Pair Of Three © Knut Skjærven
I have to admit that I enjoy some of these museum shots.
I know that in our culture you’d better not enjoy anything, and particularly if you have a stake in it yourself. My stake in this is that I was there.
This attitude of aspiring nothingness is the Scandinavian way. Others may have heard of it. Might even work in other countries, but the Scandinavians are famous for it. Better not make a fuzz about anything. Better stay indoor. Stay down.
For some reason I totally missed that.
Why do I enjoy this shot? Because it is un-staged, unposed, straight, shot in a public area without any kind of interference from the photographer other than he was there. It qualifies, in the definition we use in Street Photographer’s Toolbox, as a proper street photograph. Street photography being first and foremost an attitude to photography and to life.
In fact, I am little surprised that it can be done at all.
That said, there is another thing I will not withhold from you. I read it the other day. One of the main, if not the main, criteria for people finding things pleasing or even beautiful is symmetry. In pictures of human faces it might even suggest that the person have good genes. Sexual undertones included. Believe it or not.
My questions is if there is something similar to good genes in photography? Photographs that in one way or other comes out pleasing. If so, maybe that is why I enjoy this shot? I don’t have the answer. No one said that this was going to be easy.
There is another reference that I need to reflect upon too. The reason I picked this shot for a post was that it is a good example of gestalt factors in operation in photography. Don’t take my word for it. YOU have to point to these factors. And name them.
When you get the answer, please let all know in a comment to this post.
Good luck with it?
© Knut Skjærven. All rights reserved. Text and photo.
Copenhagen April 19, 2013.
Street Photographer's Toolbox 