DAY 260

SOCIAL & POLITICAL COMMENTARY

Street Life

PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE

Street life reveals humans in their natural habitat, unposed, moving in their own time, and going about their business. A photograph revealing street life becomes a moment in perpetuity, a snapshot never to be re-created in the same way again. Focused on activity and the variety of available urban experiences, they often reveal a visual complexity. In many instances, this type of image becomes a historical document revealing a way of life that may not exist in the present. As such, photographs of street life become a point of reference to re-create, speculate, compare, or simply ponder the past.

These images communicate universal truths about human behavior, reminding the viewer of ideas, concepts, experiences, and people they have known before or may meet in the future. Through observation, the street photographer has at his disposal the greatest tools of all—his mind and instinct. Knowing the right moment to capture street life means the photographer must practice “looking.” The perceptive eye of the street photographer searches for the decisive moment, the juxtaposition of information or the interjection of a passerby. —MLR