I was once sitting at the window of a Berne http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bern coffee shop, idly watching the passing throng, when a man tapped
on the glass and asked if he might take my photograph. I declined his request, and
later thought about the freedom to photograph the faces of strangers and how
very human it is to watch one another and to photograph one another mentally or with a camera. But I suppose the more poignant I imagined his
picture of a woman drinking coffee alone with a floral vase in front of her might
be, the less I wanted that person to be me.
The moral question of whether one should capture someone’s
likeness without their permission or knowledge – a practice for many
photographers has become second nature – and has been debated since the birth of
the hand-held camera, but these are challenging times for the street
photographer.
It’s been a long time since that incident and with anti-terrorist
legislation the police have greater powers to challenge photographers, while
public suspicion towards those lurking behind the camera also seems to be
increasing.
Still I am fascinated by candid shots and prefer them over a
pose. Having acquired a taste for medium sized cities, I’m also drawn by the
dynamism of city streets where people go about their business told through
images as a mirror to a society.
City life gives an opportunity to meet a diverse bunch of
people, in every aspect, and is engaging even if it is only for one
fleeing moment.
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