Street photographers are of the mind that their genre of work is often underappreciated and hence less commercially viable than other forms of photography (fine arts, fashion, etc). “不可以靠它吃饭” one street photographer says to me, and I agree, you definitely cannot depend on it for a living. It is less a profession yet so much more than a hobby. For all the passion and zeal the street photographers I know place in the process and art of the craft, it is an expressed form of themselves.
Shanghai is no different. When you see the works of the Chinese street photographers of Zaijietou this Wed for the 8th Shanghai Photographers Night at Dada Bar , you will notice how different their perspectives and styles are when it comes to interpreting the same city. At the same time, we ask ourselves: Are we really that different or do our individual experiences measure up in the same way?
Participating photographers (in order as above): Wuhao, TJ, 69, 拉黑 (la hei), 蜕 (tui), Coca
On why I do street photography ….
“Street photography presents a lower threshold for beginners; anyone can turn a street into one’s own stage: the colorful and strange. But over time, street photography feels to be the hardest kind of documentary photography. It’s not like photojournalism because people do not know why you have appeared, why you are there and photographing them etc. This kind of ambiguity is a the key draw of street photogrpahy. ~ Wuhao
“而街头摄影对于一个入门者来说门槛更低,街头就像是一个谁都可以展现自己的舞台,形形色色,光怪陆离,随着时间的推移,对街头摄影的看法也开始改变,开始觉得街头摄影其实是纪实摄影最难的一种,不像新闻摄影,事件现场的人们往往知道你为什么出现在那里,为什么拍摄那些影像,而街头上的人们往往不知道你为什么出现,又为什么拍摄,对我来说,这种不确定性也是街头摄影的一大魅力。” ~ Wuhao
Street photography makes me feel…
“Street photography makes me sensitive to life while sad about how time passes.” ~ 69
“街头摄影让我对生活更加敏感,同时对时间的逝去充满忧伤。” ~ 69
“Warm, safe, I am able to forget myself temporarily.” ~ 拉黑 (la hei)
“温暖,安全,暂时忘记自己。”~ 拉黑 (la hei)
On one’s photography and its relationship with the city
“My feelings toward the city are complicated: resistant yet embracing at the same time. After all, I’ve lived here for years, even if I’ve no sense of belonging here, I cannot avoid the inevitable and profound impact the city has on me. The reason why I speak at length about my relationship with the city is because it has much to do with my photography. I feel that my state of mind impacts the way I photograph the city.” ~ 蜕 (tui)
“对于这座城市,内心的感情是复杂的,抵触和溶入的心态并存,毕竟生活了几十年,就算再没有归属感,也不可避免的在无形中被这座城市深刻影响着。对于我与这座城市的关系说那么多,是因为我觉得我这种复杂矛盾的心理,与我所拍的这座城市的照片是息息相关的。”~ 蜕 (tui)
