Project proposal-  I want to explore the relationship between the street photographer and her/his subject.  This will allow me to begin a project I will be working on all of next semester with Meghan Parsons and Mike. For this project, I imagine having two photographs go together, one a street photograph, and the other a photograph of the street photograph being made.  When I do street photography, I often feel like a hunter, like I am taking something from my subject.  It does not feel like a mutual interaction, or even an ethical one.  I hope to shed light on my concerns around the practice through this work.  For inspiration, I will be looking at texts, movies, and TV shows that explore ideas pertaining to the relationship between photographer, subject, and viewer; visual language of hunting/taking pictures of subjects; and the history/moral considerations of street photography.

Camera Lucida – Roland Barthes’ Camera Lucida deals with themes surrounding the effect of being photographed on the subject.  Barthes describes being photographed as a certain form of death. This is a text that every photographer should know well. It is particularly applicable to this project, as it deals with the effect of a photograph on the subject specifically.

The man with a movie camera – Silent russian film released in 1929. One main “character” in this film is a man with a movie camera.  I have not seen it yet, but I have been told by a few film buffs that if I am dealing with the relationship between photographer and subject, this is a must watch.

https://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/jul/31/man-with-a-movie-camera-video-review

Regarding the Pain of Others – I haven’t read this text yet, but Susan Sontag’s other work that I have read has been hugely influential to me.  This work deals with the ethical considerations surrounding photographs of suffering.  Will be relevant in thinking about the relationship b/w photographer, subject, and viewer.

Shooter (2007)- Hollywood movie about a sniper.  I will use this movies’ visual language around hunting humans in order to think about how I want to depict the “hunting” involved in street photography.

Blowup by Antonioni -”Blowup, or Blow-Up, is a 1966 British-Italian film directed by Michelangelo Antonioni about a fashion photographer, played by David Hemmings, who believes he has unwittingly captured a murder on film” (wiki).  Another movie that I have been told is a must watch for what I am exploring.

The Wire- The wire has many scenes where the police take photos of people for evidence.  The cinematography of these scenes is particularly interesting. I will be able to draw upon this visual language in my work.

1984- George Orwell’s 1984 is a dystopian novel about the big brother state. This work is key to understanding one aspect of why most people are uncomfortable being photographed in public spaces.  Brings up themes of privacy, surveillance, etc.  Will be relevant to me as I am actually walking the streets photographing in public.

Nussenzweig v DiCorcia – “Philip-Lorca DiCorcia photographed Hasidic Jew Ermo Nussenzweig walking on a public street in New York without his knowledge or consent. DiCorcia sold 10 prints of the image for between $20,000 – $30,000 through the Pace/McGill gallery. Nussenzweig sued DiCorcia and the gallery for privacy and religious reasons.

The court ruled that the photograph was art, not commerce, and protected by the First Amendment.”  (https://petapixel.com/2014/10/28/8-legal-cases-every-photographer-know/)

This court case, and others like it, will help me navigate issues around street photography in general.  What do our laws say about the relationship between the street photographer and her/his subject?  What does that say about our society?

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