Women in Street

Female Street Photographers

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Archives for January 2017

Julie Hrudova

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Street Chat

Please tell us a little about yourself. Where are you from, where do you live now? Your background with photography, how and when you were drawn to the street genre.

I’m Czech but we moved to The Netherlands when I was 10. I became interested in photography when I got a mobile phone with a camera in it. I started to photograph friends when they were not aware of that, and slowly I moved on to the streets. Digital technique was very important in the process, to immediately see how things look when they are photographed. A constant feedback I still use when I’m at work.

How do you define “street photography” for yourself?

For me it’s about unposed happenings and visually interesting things, mostly in public spaces. The term “street photography” is a bit confusing as you can make a great ‘“street” photograph practically everywhere, not necessarily on the streets.

Does your local situation affect your work?

Not so much. Here in The Netherlands, street photographers have quite some rights. We can photograph almost everywhere, and we can publish the photos with recognisable people in them. There are some exceptions, such as commercial use and a negative context for the person in the photo. But in general, it’s well organised for street photographers.

As for local factors, the exact location is often not very clear in my work and therefore not so important. It’s more about the visual situations I encounter. But some fascination with a place is vital, so I try to travel as much as I can.

In what ways do you think being a woman has affected your work?

I’m not so sure which aspects belong to me as a human, and which to me as a woman. I capture things the way I see them, and the way I want the camera to translate them. It’s probably cliche to say, but I am not a very technical photographer. Usually I have an image in mind and I have to find out with what settings or light I need in order to reach that. Probably it has to do more with character and priorities, rather than with being a woman.

Color or black and white, digital or film?

Mostly colour and digital.

What photographers can you name who are the most inspirational to you?

Vivian Maier for her fascination with public space and the people in it, Matt Stuart for the humour and precision, William Eggleston for the colour and form, Maciej Dakowicz for his series about Cardiff, Martin Parr for everything, Dutch photographer Peter de Krom for his funny themes and talent to capture society. Also Sara Nicomedi, I discovered her work through Women in Street, her work is great.

Is there a special project you are working on? Or recurring themes you are often drawn to?

I always keep a street photo diary of a city I am in for a longer period of time. So now there is an ongoing series of photos made in Amsterdam.

Theme-wise, I am often drawn to animals. Currently I am working on a photo story about herons in Amsterdam. There is a large population of the birds here, and as they are smart, they always come by for leftovers at markets and cafeterias.

Then there is a festivity theme I always come back to. Over the top festivities, carnival, with lots of pink. At the moment, I’m visiting a lot of fun fairs for an ongoing project about the industry of fun.

Julie Hrudova | Website | Flickr | Instagram |

 

Yin Yang

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Street photography gallery curated by Karina Brys

Karina Brys

Every few weeks we have a new challenge in our FB community, each one hosted by a different photographer, who introduces her challenge, then curates the top picks from the submissions. Some are featured on our IG or Tumblr, and may result in a gallery here on our blog. She also then selects the person who will run the next challenge. We had the challenge from Karina Brys “Yin Yang.” She says:

“In Chinese philosophy, yin and yang describe how seemingly opposite or contrary forces may actually be complementary, interconnected, and interdependent in the natural world, and how they may give rise to each other as they interrelate with one another — such as light and dark, fire and water, expanding and contracting.”

Galia Nazaryants

Stefania Lazzari

Casey Meshbesher

Lei Davis

Anne Gibson

Tzen Xing

Ludmilla Morais

Susana Soler

Julie Hrudova

Kathleen Bridget Austin

Her Side of the Street 
The blogzine for women street photographers
| FB | Instagram | Tumblr |

Subway NYC

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In transit with Lauren Welles, interview by Charlene Winfred for #HerSideoftheRoad

Please tell us a little about yourself. Where are you from, where do you live now? What’s your background in photography? How and when you were drawn to the street genre?

First, thanks for giving me the opportunity to talk with you. And now to your questions: I was born in NYC, raised on Long Island and currently live in NYC. I’ve been photographing since 2003 and am primarily self taught. I was drawn to the street genre somewhat unintentionally. When I caught the photography bug, I was working full time as an attorney, feeling very unfulfilled, career wise. I didn’t have a lot of time to photograph, so I started waking up 45 minutes earlier than usual to walk to work, photographing along the way. I didn’t realize I was doing street photography; I didn’t even know it was a genre at the time. By paying attention to what I used to deem “my banal surroundings” I started seeing stories everywhere and pretty much got hooked.

Your Subway NYC series is really vibrant, with a swathe of characters in almost constant (frozen) motion. What made you decide to do this project? And how long did it take to put this particular series together?

As with almost all of my street photography, I didn’t decide to make this a project. I just go out and shoot and see what comes of it. I ride the subway a lot and usually have my camera with me, so I’m bound to take photos there. Every so often I go over old photos. Recently, I saw I had lots of subway photos and started editing to see if there was a commonality among them. The thread was the same one I find throughout a lot of my photography — a slice of life. So I guess it’s turned into an ongoing project with no end in sight (as long as I’m riding the subway, I’ll be on the lookout!) These photos were made over the last four years.

Are there particular differences about shooting on the subway, compared to shooting while you’re out and about walking? Do people react differently, do you find yourself employing a different approach?

Even thought they’re mostly indoors, the stations and the platforms are like the outside streets to me since everyone is free to move about. I shoot the same way as I do when I’m above ground. But when I’m shooting in the cars themselves, the space between people is more intimate and confined. I tend to take more time checking my surroundings, making sure I feel safe and that I’m being as discreet as possible, before taking a shot. If someone gets upset or reacts aggressively, it’s harder to walk away, so I use my intuition as best I can to feel out the situation.

Were there any memorable moments?

This may sound a bit corny, but it’s rare that there isn’t a memorable moment when I’m on the subway (whether or not I come away with a photograph.) There has been so much gentrification in NYC (as in most cities.) The subway is one of the only places left where I still feel like I’m in the “real” New York on a daily basis. People of every ethnicity, religion, economic, educational level and social status come together in a small space. During that time, our differences are irrelevant — we’re all just people going from one place to another. I meet so many interesting people and have great conversations with random strangers. So it’s not necessarily the memories from making these photographs, but the mere fact of interacting with a diversity of people, that makes it interesting to me.

Are you a film or digital shooter?

I’m a digital shooter.

All the street work on your site is in black and white. Why?

I started out shooting in color, but I found black and white to be more succinct. I want my photos to be about the people in them. To me, color is a subject all its own and can compete for attention with the intended protagonists. By eliminating it, there’s one less thing I have to think about while I’m out shooting. The less I have to concentrate on, the freer I am to enjoy the experience. But who knows, I’m sure one day I’ll try doing something in color, just to change things up.

Who are your influences/inspirations?

A mix of influence and/or inspiration: Winogrand, William Klein, Cartier-Bresson, Koudelka, Sylvia Plachy, Jill Freedman. Jason Eskenazi, Keith Carter, Larry Fink, Helen Levitt, Martha Cooper, Richard Sandler, Sam Abell, Saul Leiter. This list could get extremely long, so I’ll stop here!

Lauren Welles | Website | Instagram |

Eleni Rimantonaki

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Street Chat

Please tell us a little about yourself. Where are you from, where do you live now? Your background with photography, how and when you were drawn to the street genre.

I am from Greece and I live in Athens. My interest in photography started right after I graduated from university, so I attended a two-year course back then, but soon after that I was disappointed with my photos and as a result I gave it up. My first digital camera brought me back in the game after a long pause. Quite a few seminars and courses followed. I also attended some workshops, including one with Magnum photographer Nikos Economopoulos and also another one with Jason Eskenazi, which were both very enlightening. Photography is more than a pleasant pastime for me now. It’s something like a compelling need.

I have always been interested in photographing people, but since I feel uncomfortable with taking posed portraits, I started trying to capture stolen moments, which inevitably led me to street photography. However, I think that it has been since 2010, when I came across some street groups on flickr, that I have taken a more serious interest in street photography. I was motivated by the photos in these pools and tried to capture something interesting myself too.

How do you define “street photography” for yourself?

I know that there is a lot of controversy as to what “street photography” is. For me it can be anything that contains life, usually in an urban context. It can be in a public or a private place. Generally I believe that it’s mainly about people, but human presence can also be implied. I think that an important ingredient is for your subjects to look natural whether the shot is candid or not. So, for me, many different kinds of photos fall into this genre.

Does your local situation affect your work?

Street photography in Athens is becoming increasingly difficult, as more and more people object to being photographed nowadays. I think people are skeptical about having their picture taken by a stranger because they are concerned about how this picture may be used. They are also more aware of their rights concerning their privacy than they used to be. I suppose that the current economic crisis in Greece has made them feel even more vulnerable too.

In what ways do you think being a woman has affected your work?

I think that generally people feel less threatened when they are photographed by a woman. Yet there have been some cases when I was confronted with some kind of hostility, which has made me more careful. I find that some funny comments or small talk after I have taken the photo, do help.

Color or black and white, digital or film?

When I first took up photography, I had a film camera as there was no other alternative back then. Years later, I reluctantly bought a digital camera, which was to change my view about digital cameras forever. It allowed me to experiment, and helped me to improve. In the beginning, I was fascinated by black and white photography, and I actually disliked colour. I loved the way that black and white transformed reality into something more illusory. Although I haven’t given up on black and white completely, now I photograph mainly in colour, despite the fact that it is more challenging. I find myself drawn to bold colours, and I try to put them in my frame.

What photographers can you name who are the most inspirational to you?

I like so many photographers that I wouldn’t know where to start. I admire the work of the great masters but I also love the fresh point of view of the many contemporary photographers I have come across on social media. I only want to mention that William Eggleston has been a great source of inspiration for me lately, because through his work I have come to appreciate the power of banal, everyday moments captured in a frame.

Is there a special project you are working on? Or recurring themes you are often drawn to?

From time to time I have different themes in mind although I also shoot whatever crosses my path and find interesting at the same time. Lately I have become obsessed with cars and how they blend with people and the city and I try to transform them from the visual noise they usually are into something interesting.

Eleni Rimantonaki Flickr

 

Margarita Vazquez Diaz

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Street Chat

Please tell us a little about yourself. Where are you from, where do you live now? Your background with photography, how and when you were drawn to the street genre.

I am the child of Spanish parents that emigrated to the UK in the 70s, in search of a better life. Then, last year, the family moved back to Spain, to enjoy the sunshine, space, and the peace of living in the Valencian countryside. It’s been a pretty smooth transition, the hardest challenge being the language. I can “get by” in Spanish, but not being able to communicate fluently with people is frustrating. But it will get easier.

I’ve spent most of my life being sort-of-English-but–not-quite, and now I’m sort-of-Spanish-but-not-quite. I guess it’s why I’ve always felt a like an outsider — on first appearances fitting in, but not quite seeing life like everyone else.

Once we decided to make the move over here, I gave up a career in advertising to pursue my love of photography. I’ve been drawn to the visual image since I can remember, and I dabbled with it in my younger days. Looking back now, I realise that I was scared to take the artistic leap and I decided to get “a proper job” instead. I don’t regret this choice, I’ve enjoyed my working life, but twenty years on, my love and interest in the still image has only become stronger — so here I am, finally, living the photographic life.

The standard advice given to people with an interest in photography is “shoot what you like,” and it is good advice. I’m interested in people and the ordinary — the quiet beauty, irony and humor of daily life. So street photography is a natural fit for me.

How do you define “street photography” for yourself?

A good all-round definition of street photography is found in Mary Warner Marien’s 100 ideas that changed photography: “Photography conducted for art or enquiry that features unmediated chance encounters and random incidents within public places.”

For me it’s more than this. It is observing how the human elements are sometimes poignantly at odds with their environment, and how at other times, they become intrinsic parts of it — colour, line and form working together to create interesting, almost abstract compositions.

Does your local situation affect your work?

When I lived in the UK, shooting street was easy, I simply stepped out of my front door. I lived in a busy tourist town, so never really had any issues photographing in public. But the social tone has changed in recent years, and the UK has become more hostile and paranoid towards people with cameras, it’s a sad sign of the times.

Living here in rural Spain, I am several kilometres from the nearest town, so it’s a trip out in the car, or on the motorbike to find people. It’s not going to stop me, it just means I have to travel a little further. I’ve already discovered some wonderful places that I shall be returning to this year.

In what ways do you think being a woman has affected your work?

I suppose, as with most things in life, being a woman has its pros and cons. I believe that being a woman with a camera makes me appear less threatening to people, and being 5ft 2” means I don’t stand out in a crowd, which I think also helps my style of photography. Beyond that, I can’t really comment on how being a woman affects my view of the world through the viewfinder; I think it probably has more influence on how my work is perceived by others.

Color or black and white, digital or film?

It’s colour and black and white for me, depending on subject matter, style and feel. I shoot mostly digital these days, but still enjoy winding a roll of 36 frames through the old Olympus OM-10, my first proper camera, every now and then. Years ago I had my own darkroom set up in a friend’s basement, but it’s been boxed up for over ten years now. I hope to get it out again one of these days, because the process is still so fascinating to me.

What photographers can you name who are the most inspirational to you?

There are just so many photographers whose works I admire and are inspirational to me. Particular favourites include: William Eggleston, Elliott Erwitt, Lee Friedlander, Josef Koudelka, Diane Arbus, Vivian Maier, Stephen Shore, Alex Soth and Martin Parr. I’m also a big fan of: Cig Harvey, Polly Gaillard, Susan Worsham, Terri Bright, Brian David Stevens, Adam Bellefeuil, Nancy Baron, Natalie Christensen, Anna Brody and Gus Powell. And these are just people that I know about now, I discover exciting new work every week.

Is there a special project you are working on? Or recurring themes you are often drawn to?

I am a massive fan of photozines and books. I’m a true believer that photographs are happiest when they’re prints, on a wall, or images on a page. This year I will produce a series of low-fi, low-cost and low-run zines. Styles and themes are yet to be worked out, but I’ll draw from my archive of images. I look forward to exploring how images work together in sequences and with text. I’m looking forward to getting started.

I am also working on my first serious “landscape” projects, based in our new home here in Valencia, which is a world away from our old home in the UK. One project features reservoirs; they’re everywhere here, and I find them fascinating. The other was originally focused on abandoned farmhouses, but there are so many other types of abandoned buildings around here, that I may well incorporate them all into one project. To me, they’re markers of the past, ghosts hanging about long after the people that created and lived in them have gone. I know it’s a not an original subject, but I find these things interesting because they’re new to me and I’m looking at them through the eyes of an outsider. And because I’m not familiar with their history, I’m free to invent it.

And I will of course continue with the street photography, and see how I deal with the challenge of these new streets.

Margarita Vazquez Diaz | Website | Instagram |