The results of the "Street Photography China" Street Photographer of the Year were announced, and ten photographers with different styles were shortlisted for the final selection, who have been focusing on street photography for many years and have formed their own strong personal style. Pen & Fun & Pavilion www.biquge.info

On the one hand, it is difficult to make a breakthrough in the creative form of street photography on the basis of predecessors, and on the other hand, it is difficult to deeply intervene in the recording function of society compared with documentary photography and thematic photography. The only entry point left for street photographers seems to be transient captures and personal expressions.

With these questions in mind, we interviewed 10 photographers to talk about their understanding and feelings about street photography.

Photographer Wang Shaoli

Interview|Zhang Wei

Matsumoto Nanguo (Picture Worm ID: AIDS Demolition Team), Wuhan University of Technology, majoring in animation, junior student.

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From the time you first started taking pictures on the streets, how did you find your style step by step?

My first impression of photography was when I was a kid watching cartoons or documentaries. I thought photography should be black and white with a critical sense of light, like weegee or World War II war correspondents.

I started taking pictures in April last year, when I had a serious illness, and I accidentally opened Baidu and saw a photo of Mary Allenmark (below), which touched me and reminded me of many things, and the next day I bought a camera and started taking pictures on the street.

Due to illness and some contradictions and entanglements in my heart, I took photography as an outlet. When I first went out on the street, I liked to use a black and white perspective to shoot something about society and myself, to put it bluntly, to divert some of my anger. Later, I slowly patted and patted, and found a lot of fun, so I fell in love with photography, and I was a little gentler when taking pictures. But I can't talk about style yet, I don't think I've formed it yet, and it's too difficult.

(Photoby Mary Allen Mark)

When did you stop using photography as an outlet to divert your anger and really like it?

In the past, I used to use photographs, and I tossed them as much as I wanted, but gradually, I felt that there were joys and sorrows in them, and as a participant, I felt as if the world of photographs had been set up separately, and I became friends with them.

Although you are shooting yourself, but you are taking photos of other people, have you ever had such a stage?

In the past, I was the first to imitate Daido Moriyama, and I thought that high contrast was very powerful, like a flash in the night. At that time, I didn't have any style and personal opinions, I thought this was so exciting, and I thought it was very similar to my personal personality, so I used it, how could there be a different point of view. Later, I slowly felt as if I wanted to stay away, and I was very reluctant.

How did you get rid of the influence of Moriyama Avenue? Is it really because of the opinion of Mr. Wang Yishu during the Shanghai workshop?

It takes courage to change itself, to overturn many of the previous established concepts, in fact, I wanted to change it for a long time, and Brother Shu made me more determined. I think the important thing is not whether it is good or bad after the change, but the change itself, which is a kind of exercise that can give people a spiritual head.

Mr. Masato Seto once said, "Black and white and color are completely different worlds." It is inconceivable to be able to wander between two worlds at the same time. In a period, one should focus on only one expression. Do you agree with him? What made you make the switch from black and white to color?

Agree. The difference between black and white and color is too big, just like writing an article and playing the piano and drawing, the way of expression is different. But you need to put your heart and soul into it, and as long as you are sincere, what comes out will have the same origin.

For me, I just changed for the sake of change, because I felt like I was trapped and wanted to break free. Whether it's a change for better or worse, try to break free when I realize I'm stuck.

What do you want to pursue most about your photographs, or what kind of temperament do you want your photographs to present to the viewer?

The photo should be your own, if it is your own, it is not a matter of presenting it to others, some of the photos taken by yourself, I like it very much, I think that is myself, and the presentation will be consistent. What I want to pursue is the feeling that I will laugh when I look at the photos I used to take after a long time, and I will laugh when I look at the photos I took before, and I think it's funny.

The current attempt at "street photography" has become a great way to capture the amazing moments that happen on the streets with great skill and keen insight. "Transience" has become the key to the success or failure of a photo, and under this kind of attempt, the photo may continue to pursue "curiosity" in order to create a new visual perception. What do you think?

At my current level of cognition, I think that as a basic skill of shooting, it is necessary to practice and practice the grasp of instantaneity. It's a technique that you can see and touch, but the most important thing is what you get after the moment of grabbing, and what the photo presents. For example, a child in a wheelchair happens to be looking at another child running, and this kind of photo may be good for the moment of capture, but we don't get new ideas at all.

No matter what the photo is, the most important thing is how it makes you feel. Fun in form or different angles of observation. It's all pleasant, but it's boring to keep repeating the same old story.

After the results were announced this time, it caused a lot of controversy on the Internet. If you were asked to respond positively, what would you think was the biggest difference between a random shot and a personal style, or what kind of work would be a reflection of the photographer's personal subjective feelings, rather than a random shot?

I think it's a complicated question, but it's certainly not a random shot. Photography is like a pen, looking at photos is like reading an article, some people only read narratives, expository essays, if they want to read argumentative essays, essays, they will have a sense of vertigo. It's normal because it's not a thing at all, and I've always thought that these pictures can't be viewed on their own. If you pull away from the photographer or the environment of the photograph, you will be surprised.

This time, I think I chose the photographer instead of a few simple photos, and most of the photographers who won the award show their personal personality and temperament, and there are living people in their photos, and in these photos, only you hate this person or like this person, nothing else.

For me, I have just started filming, and there are still many problems to be solved, and I actually know whether the shooting is good or not, and netizens don't need to worry too much.

In addition to random photography, what has attracted attention is the issue of photographic ethics. Many photographers in the history of photography (such as Diane Arbus) have faced this problem, and there are indeed many photographers who "visually ugly" in the name of "street photography". When shooting in public places, do you draw a "red line" for yourself, and what are the situations when you don't shoot?

Some people look at Arbus and see something else. When a photograph is disseminated, its meaning changes, and when others act as observers to speak out about a photograph, moral issues arise.

In my opinion, the autonomy of the photographer is more important than anything else. If you really feel that there are pictures that you can't take, you don't take them, that's fine, there's no problem at all, because you're autonomous at that. If you think you can shoot, and others say you can't shoot it, you won't shoot it, which is kitsch and cowardice. It's the same as a human being, if you blindly follow the words that you can't do autonomously, then you won't be able to live well in the future.

Judges' Comments:

Photography is a very transparent thing, it not only intuitively records what the photographer sees but also records how he sees what he sees, in photography, these two things are actually quite difficult, in daily life to see the unusual and express it in the right form is more difficult than the luxury double fly to the Antarctic to see the penguins.

It is difficult for me to evaluate Wang Weili's photographs, not only because of the large number of photographs he takes, but also because his painting style is still changing rapidly. I sometimes feel like a naughty boy with firecrackers in his hands, and he is indeed very young, still in school, and he has only been taking pictures since last year, and the pictures are full of restlessness and a little gloomy.

At that time, the photos he submitted in Shanghai Station were high-contrast black and white, different from those ordinary images that were black and white for black and white. He still saw some strange things in life.

I remember Koudelka said that photography is like archery, you always get something at the beginning, and when you try to shoot in one direction, you will find the difficulty of photography. In a few days in the Shanghai workshop, he has the highest output, and he will rush out desperately at all times, photography, whether the final painting style is quiet or restless, requires great enthusiasm in his bones, Wang Weili is not lacking in enthusiasm, he is sensitive to images, he is still very young, worth looking forward to.

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After a six-month submission period, we officially closed the submission channel on October 1st, and the contest entered the selection stage. The jury, composed of 5 judges, Zhang Haier, Wang Shendun, Wang Yishu, Liu Tao and Yan Zhigang, selected a total of 10 photographers to be shortlisted for the 2016 "Street Photography China" Photography Exhibition after preliminary selection and two rounds of voting among all the submitted works.

"Street Photography China" annual photographer exhibition of Tuworm.com

You are cordially invited to attend the Opening & Awards Ceremony!

Opening time

3 p.m

Exhibition Venue:

Beijing 798 Ying Art Center/Ying Gallery

Location

No. 4, Jiuxianqiao Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing

798 Art District Qixing Middle Street (near 798 South Gate)

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The results of the annual street photographer of the year were announced, and ten photographers of different styles were shortlisted for the final selection, who have been focusing on street photography for many years and have formed their own strong personal style. But what kind of street photographs are needed in this era?