密切 (Becoming Intimate)

A handbag with some random stuff, shot through a car window. This image for me expresses some of the central fascinations and challenges with street photography: Where in the public space does the private place begin? And how do I relate to it?

Street photography wants to capture humanity in moments. Ideally, those moments are open and “authentic” – whatever that means. I think every street photo should come from a place of curiosity and love, never aim to expose someone. At the same time good street photography wants to go beyond showing people who they think they are. There is an unmistakable “gotcha” element to it, to capture a “natural” or even “raw” moment of someone – not as an expression of that particular person, but as a stand-in for humanity at a certain place and time. This is the dilemma of the personal and private.

There is another dilemma or question: On the one side, street is about preserving a moment. But what if the act of taking a picture is destroying it? Imagine two people dancing, yet stoping after they realize they are photographed. Is that ok?

These are hard questions that are impossible to answer in the general. They depend on the place and time – and also photographer, who all find different answers.

This image and moment are more humble and innocent, but they still illustrate the core challenge. Is it ok to take a picture of someone’s stuff in their car, and put it here?