 14, 2012  Hobbyist Photographer
Yes, street photography, is spontaneous. Though an observant photographer may be able to capture some situations with a developed sense of anticipation, yet he may not always be lucky. All such pix may not be technically good but do definitely have a tale of the moment to convey. Yes, from one point of view such a photography may eventually provide a 'window into the past.' However, every such moment captured in different parts of the world have their rich content of cultural ethos. Which means some things clicked in my town or region may seem common, every-day occurrence to people of that locality but it provides a fascinating feast for the eyes to people from other far off areas. So, street photography, has the capacity of giving instant joy as well as historic perspective. I love this area for clicking.
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:iconstamatisgr:
`StamatisGR Feb 14, 2012   Photographer
Very well said, sir.
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:iconearthhart:
Great article, Tam :#1:
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:iconjoeyboylondon:
~joeyboylondon Feb 14, 2012  Professional Filmographer
Nice article! :iconcameraplz:
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:iconbatsceba:
*Batsceba Feb 13, 2012  Professional Photographer
tx :)
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