Photo No Nos. My choices.
After blogging about Photo No Nos and bigging up the book, I felt I should list and discuss my Photo No Nos. In no particular order, here goes :-
1, Children, never as the main subject of a photo unless completely unrecognisable, unidentifiable. I keep my family pics completely off the internet unless a closed family group.
2 Rough sleepers. I see a smattering of rough sleepers on Vero, my one and only photo social media site. This is so wrong unless you are involved with a charity like Shelter in exposing the lack of interest in homelessness.
3, Distressed, sad, upset people, people having a bad day. As I walk around Leeds and use public transport. I see many situations where I could take a photo, on street domestics, sufferers from drug overdoses of various sorts, beggars, police arrests: On one occasion I spotted a guy crouching on the wrong side of a busy bridge, ready to commit suicide. I took a photo. He was resting on the edge of the bridge, being talked down by passers by. I knew straight away that what I had done was wrong and that the photo would never be published.
4, Young females, especially if “scantily clad". Vero is full of such photos, nudes, boudoir shots, women of a certain age on bikes, (obviously men don't ride bikes) women out on the town etc. Many photographers specialize in such photos. It is wrong. Women can be subjects of urban photography, especially if they, preferably, can't be recognised. I'm not sure they can be a photographer’s main subject though. As I shoot at night in winter i'm often asked by groups of women if I would take a photo of them. On odd occasions I've done this but with their consent. The odd one has appeared on Vero. For some Vero users, young women are their main focus. Wrong!!
5, Buskers. I used to shoot buskers in the city. I never liked the results. It's a bit like shooting fish in a barrel, too easy and of little interest. Very popular on Vero but not to my taste. How about you?
6, People eating and drinking in cafes and restaurants.. I used to shoot many people through cafe windows but I do a lot less these days. It's very intrusive. I'm still open to the odd shot but Its certainly no longer a main subject, There are some great eating, drinking shots, but they seem less exciting as time goes on. I do find it hard to resist a steamy window shot though.
7, In your face photos on the street. I'm not a massive fan of Bruce Gilden's “flash in your face” style of photography. Totally invasive and he should have been punched out many times. Male aggressiveness is never pleasant. Massive area of debate, some say. I say No No!
8, Street photography as a genre is obnoxious and a massive NO NO. The genre is overstaffed with gatekeepers making money out of gullible, would be street photographers. That was definitely me. I paid one such charlatan about £120 to walk around Leeds with him. He gave me one piece of 'advice', “Try f 4.” The rest of the time he spent telling us how poorly Leeds compared to Paris and London as a place for 'street photography’. As I had been on his course I was allowed to join his Facebook group. The first photo I saw was racist. I lasted 2 hours in his group. I still have a copy of the offensive photo if anyone wants to see it. The guy who ran the group is a massive knob head and a Photo NO NO. Don't be conned by gatekeepers. His name rhymes with “Fuck it.”
Also in passing, can l mention anyone who witters on about being a “fine art' street photographer. What a bunch of tossers. What on earth are they talking about? Keep well away from them. They know who they are! Be ashamed of yourselves.
Well, I feel so much better now!
Do your own list of photo NO NOs.
Read the book!
I'll accept emails and texts from anyone, offended or agreeing! Cheers, the_northern_flaneur
