Mobile Photography – StreetWise – First Challenge Results
Welcome to our first ‘StreetWise’ monochrome challenge showcase honouring the roots of the incredible art of street photography!
We looked at each photograph with care and consideration and are thrilled to share this video with you. Ilana and I hope you enjoy seeing this compilation of photos by our wonderful street photography community. (Please feel free to invite others to the group that you feel may be interested, also).
Many congratulations to the following artists for being featured:
Allyson Marie, Kate Zari Roberts, Giulia Baita, Ile Mont, Dina lfs, Maurizio Zanetti, Gillian Brodie, Jo Sullivan, Gina Costa, Ocean Morisset, Christine Mignon, Deena Berton, Vanessa Vox, Gergely Hando, Connie Gardner Rosenthal, Liliana Schwitter, Susan Rennie, Sukru Mehmet Omur, Stef L.P.
Our intention for the challenges is to inspire and be inspired, and in this unique and eclectic art form, we hope that our challenges might provide an opportunity to see the streets around you in new ways, to take photos from perspectives you are not used to, to perhaps also support one another in developing confidence (one of the challenges of street photography that is often expressed by those newer to the field), and that we can come together from around the world to share our passion.
For curating the first four photos, we chose from those that were submitted specifically to this challenge and taken within that time period, as well.
In the future, we will choose only photos for the showcase that have been submitted to the specific Flickr ‘StreetWise’ challenge group (flickr) and that have been labeled and taken within the current challenge timeframe so that we will be showcasing new work inspired by our themes.
Please also join our Facebook forum group for fabulous interactive chats and information here.
“There is a creative fraction of a second when you are taking a picture. Your eye must see a composition or an expression that life itself offers you, and you must know with intuition when to click the camera. That is the moment the photographer is creative. Oop! The Moment! Once you miss it, it is gone forever.” Henri Cartier-Bresson
‘Se Secret” – Giulia Baita- Inspired by Vivian Maier
Giulia’s shot is captivating as the intensity of the woman about to sip her wine staring back at us draws the viewer into the photo immediately – this capturing of people as they look directly at the photographer, the square format, and also the use of a window reflection is reminiscent of Vivian Maier’s work.
The composition is beautifully balanced with the woman and her glass framed against the dark background in the corner offset by the ethereal and dreamy lightness of the reflection in the upper left corner.
Although the woman draws the viewer into the photo initially, from there, we see so many layers to this photo that are quite beautiful and mysterious – is the woman sitting in the building, or is it only her reflection? Are the two figures in the foreground (who frame the woman so well) part of the same reflection? Are they sitting with her, or walking by?
The figures in the background help give the photo a sense of time and place in the street as well.
Beautifully done intriguing shot, Giulia!
‘Se Secret’ ©Giulia Baita
‘Crossing’ – Dina Alfasi
Dina’s wonderful shot captures the viewer’s attention right away with it’s strong compositional elements – the alternating and balanced dark and white forms (triangles and rectangles) that occupy most of the photo. Also, the juxtaposition of the dark clothing of the men and the delicateness of the girl’s dresses adds to the composition’s strength. A capture like this is inspiring also as nothing in this photo is stationary – the composition is created by the movement of the subjects within the frame. The strong elements of the foreground’s composition also help to draw the viewer into the photo – especially to the other girl across the street – who is framed so well by the foreground figures.
The horizontal format and also that there doesn’t seem to be too much cropping adds to the photo’s vintage and timeless quality, reminiscent to me of the classical street photographer Garry Winogrand (although, what looks like an iPhone in the man’s hand closest to us tells us that this photo is current and gives it a sense of time).
We can imagine where Dina must have been located to take the photo as her perspective is at waist height, and it is moments like this, when a person literally walks into the frame (man on the left) that brings such joy to the photographer and viewer – an unexpected moment so well captured, Dina!
‘Crossing’ ©Dina Alfasi
Untitled – Ocean Morisset – Inspired by Walker Evans
I love this well-timed subway shot inspired by the candid subway images by Walker Evans. Ocean nicely captures an intimate moment unfolding in the public space. Her situation is relatable. And, so one can’t help to identify with this woman and easily be drawn into her story. Ocean’s framing is impeccable. I love how the lines of the subway car act as an anchoring backdrop to the subject. They rest upon her shoulder and the reflective, shining metal compliments how the boy’s face is lit up by his hand-held device — both cropping it out, and the shimmer behind the woman lends to the impression of a divine or magical light elevating this everyday image to something a little more. Bravo, Ocean!
Image ©Ocean Morisset
‘Shot’ – Gergely Hando
Gergely beautifully captures a street scene full of life and movement. The wonderful twist and arc of the man with the camera immediately pulls the viewer in. There is a mysterious sense that whatever action is taking place it is so close one actually feels part of the scene, reminiscent to me of the classical street photography of William Klein. Gergely cleverly creates a sense of being a part of the photograph — an active participant in the action in the frame, which is nicely emphasised by the bystanders who seem equally riveted by what’s going on. The power of the photo lies in the question — what has caused this ruckus? We want to know!Nicely done, Gergely!
‘Shot’ – ©Gergely Hando
StreetWise Video Showcase
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Ilana Buch-Akoundi and Lee Atwell
Ilana Buch-Akoundi is an Interior Designer with a background in fine arts, and a passion for mobile photography. Influenced by classical art and literature, she views mobile photography as not simply capturing moments as they happen, but as a marriage of dreams and visions from inner life and reality. Street photography, as a composite emerging from the speed of life, and what’s resonating within. Born in New York City where she still resides with her husband and two children, Buch-Akoundi recently founded hipstaNYC dedicated to Hipstamatic images of New York City, where people from all over the world can showcase their photographs of NYC. She has had photographs featured in mobile photography websites and web-magazines as well as international shows. Lee Atwell has been passionate about the art, science and magic of photography since the time she was a child – at which time her father had converted a small bathroom into a darkroom. For the past few years, she been captivated by the versatility, convenience, and creative potential of mobile photography. In street photography, she enjoys the challenge of capturing the unexpected and also the necessity of being present moment to moment with the surrounding environment – whether it is the continual shifting of light and shadows or the instantaneous and fleeting expressions and postures of people on the street. She has received several international photography awards and has had photographs featured in publication, mobile photography websites and web-magazines. She has also had photos exhibited in several cities – in the USA, Canada, Italy, France, Hungary, Belgium and Portugal. Atwell also teaches yoga and owns a yoga studio in Seattle with her husband.
