london

I had no idea where to start with the street photography project until I saw a book on Robert Frank's London photographs on a trip to the library.  I thought I recognised some of the backgrounds as being near the Bank of England in the City, so that was where I went. You are meant to have a permit to shoot there, but no one bothered me and part of point was to blend into the the environment. I found several "stages" and over a couple of days waited for people to photograph. Much to my great disappointment  I saw no bowler hats, but there were a few umbrellas. Mayor Ken's extra busses and cabs were not quite as picturesque as they were in Frank's day but it was all good waiting experience. I realised when I got home and looked at Frank's pictures that he was face on to all his images whereas I had defaulted to the diagonal... I annoyed myself for doing that and not paying proper attention. It makes his composition so much stronger.

Also to aid my approach to stret photography I have been reading "The Minds Eye" by Henri Cartier-Bresson. It's like having your own pocket Mr.Miyagi I am really enjoying it. For the entire project these quotes have proved particularly pertinent,

"Through-out the whole of the Orient, for example, an impatient photographer-or one who is simply pressed for time-is subject to ridicule. If you have made yourself obvious, even just by getting your light-meter out, the only thing to do is to forget about photography for the moment, and accommodatingly allow the children who come rushing at yo to cling to your knees like burrs" (this is also true for Brighton)

"We photographers deal in things that are continually vanishing, and when they have vanished, there is no contrivance on earth that can make them come back again. We cannot develop and print a memory" (...so no pressure there then!)