Women in Street

Female Street Photographers

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Street Chat

Interview series

Elizabeth Huey

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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 were you drawn to the street genre?

I grew up in Virginia Beach, a suburban haven as well as a vacation spot. As a kid I was accustomed to transience, watching things come and go: waves, weather, ships and tourists. I pursued interests in Psychology and Art as an undergrad in Washington, D.C. and then moved to New York to be a painter. Following grad work at Yale I spent 15 years in Brooklyn. I’m now living in Los Angeles where I spend most of my time in the studio painting.

Long before I had my own camera, I collected photographs from estate sales and flea markets. These prints are a flashback, someone else’s memory that in turn becomes my own. The found images that attract me depict situations that serendipitously seem to reoccur…like a déjà-vu. For example, a print from the early 1900s of a couple staring into an elaborate water fountain floated around my studio for some time. During a residency at Yaddo in Saratoga Springs, I stumbled across a park with the exact same fountain, a couple standing together peering into it. Like an echo, it was a mirror image of the original print. A sublime thing transpires when the tangible offers a glimpse into the ethereal.

I started taking my own photos as a way to gather source images for paintings. In 2007, while working on a series informed by the history of psychiatry, I drew from many events steeped in 19th century iconography. My art studio was in the middle of a Hasidic neighborhood, a seemingly unchanged community that appears timeless. When I needed silhouettes of figures, I would step outside and photograph the men dressed in black with their formidable hats. When I needed to represent foliage for landscapes, I would take shots of bushes and trees. Naturally, I searched for colors and compositions as I do when making a painting, so over time; the photos began to share a similar resonance.

How do you define “street photography” for yourself?

I’ve spent a lot of time people watching, looking at the world and questioning life. The camera not only seems to make that permissible, it also magnifies moments I might ordinarily miss. “Street photography” is allowing life to happen without interjecting additional content or forms. There is an element of surprise and an unexpected intimacy to shooting what naturally occurs. I’m attracted to an inexplicable symphony of forms, a sort of idiosyncrasy which highlights the fleeting nature of life.

Does your local situation affect your work?

I’ve been living in LA for almost two years. This city has been shot over and over again. Everywhere I look, the land seems to have been thoroughly mined. I’m still in the process of discovering and navigating it’s terrain and finding my own perspective.

When I visited Puerto Vallarta, Mexico last year I stayed in it’s predominantly Spanish-speaking old village. Unable to decipher conversations, an auditory silence occurred that enhanced my visual awareness. I had so much fun. The feeling of being a stranger amplifies a sense of discovery. I’m hoping to visit more foreign cities in the next few years.

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

Growing up near a beach filled with tourists and sailors there was an atmosphere of men checking out women, sizing up their bodies. I was aware of the male gaze from an early age. It was easy to feel “hunted”. Photography is an art that requires hunting, searching and chasing a visual moment. Culturally, this has been an action reserved for men. When a woman has a camera, it inverts the paradigm. I find men to be surprised when they catch me looking at them. As a woman, it demands a certain level of courage to photograph in public.

Color or black and white, digital or film?

I prefer color because it’s a constant exploration in the studio. Digital for me takes the pressure off. I’m able to shoot freely. I have an old Pentax loaded with black and white film but I never seem to remember to bring it with me.

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

Artists who are both painters and photographers, such as Bonnard and Polke, inspire me. I’m usually drawn to pictures that maintain a cinematic presence with an emphasis on the figure’s relationship to its environment. Larry Sultan, Taryn Simon, Robert Frank, Alec Soth, Luigi Gherri, Winogrand and always Bresson. Stanley Kubrick’s photos, I love. I saw a Joel Meyerowitz retrospective in Paris a few years ago and I was awestruck by the color and movement in his early street shots. The Helen Levitt retrospective at the MFA in Houston last year showcased her black and white film “In the Street.” Mesmerized, I watched it three times. Levitt had an undeniable capacity to capture bizarre and theatrical candid interactions. Another show that has stayed with me revealed Walker Evans’ postcard collection and its similarities in structure and tone to his photos. The Met in New York did a terrific job of highlighting their symbiotic relationship.

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

I’m finishing new wall sculptures that delve into Masonry and the picturesque narratives of Maypoles for a solo project at Eastern Star Gallery in LA this Fall. I’m also working on large paintings that depict the intersection of trauma and invention through pioneering figures such as Edgar Cayce, Marie Curie and Alexander Graham Bell. Concurrently, I will be expanding my own photo archive and exploring some new pieces that more directly coalesce painting with photography. The morphing of time is an ongoing quandary. A painting can meld thousands of years into a moment while the camera can stretch a split second into a century.

Elizabeth Huey | Website | Instagram | Tumblr |

Elisabeth Schuh

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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 Salzburg, Austria and now live in Vienna, the capitol of Austria. I’ve been concerned with photography for more than 20 years. First, I did portraits and photographs while travelling. With street photography, it’s been about 10 years.

How do you define “street photography” for yourself?

Street photographs are pictures, which are taken outside in the public with the surrounding that is available. The photographer just chooses his/her position and presses the button, to capture a situation, but takes no influence on the setting. By the way, street is not limited to cities, you can also take street photographs on the countryside. It’s all about light, mood and the right moment. For one example, look at the work of Kate Kirkwood

Does your local situation affect your work?

As I live in a big city, there are many interesting locations and events, which is fine for street photographers. Furthermore, Vienna is crowded by tourists with cameras all year round, so a street photographer does not attract attention. I am not an intrusive person, and keep my distance. All of this taken together, here it is mostly easy to take street photographs for me.

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

I’ve often thought about this, but have come to no conclusion yet.

Color or black and white, digital or film?

Mostly color and digital.

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

There have been so many over the years. For example, I really like the work of Joel Meyerowitz, Ernst Haas, Saul Leiter and Jens Olof Lasthein. At the beginning of my street photography, I discovered the in-public collective, whose members still continue to inspire me over the years. I noticed especially the pictures of one of the female in-public members, Narelle Autio, her work is another good example of how to shoot street outside the city. I was also fascinated by the story of Vivian Maier, whose huge body of work was explored posthumously.

I think, street photography can also be highly influenced by painters: Go to the museums and look at the work of Edward Hopper, Georges Seurat, Pieter Bruegel, Edgar Degas…. You will learn so much about light and composition!

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

No. Just walking and looking forward of what will come around the corner…

 

Elisabeth Schuh  Tumblr

Roza Vulf

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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 was born and spent most of my adult life in Vilnius, Lithuania. At some point I have relocated to Germany. Spent half a decade there until I finally moved to Rome, where I am currently based.

I have always had a tight connection with photography since I was a teenager. I remember I even had an internship in some local newspaper in Vilnius during the Soviet times. Back then, of course, I was shooting on film, using Russian cameras like ‘Smena’ and ‘Zenit’.

But life takes its own turn — I got married, had two kids, and had to get a serious job as well as study. There simply was no time to shoot professionally, so I was taking pictures of my children, family and friends, and developing them myself having a “dark room” in my bathroom.

As time passed by I changed to digital and kept documenting my travels. Until seven years ago, when I moved to Rome and finally got the opportunity to dedicate most of my time to photography. Being self-taught, I relied a lot on books, magazines and the web. I got subscriptions to some photography magazines and educational literature to follow lessons on landscape, macro and everything else that could actually help me develop my skills. As well as photowalks and workshops with some great photographers from around the world, which has helped me to amplify my vision, and to understand my professional standing.

About the genre — though I don’t like to put labels on my photography style and prefer to keep the door open to different genres, I feel most comfortable with street and documentary. It allows me to record real moments of real life that flash briefly past my vision. It is a type of art that gives me a possibility to express myself and sometimes share my feelings.




How do you define “street photography” for yourself?

The first definition that comes to my mind is candid. No staged pictures. No asking permission. No portraits. All of this, in my opinion, belongs to the documentary genre. Street and documentary photography have always been close, sometimes confusing as they are similar but different.

Candid, emotional brief connection with a subject is fundamental in street photography. It is essential to walk the streets with your guard down, being aware, and ready for the unexpected, that’s when it happens. It makes you see those precise moments when you get just a fraction of a second to connect with someone else’s story. It could be a reflection, a light, some facial expression, the wind, a pose, a gesture or just a sentiment. But for me “candid” is the word.

Does your local situation affect your work?

No, I wouldn’t say so. I suppose there is one rule — do not lose respect for one’s privacy. I have read many articles and discussions about so called “laws of photographing” people in public in Italy. But nothing struck my attention as illegal or forbidden. In general people in Italy are laid back and friendly. I can remember just one case when a woman noticed me taking her picture. All it took was to erase it, and she walked on with a smile. When this scenario happened, it meant I was doing something wrong in terms of awakening her awareness of my camera. In any case, I am not interested in confrontation.




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

In the realm of photography, the for me personally gender issue has never been an issue. However, looking closer into it, my entire life experience with many issues, including gender inequality, this has affected my vision. And in the end it is all about being a woman, being a mother, a daughter, a wife.

Nowadays being a male or a female photographer can have some advantages or disadvantages, like anything else. But what is really worrying is that women street photographers have been historically undervalued, despite the excellent work they produce.

Color or black and white, digital or film?

I choose mainly colour. We naturally see in colour, and it depicts our life more precisely. It would be a shame to avoid it. Yet shooting in colour is always more challenging and sometimes, very rarely, the colour gets unleashed and dominates in the wrong way. That is when I convert a photo to black and white. Making it even more disconnected from reality, and bringing in a new layer of fantasy effect to the image.

Some brilliant photography has been done both in colour and in black and white, and in both digital and film. It really doesn’t matter, as it is just a personal artistic approach to the medium. Sometimes I feel nostalgic about film, but at the end of the day, I don’t think I will come back to it. However, “never say never.”




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

The word inspiration is a tricky one. For me, inspirational could be a novel, a poem, a painting, the face of a stranger, or a ray of light.

There are so many photographers whose work I love. Garry Winogrand, Helen Levitt, Robert Doisneau, Saul Leiter, Shirley Baker, Stephen Shore, Jacob Aue Sobol, Rebecca Norris Webb, Trent Parke, Darcy Padilla, Jill Freedman to name just a few.




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

There are a few recurring themes in my work, yes. I love shooting in a city’s underground, especially the one in Rome. Then there are off season beaches, and London’s everyday life. And finally one of my series is called “Illuminated” — a never ending project, as light keeps bringing those recurring, yet sui generis moments.

Roza Vulf | Website | Instagram |

Galia Nazaryants

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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 was born and raised in Russia, and have been living in Cyprus for almost 20 years. My photographic journey began in 2003 when I went to study interior design — I was always fascinated with homes and structures. My love of photography emerged then, but it was only in 2014 that I decided to take it to another level by attending workshops, and submitting my work to competitions. First prize at the 2014 Vienna International Photo Awards was a breakthrough that gave me strength and desire to follow that path. In 2015, I held my first solo exhibit in Limassol, where I live. From there the exhibit traveled to La Quatrieme Image in Paris. 2016 surprised me with two assignments I got from The Wall Street Journal, first was in Cyprus, second in Israel. But my main interest always was, and remains in the street. I love the magic of unposed photography, and my subjects are always genuine. I am fascinated with genuineness — hence the street genre.



How do you define “street photography” for yourself?

Street photography in my point of view is anything photographed in the street, and that is my main field of activity. I wouldn’t call myself a street photographer though. I try not to stick to the common approach of the street photography, i.e. catching funny and ridiculous situations, etc. I am out there to collect magic moments, and try to do it with a fine art approach. I look at each of my shots as if it would be a painting, preferably with a surreal feel, and with the right composition, harmonious lines, shapes and colors.

Does your local situation affect how you are able to shoot? Is there a political climate, social attitudes (or laws) about photographing people in public, or another local factor?

Photographing in Cyprus is not difficult. It is a tourist destination, so I suppose people are used to seeing a camera in action. My problem is that I almost don’t even shoot where I live — my main inspiration being newness, a fresh sight, the unknown — that’s why my photography goes hand in hand with my travelling. I also feel that staying long periods of time without shooting allows me to accumulate energy needed for the next trip, and all my trips therefore become very productive.




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

I think being a woman probably brings more delicate and respectful approach towards people in the street, but generally I don’t like that division. We are men and women of course, but first of all we are human beings. There are people sensitive and heartless, compassionate and hateful, warm and mean, etc. And it is not ruled by sex.

Color or black and white, digital or film?

When I started photographing seriously back in 2003, I’d been using film for a year only. Then I switched to digital, as photography was both an inspiration and a useful tool during my studies. The digital camera was a source of enormous creative possibilities and ideas for me. Since then, I stick to my Nikon with zoom lens, which allows me to shoot a great variety of pictures.

If you see my “Where stories come from” portfolio on Instagram, the answer to the first part of the question is pretty obvious. Color, color and again color!! I still have a few good black and white shots, but these are by-products, as the first thing that catches my eye in the street is “His Majesty Color.”




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

Alex Webb is the one who blew my mind with his color photography. Harry Gruyaert is amazing. Nikos Economopoulos made a huge impact on what I am doing now. I’d chosen him for one of my projects back in 2004, during my studies, and again ten years later, when I went to his workshop in Istanbul that brought me the prize in Vienna.

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

I would call myself an intuitive traveling photographer, looking for beauty in the streets of the world. I don’t want to limit myself to a certain theme or story. That’s why normally I don’t do projects or pursue any particular goal. I simply observe and react and it perfectly works for me.


Galia Nazaryants | Website | Instagram |

Susan Catherine Weber

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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.

Born and raised in Aurora, Illinois and at the age of 17, my family then moved to Scottsdale, Arizona. College years were spent in Flagstaff. After that I worked and lived in Phoenix for a few years. Lived in Denver for a few summers. That was fun. In 1987 I moved to the Los Angeles area. The South Bay is where I started, then Hollywood, Orange County, back to the city in various neighborhoods; West L.A., Mid-City, Silverlake and Highland Park. Pasadena is my home now.

I took photography classes in college. I was more of a fan of the medium than a participant back then. I came to know the work of Helen Levitt, Mary Ellen Mark, Diane Arbus. All women, interestingly enough, I was obsessed with them. One day I saw a William Eggleston exhibition. That show really resonated with me especially the message plastered on the wall of the gallery, “At war with the obvious.” Maybe it was the graphic designer in me that enjoyed the colors and compositions. I’m not really sure, nor does it really matter. But I’m pretty sure that’s when I began walking around with a camera. I do recall telling someone once back then, I’d like to shoot like Helen Levitt with an Eggleston influence. I still really like that idea.


How do you define “street photography” for yourself?

Well, maybe the old story teller in me wants there to be a story in my photograph. The graphic designer in me wants to accomplish interesting color palettes in a photo and pleasing compositions. The struggle is sometimes to leave that academic behavior behind and shoot photographs by simply reacting. React to what I see, feel, hear and maybe even smell. Try to grab a scene as a story. What’s that story from an unusual angle? What’s the story, that I see but other’s might be missing.

I suppose I don’t really have the definition pinpointed for myself. I’m not sure I am a street photographer or at least, I’m still looking for what that is to me.

I’m visual. I live in a very big city. It’s extremely accessible. I like stories. I like people. I like weird/touching/funny moments. Mostly, I find it crazy challenging.

I don’t really come from the camp that “street photography” means it has to have people in it. Evidence that people were there is “street” enough to me.




Does your local situation affect how you are able to shoot? Is there a political climate, social attitudes (or laws) about photographing people in public, or another local factor?

Los Angeles is a really easy city to shoot in. It just depends on what you want to shoot.

Everyone is on the street with a camera here. It’s not just packs of street photographers either. The entertainment industry is here, so besides paparazzi (which is probably what keeps the laws about photographing on the street in L.A. legal,) there are tourists and artists out on the street.

If you’re a photographer that likes getting a large flow of people to choose from, New York or London is probably a better bet than Los Angeles. A decent amount of people filled scenes can be found in Hollywood and downtown, but cars rule here. We love our cars.

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

Well, I’ve never shot as a man, so I’m not really sure how to honestly answer that.

I like talking to people and I’m probably more approachable and trusted because I’m a woman. I have more access to families and kids probably. Now that I’m older, I’m sure no one sees me as being much of a threat. In the street photography world, I would imagine that counts for something.

I find it interesting that I answered a previous question about I how I started with photography, I mentioned three women right off the bat. I admire women. I admire many men too, but I recognize the difference in attention men get more so than women in the arts especially. That’s the bigger conversation, isn’t it?


Color or black and white, digital or film?

Color color color. You should see my house. Full of color. I love color. Sometimes I wish I wasn’t so drawn to it. It can disrupt an otherwise lovely composition or moment in a photo. But I do love it. That said, I do, once in awhile, examine the world in black and white. It takes a certain trained eye, I think. I love looking at black and white photographs for sure but I enjoy shooting a colorful world.

Digital is 90% of my photographic world. I’m on the computer all the time anyway with work, downloading and editing on the computer is what I do anyway. I love the way a photo looks when it’s printed from film. I really love it. More than a digital print if I have to choose a print. At this point I’m not shooting for the print though. I’m shooting because it’s fun. One day that might change. Who knows?

Equipment and process and technology doesn’t interest me and certainly doesn’t impress me as much as the end results which is image, or the message or that “zing thing” that moves me.


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

Well, I’ve already mentioned Levitt, Marks, Arbus and Eggleston. “Most inspirational” is interesting to think about. I remember seeing a story about Uganda in the L.A. Times. It was photographed by Francine Orr. It’s the only time I’ve ever written to someone to tell them how much their photographs touched me. Those photos are embedded in my head. Are they inspiring me? Maybe. Then, so are Graciela Iturbide’s and Vivian Maier’s. But I don’t think I shoot like them.

I’m like a child. My attention span is short and frantic. Recently, I’ve been pouring over Saul Leiter’s amazing, beautiful, early color photographs. Prior to that was Zoe Strauss, and her photograph’s raw honesty.

He’s more of a fine artist, but I’m a big fan of David Hockney, whose colors and compositions inspire me. Also the fact that he experiments all the time with new mediums, techniques, and always maintains his childlike wonder — it’s creatively contagious.


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

Recurring themes? Since I don’t always shoot “street,” I’d say my recurring theme is photos of rocks. I’m a desert rat. Getting out to the deserted desert is my greatest pleasure. I chill out while gazing at rocks.

On the street level I don’t have a recurring theme that I’m aware of. I center things. I only just noticed that recently.

I shoot medium format portraits nearly every Day of the Dead holiday.

I enjoy being in a collective. Years ago I was in ZuperQuirk. Those were some of my favorite picture taking days.

I’m working on a collaboration with an artist friend of mine whose photographs are not “street” at all. We’re still figuring out the “whats,” “hows,” and “wheres,” but I’m looking forward to being inspired creatively in whatever I shoot next for that.




Susan Catherine Weber | Website | Flickr |