Recently on a forum of distinguished photographers …..I have been having this debate about why street photographers should clarify if a particular image was shot ‘candid’ or ‘posed’….. Most on the forum do not agree with me that we should distinguish the two, but wait….think about it.
I will go to a photo that someone took and ask; how did you get that shot….. their immediate reply is that they had someone (model or whatever) pose for the shot. Sure, the shot looks great but is that really street photography or is that just street portraits or posed street or street modeled …etc etc ? It makes a huge difference.
When I shoot candid photography and I ‘nail my shot’……it is because I have taken the time to analyze the scene and then wait for the shot, if it comes at all. Shooting ‘candid’ implies that I shoot without the subject being aware, although admittedly, like yesterday, awareness might come ‘after the shot’. …When shooting I need to determine based upon the scene, the light….patterns and colors etc…what or who might best fit in a photograph.. One can argue that the same applies to a posed shot but when shooting candid, all of this is done ‘now’…. not pre-planned. A quick decision is needed. If I shoot film, and I do so 100% manual or even digital shots I shoot manual focus… but camera settings change as I passively sit and wait. The sun moves, people or things come into the scene etc. Again, those changes require split thinking too accommodate.
The point is, that shooting candid and getting a good shot is more difficult in ‘it’s own way’ than a posed shot which also requires ‘it’s own way’. But those ways are different. While the end result might look the same (if both are great shots), the process of getting from A-L varies.
That ‘aspect of ‘what varies’, is what needs to be distinguished. There are certain things that simply can’t be captured in the same manner between the two and to pass them all off as ‘street photography’ is not right. Photographers should state their process.
A good example is where I recently saw a photographer take posed shots and represent them as candid shots, or ….implied by the subject matter and the end result. His work was published and everyone stated how great of a photographer he was as he captured the scene. Perhaps…..but if capturing a scene means you bring people into your studio and place them against a ‘green board’ and tel them how to stand and hold their arms and instructs them on their expressions; well…..that is not and should not be considered street work.
Just my two cents…..