The Problem With TikTok Street Photographers

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Thank you for watching x

[@huntercreatesthings]

Hey hello you should definitely sign up to my emails! I will send you cool stuff for inspo, share cool photography, and you actually can email me back and ask questions! I am an open book. → email.huntercreatesthings.com/ 📸

[@NewmanVisual]

Finally, someone made a video about this. I'm so tired of seeing the same kinds of photos constantly.

[@huntercreatesthings]

You're welcome 🫡

[@richalexander1138]

@@huntercreatesthings dude thank you!!! It's a shame the algorithm is trending this type of content as "street" photography.

[@Neasyorc]

You’re tired of people expressing their hobby….just shows how gatekeepy and elitist the photography community is.

[@r3d1on42]

@@Neasyorc its just unoriginal and repetitive with annoying sounds, if they did something different sure but its all the same bro

[@jdmac7716]

@@Neasyorcand that’s not a bad thing

[@Broken_Orbital]

Street photography isn't about the people, it's about what the people are doing.

[@huntercreatesthings]

100000%

[@nicktasteless360]

yes definitely. A lot of people mixing portraits with street photography is absurd.

[@cruzdesangre2850]

This is the definition I actually like

[@theirongaming4150]

It’s also a way that the photographer express himself Sometimes after editing the photo change

[@BS-jw7nf]

Yeah I like to see it as capturing the banality of life

[@JezdziecBezNicka]

This trend should be called “street creepshots”

[@huntercreatesthings]

Quite possibly

[@felt7731]

"Street creep photography"

[@VincentPascoe]

@@JezdziecBezNicka there's a photographer in LA with that handle on Ig

[@RamsesTheFourth]

Yeah it feels like paparazzi.

[@alexhaselden4623]

Yep. The choice of subject speaks volumes.

[@hermanzhang6494]

Street photography is more like photojournalism rather than portraits. it's more in the style of Bresson and Riboud. Personally, the longest lens I will ever use for street would be 50. Anything longer will compress too much of the background, removing the enviroment, making it a portraiture

[@huntercreatesthings]

Agree. I usually use 28mm and 40mm :)

[@bekerashes]

Bro photography is what a photographer is doing with his own camera, not what you think is right or proper

[@SSEBBlue]

@@bekerashesthat’s not what they’re saying lol. Think of it like music genres, they’re not saying Taylor Swift isn’t real music, they’re saying Taylor Swift is Pop Country / Alternative and not Rock / Midwest Emo

[@ChipSuey207]

Saul Leiter loved shooting with zoom lenses, and if his work isn't street photography I don't know what is.

[@ChrisDN]

Having seen this all over social media, it's made me actively avoid taking pictures of women on many occasions.

[@huntercreatesthings]

It can be a concern yes

[@classic_kennedy]

I made a point that a street photographer has to be more "playful" (engaged) in her daily interactions with human subjects - look for inspiration from the NY Photo League - and make a space for co-participation in your work. Just cause you have a camera doesn't mean you're any different from the people on the street - you make up the street as well.

[@calikidag1571]

I feel the same way!

[@bekerashes]

Incel

[@C.R.1234]

street photography is rock n roll, while this portrait in the streets stuff is pop

[@huntercreatesthings]

That's actually a fun comparision!

[@luevshots]

😂

[@katewrightmba9087]

Pap pop

[@Termidryna]

I'd say street photography is punk rock

[@ChancellorM1YT]

I once pointed that out on reddit post of the poster calling a random shot of a Ferrari in the city street photography and I got banned for being "pretentious".

[@MikeRinz]

HELLO! I aM a StReEt PhOtOgRaPhEr! - proceeds to do a posed photoshoot. I am a street photographer - pulls out an 85000mm f0.01 lens...

[@huntercreatesthings]

hahahaha

[@BudoDave76]

Hahahahhaa

[@JaleM]

Haha

[@wewlad107]

Homies out here shooting "street" with the BIGMA lens

[@munarong]

😂😂😂

[@photographer7]

I've been against the street photography "gatekeepers" telling us how to shoot, what to shoot and what gear to shoot with in order to fit within someone's definition of street photography. However, you've made a completely valid point about the difference between street portraits and street photography. And I agree, they are different genres. I don't even like that the TikTok style street portrait videos have crept into the search algorithms for street photography. While I appreciate that those photographers enjoy what they are doing and get a lot of likes online, maybe it's time to break these styles into separate categories.

[@huntercreatesthings]

I'm glad you enjoyed!

[@gfxced]

absolutely agree. @huntercreatesthings has given a pretty solid definition of what street photography is at its core and that is absolutely compatible with a lot of styles. Street portraitists are more in the vein of internet fads like peopleofnewyork (for an old reference) and pov videos (for a more recent reference) the most important aspects of street photography (capturing the chaos at a point in time that resonates with you and being more narratively oriented through series) are totally absent of the street portraitists' process.

[@photographer7]

@@gfxced Well said. And if I never see another POV video again, it will be too soon.

[@jalmaris]

It's not only the fact that these are quite low effort and creepy photos of young women in sundresses who might not even be aware they are being taken photos of but also that some of them are clearly heavely edited like the photo at 0:16. I hate this type of photography ...

[@huntercreatesthings]

I am not opposed to stylised editing but I will admit I'm not a fan of these examples

[@brandishwar]

I wouldn't consider what those TikTok creators are doing to be "street portraiture" either, since portraiture implies a certain approach and intent to taking the shot. And that approach typically involves getting the consent of the person you're photographing. And to me, at least, as a street portrait photographer, that consent is very important. Taking long zoom shots of random women means no consent and... questionable intentions.

[@huntercreatesthings]

fair points!

[@ChrisBrogan]

Great post. I definitely blend the language for "portraits" and "street photography" a bit. NOT a girls-in-sundresses shooter, but I see and agree with all your points. I'll never get tired of the kitchen spoon.

[@huntercreatesthings]

Kitchen Spoon is here to stay

[@TheCreateOutdoors]

Maybe this is a bit of a stretch, but I think it goes back to the whole "vertical content" issue. I think people get so constricted with that vertical format where they think "oh, well I have to get vertical photos, so I am going to only take photos of a single person". They aren't pushing the boundaries of what they can do. Obviously there are street photographers taking great portrait street photos. This same issue I find is occurring with car photography too where people aren't doing anything different, they just want to be "trendy".

[@huntercreatesthings]

Vertical content is such an insane innovation from a business perspective but I absolutely do not enjoy consuming it, or creating it.

[@PC-tan]

Something that I came across because of that. Is that you have people that have made clips and stuff saying "maturing as a photographer means learning that Horizontal is better than vertical". Which is pretty crazy since most people shoot horizontal to begin with and if anything they will tell you that you are "brave" for shooting vertical since that's not something you may do from the very beginning especially if you are not doing a portrait of someone.

[@Monochromatic77]

Let me push back a bit here.. Sorry to be grumpy but im old…. Street can be about people, look at Gilden, look at Gary’s later work, Arbus, et al. Street can be with a telephoto, see Beat Streuli, Parr and some of DiCorcia.. Street can be abstract like Saul’s work. Yes, you shouldn’t pose your subject like they are a model, that would go into another genre, but the BIG question should be IS IT GOOD? In the TokTokers case, NO. Making a great photo is very difficult, a body of work even more so. Let’s not try to better define the genre, but rather what defines GOOD WORK.

[@stefbacum4454]

Great points! I also think this video in based a lot on "i think" and "its this" and its wrong. The exact statement at the beginning, the breaking of rules is what makes this genre so diverse. The fact that we get cought up in subgenres is the mistake. We shoot on the street, how we want, what we want and when we want. Thats all there is to it in terms of "street". Also, i dont know about others but when a lot of us started out, we used zooms because its not a comfortable thing to do at first. U started with a 70-200 equivalent and widened it to 50 eventually but it takes time. So no, i dont agree with this type of video where someone says what "thhey think" street photography is or should be.

[@huntercreatesthings]

Completely agree.

[@BZK-.]

i mean at the end of the day definitions are inherently at least somewhat arbitrary, especially when it comes to more subjective things like art, which is why i think genre discussion is kinda pointless on a fundemental level in all honesty

[@Combicon]

Though I agree, I'd say the issue isn't so much "this is" or "this isn't" 'street', but more that "this isn't all what 'street' is or can be", while that if it's the only thing some people are seeing, it might be what they assume street 'is'. Of course, if it gets them into photography into any 'real' capacity, they're probably going to learn that street is much more varied, and if they like the portraiture side of it, they'll likely transition into that. Or if they like the street aspect, start varying their photographs and developing their own style in that direction more. Not sure there is a huge amount that can be done about it though. Pretty girls in natural every day settings is almost certainly going to catch the algorithm as it gets attention. More varied street photos is going to appeal to less people, so it's less likely to be seen.

[@joshh6395]

I agree and disagree, I feel like this stuff does dilute street photographies meaning fullness to some extent. As mentioned in the video street is about a persons story and conveying it through a candid shot. Street portraiture’s like the one referenced are almost always gorgeous girls which attracts more views. There sometimes a story but the stories in the video not in the picture, oh she’s having a bad day let’s take some beautiful photos, but it’s not conveyed in the image it’s conveyed in the video. When I shoot street if I take a shot of a beautiful person, I usually don’t like the shot unless theirs something interesting about it other then just that they are pretty. I think you can do portrait street but you have to be very careful and want to convey a story not just take a gorgeous photo. Their are a couple portrait street photographers who do this well, almost non of them are on tiktok lol

[@fatuibobo0383]

using the shutter click sound to censor swearing is so simple yet so goddamn genious

[@huntercreatesthings]

I appreciate that you noticed that hahaha

[@joimeecajandab1438]

This is such an interesting topic because there is always a fine layer of distinction between street portrait and street photography. To me street photography is like an empty canvas where you can paint your observation in the streets while having zero intervention with the subject... While street portrait is almost like a portrait painting. At the end of the day both of them is a form of ART so it's good that you mentioned that this is not gatekeeping but just clarifying that thin layer of distinction :D

[@huntercreatesthings]

Yeah, it's a tricky line to walk, and it was a little daunting to discuss as I'll inevitably ruffle some feathers somewhere.

[@edcAdventures.]

Great analogy at the beginning. Street photography is like jazz. If you are serious about it, it can be the most difficult discipline in photography (imo) because you cannot control the environment and the elements when taking a photo with strict composition in mind. Although many think that when you are taking a photo in the streets, its already street photography for them which is not the case. These tiktok photography videos only have one thing: portrait shots with blurred background. Im sorry but majority of the shots aren't even good. It just "looks" good due to expensive gear and good looking people as subjects

[@huntercreatesthings]

Agree about the difficulty lol

[@kevinbatts2804]

This was such a necessary discussion.

[@huntercreatesthings]

I'm glad you agree :)

[@Ashraf0182]

99% of street photos on Social Media are nearly identical: lifeless and unoriginal, just the same scenes captured from different angles.

[@huntercreatesthings]

it's hard to tell a compelling story for sure

[@Htbaa]

Them making us believe most of these moments aren’t staged is ridiculous.

[@huntercreatesthings]

Yeah I don't jive with that

[@marximus4]

Agreed. Also, that's the best mic holder I've ever seen.

[@huntercreatesthings]

Much Appreciated

[@tonyw.6813]

The appeal of street photography is the rawness of it.

[@huntercreatesthings]

Sometimes, yes - that's generally my style, but the refinement of some other street photographers (like @joshkjack) is also very appealing.

[@juanturi]

I totally agree with your opinions, there is a lot of difference between doing street photography and taking pictures on the street. There are a lot of people doing portraits on the street or urban landscaping and mistakenly calling it street photography.

[@huntercreatesthings]

Thanks! Glad you agree

[@cineturon]

You're making me miss my old self from a decade ago. I loved street photography in the very same way you described it. Looking at my old Flickr account for the first time in years and it's so emotional...

[@huntercreatesthings]

Never too late to start again

[@domidarko1166]

Thanks for making this. I've been saying this for years and getting shot down. Tired of the street photography craze of people snapping randoms doing their shopping and slapping a blue hue on it and labelling themselves a street photographer who grades cinematically. No narrative, no use of light, colour or composition, no knowledge or meaning in what they are doing. Street photography was historically an art of many forms and with wide boundaries, from capturing the moment, to a clever telling of a story, to the human element. Yes, people can be portrayed as the main focus but there has to be something that pulls you in and meaning behind it, after all, the best photos make us feel. We all have our paths of learning and that's understandable but I think this genre has gotten lazy and its mostly due to social media and the need for instant gratification..

[@huntercreatesthings]

That's a wonderful definition

[@JohnKwon-st3ve]

Those TikTok 'street photos' always look more like wildlife photography, except that the subjects are humans rather than animals. This further clarified the impression I've been getting.

[@huntercreatesthings]

yeah definitely has that look to it

[@IJN_Haruna]

Completely agree here a good video detailed thank you for explaining the true Street photography

[@huntercreatesthings]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@BreakifyTV]

THANK YOU for standing up for all of us photographers! Btw, I'm sure some of those so called "street photography" videos on TikTok are scripted.

[@huntercreatesthings]

Most definitely. Thank you for watching!

[@edwindungdung1998]

I'd like to thank you! Really I do. I've been in a slump for a while now, since I was criticised horribly by someone who probably didn't understand the art style, and it affected me more than it should. The criticisms came across as rude remarks towards my style and devastated me, and I haven't been out doing photography at all. I'm glad to have come across your video and the way you speak about street photography, It's reminded me of why I fell in love with this art form in the first place, the idea or feeling behind a photograph is what I like to capture. I said to myself that my style often is that of what I generally feel when I see a moment that I capture. It's a shame what has become of street photography in viral media, but I'm glad there are people like you who still care and uphold the values of this style.

[@huntercreatesthings]

I'm so glad I could help!

[@Unchained_Studio]

A true photographer is being humble, and not boasting that he is a photographer, but like an invisible being unnoticed by his/her subjects.

[@huntercreatesthings]

I have a whole video about how to be invisible that you might like hahaha

[@Bhethar]

I know very little about photography but I really loved this video and explaination you gave. I know it’s dumb but I loved how you used your own photos to show what is not street photography. As you said, it’s not about gatekeeping, it’s about understanding a definition.

[@huntercreatesthings]

Thanks so much!!!!! I'm glad you enjoyed

[@kentdms]

This is a discussion that needs to be put out there. Thank you for making this video Hunter.

[@huntercreatesthings]

Thank you for watching!

[@steesimons37]

Well said Hunter, this has been a gripe of mine for a while. You have explained this calmly, knowledgeably and ethically.

[@huntercreatesthings]

Glad you agree!

[@steesimons37]

@@huntercreatesthings Oh, for sure! And it's not just that; I appreciate you also here saying something that I personally feel more and more with each shot (good or bad) that I take, pretty much; I have recognised, only recently, that what I have actually been doing is adding to what will become a sort of self portrait. Each shutter is a brush stroke on the canvas; 'mistakes' will be learnt from and painted over, but I am reflected in the body of my photographs. What I chose to include, exclude, the delight I find moment to moment, the humour, etc. It was cool to hear it said in a more succinct way than my brain can probably put it :)

[@mudbrainxyz]

Thanks for putting to words my feelings about street photography and its complex relationship with social media.

[@huntercreatesthings]

Thank you so much!!!!

[@ActualCounterfactual]

I fully agree with your analysis of street photography. Your video highlights some of the forgotten dilemmas and perspectives on the genre 👌

[@huntercreatesthings]

Thanks!

[@sammilbauer9252]

When I shoot street, which is rare because I have no spine, it's to capture a moment, an event. It's about catching a reaction to a joke, or someone taking a rest after walking, or someone selling food or trinkets. I want to capture the energy of a moment. If I want to take a good portrait of an attractive person, I ask and plan. For me, the best street work involves a little bit of chance and spontaneity.

[@abrahymlettan]

This has made me realise why I like taking photos, I never really considered what made street photography different. Its the story, i have lots of kind of candids, but its the movement of the people I like, the idea that they're going somewhere. And usually theres another person/people i love capturing that there are multiple people in a fleeting world. And I never noticed those are the photos I love, so thank you.

[@huntercreatesthings]

Yes!!! That's the key

[@NikDavis]

Awesome! I'm glad I learned this today. Street Photography vs portraits on the street! I love taking candids on the street of either ppl or pets in an effort to see something unique that otherwise I'd miss if I was taking their portrait. Eventually, I'd love to get some confidence to ask strangers if they'd like their portrait taken. -- Great video!

[@princegoatcheese9379]

I'm a farm photographer, I take photos of specially trained barn animals with my Canon Eos R to pose in front of the Empire State Building, and they're totally improvised! The cows and chickens are NOT MODELS. It's all improvised, I swear, I'm just very good at it!

[@huntercreatesthings]

Ever done sheep or mostly just cows and chickens?

[@merchant100]

Taking photos on the streets doesn’t make it “Street photography”

[@huntercreatesthings]

correct

[@Louis_Roper]

I agree!!! That these kind of accounts on Instagram and TikTok have very little feeling amotion in them. Your photos you showerd are very interesting! I lov the production of your videos, they are excellent.

[@huntercreatesthings]

Thank you!!!

[@TheBigNegative-PhotoChannel]

I don't think it's a problem if people hide somewhere with their superzooms like perverts to photograph young pretty girls like a creep, just for God's sake, don't call it streetphotography. lol I think we should call it creepphotography from now on, that would be more fitting. Sounds similar and fits better. 👌

[@huntercreatesthings]

I definitely do think that in particular is a problem! I just wanted to ensure that I didn't hate on some genuinely great street portrait shooters on TikTok, which there are.

[@agapon2023]

how about famous Garry Winogrand and many other men like him who secretly took pictures of young pretty girls on the street 50 years ago. why do we call their photographs art and show them in galleries but if someone does the same today he's a creep? Ridiculous

[@PooMonkeyMan]

I disagree in some ways. I believe you can do street photography with a 400mm, but those photographers just have a poor choice of subjects when there are better subjects like the environment around them or just embarrassing moments of others goofing up. Continually focusing on only women is the creepy part.

[@antwon8902]

The thing that's interesting about this is that even though street portraits do exist these feel less like street portraits and more like paparazzi photos. They're very flat and very soulless.

[@huntercreatesthings]

Yeah very much like paparazzi for some reason

[@giaanhbk]

Great content. I feel like you have the best definition of street photography

[@huntercreatesthings]

Thank you!

[@randomchannel323]

People often use interesting crops and aspect ratios as well but those probably aren't best suited for social media

[@zhanezar]

thank you for making this video, i really liked how you said that photography is like getting to know the photographer that's exactly the way i feel. i shoot for myself first, sometimes its hard to explain "why" i like something.

[@huntercreatesthings]

I feel you for sure.

[@KevinBrooks_c]

People these days have camera in their pockets so it's so easy to grow the urge of making one object looks good, from taking photos of Starbucks coffee cups to a friend pulling up a peace sign beside a sunset. The trend felt like it's more about bragging a person's self to me these years. I think it's often forgotten that, there is a huge genre that make photos speaks more then that, or even it was meant to be not just documenting but makes emotional reaction a thing in the first place. That's why some people can direct a movie, and most ppl cannot.

[@huntercreatesthings]

100%

[@JasonRowPhotography]

Really well said and not before time. TikTok, reels and similar have created a generation of lazy photographers who are all trying to simulate viral trends rather than trying to learn their own techniques and create their own styles. Street photography is something I have hardly ever done but understand exactly what it is. As well as the street portraits you talk about, I see photographers creating pictures of just streets with no human story at all, turning it black and white and calling it street. Cartier-Bresson would not have approved

[@BachezDoesArt]

Thanks for this video! I got into shooting street from a photographer called Stephen DiRado and fell in love with his ability to create honest portraits though conversations with his subjects. I shot like that for a while but I've definitely recently felt pressured into creating "beautiful" photos bc of work I see while scrolling. Thanks again for the reminder that we're storytellers, capturing life.

[@huntercreatesthings]

I'm glad you enjoyed!

[@ccemerald1921]

Really love your work, I find your vids so engaging and also informative.

[@huntercreatesthings]

Thanks so much! It honestly is so cool that you're enjoying

[@FrankyBabes]

Sometimes when I'm out shooting street, someone will ask me to take some photos of them. And I'll do it, it's fun! But I always have to do a little change in mindset and, often, change some settings too. They're different in a qualitative way that is hard to pin down. The TikToks are basically just misinformation

[@huntercreatesthings]

100% - it's always jarring switching my brain over to portrait mode haha

[@Webpromotions]

I was going through my feed to cull my subscriptions. (I have way too many) I saw your video and was about to unsubscribe, but (as i always do) I thought I'd watch your latest video. I'm so glad i did. Fantastic video, easy listening and thought provoking. Never thought that I'd enjoy someone talking into a wooden spoon so much. Lol. On another thought process, i might have to take my 5x7 large format onto the street in the city where I live and see what I get.

[@huntercreatesthings]

Dude large format street photography would be awesome!

[@pendlera2959]

The tiktok photos you were showing come across as paparazzi shots of commoners instead of celebrities. Yeah, that doesn't feel good.

[@huntercreatesthings]

Right!? Very much paparazzi style

[@taratantara]

In the same way Canva destroys reputation of designers, Framer destroys web developper skills and jobs, cooking recipes annihilate kitchen creativity, travel agencies make you a world expert and so on…I get the rant as a photographer myself, I hate social media for this exact purpose, but we also need to live with our time. Street photography has been here since ages; these poor guys will fail miserably at some point, let us let them experience this failure. 😅

[@romanigorevich5021]

The spoon mic adapter is gorgeous. Art by itself.

[@huntercreatesthings]

Hahaha thank you!

[@tripswithgriff]

So needed to hear somebody say this, not just about the T-T crap, but all the random pictures of people just walking along a street that people are raving about as great street photography - no story, no feeling, no connection. Many just look like stills fro CCTV footage. Will check out more of your stuff.

[@huntercreatesthings]

Thanks!

[@RolandKaufmann]

As broad as street photography is, there are definitely things it absolutely is not. Thanks for shining light on this issue. I’m glad I found amazing street work before this recent garbage starting becoming mainstream.

[@huntercreatesthings]

I'm glad you enjoyed!

[@eyess_cosm]

You are absolutely right about the language in which we describe it will dramatically change how we view it. Language defines our culture.

[@huntercreatesthings]

100%. I've been learning Polish full time since I moved here and it has really shown me that language and the way you talk about things fully changes the way your brain works.

[@Eddiesoc]

I’ve had this exact discussion so many times in there “street photographers” TikToks and reels glad this people understand the damage this does to actual street photographers

[@huntercreatesthings]

Right!?

[@fattie0926]

hit subscribe immediately when I saw the mic this channel is pure gold

[@huntercreatesthings]

Thank you so much!!!

[@pedro77167]

Agree for the most part. But I never really enjoy these videos because dictating what art is and isn’t feels uncomfortable. Honestly you could’ve called these “street photographers” trend chasers desperate for instagram likes and that would’ve been fine and true, but then it started creeping into the whole “wide is better, candid is better, blah blah blah.” Feel free to respond if something doesn’t make sense. I’m barely really putting much thought into this comment anyways.

[@ste76539]

I don't know about TikTok because I have zero interest in using that app, but I do know KZbin is chock full of people wandering around in cities just clicking away, often on high speed continuous thinking they're doing street photography. They're just pointing their camera at people randomly, and if you were to ask them what any of their pictures have to do wtih street photography they wouldn't have a clue, other than they took it 'on the street'. I personally think it's just one symptom of the state of photography in general - the average person doesn't know what makes a 'good picture any more. I see so often someone put underwhelming pictures on social media (in the context of a 'photographer' specifically, I am not talking about just anyone posting their pictures online in an 'ordinary' snap context) and there be a flood of people gushing away saying how wonderful it is, when it really isn't. It's so disheartening when there are those of us who take the time to learn all we can, and put so much of ourselves into our art.

[@huntercreatesthings]

I think many photographers could benefit greatly from being more intentional - myself included!

[@RhettegettBorshow]

Great video! I firmly believe that street photography is not just about people, it's about their impact, their surroundings. Like Brian Karlssons pictures that have no humans on them, but you can still feel their presence through context. Thereby using a super long tele lens to blur out backgrounds and cropping real tight, well that just removes the environment that could have made a story. And now it's just a portrait, a very uncomfortable one at that.

[@huntercreatesthings]

Absolutely!

[@gloriousjourneyCH]

Storytelling and the process of creating are what make a huge difference between Tiktokers and the real street photographers especially who are accepted internationally. If people see how they create their work, it will totally blew their minds. Those Tiktokers are just like paparazzi with post processing. Consent is also the thing to talk about.

[@huntercreatesthings]

Agree - storytelling is key

[@chriscroft2323]

Not gonna lie, love your microphone

[@huntercreatesthings]

Hahaha thank you!

[@MaxwellChan0]

This ia a very interesting perspective! My view was definitely skewed by watching these photographers on TikTok, and I now have a greater appreciation for photography as an art form.

[@huntercreatesthings]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@robonzo4817]

I studied history of art a number of years ago and it was never called street photography - it was introduced as Reportage Photography, a photo journalistic approach which aims to tell a story through imagery. To me that means it doesn't need a model as it's subject, but it does need a narrative. As you point out, a long lens zoom of a girl walking down the street has little to no story, it is just a portrait. but people can be reportage, look at how a good wedding or events photographer shoots the little details around the event and not just the main event itself.

[@huntercreatesthings]

Yeah, a lot of people forget that many of the big names in street photography were mainly press photogs

[@masakiniphoto]

thank you for making this video, so far I have the same concerns about “the original street photography” with street portraits done by reels or tiktok content creators. but, what I'm still confused about is the difference between street photography and the human interest genre. maybe you can explain it in the next video

[@huntercreatesthings]

Interesting idea - I will look into it!

[@Sobchakph]

As a portrait photographer i thank you so much for this video))) Theres a huge difference between being a "street photographer" and being a "photographer on the streets"

[@huntercreatesthings]

You're very welcome

[@padredamaso785]

Street photography for me is like having a subject without subject. Newbie perspective.

[@huntercreatesthings]

Interesting

[@jdmac7716]

this discussion reminds me a lot of what Juan Brenner said during his B&H Photos Podcast episode, “Picturing World Cultures - Guatemala”: “People take pictures of Mickey Mouse, and Mickey Mouse cannot do anything, okay?So people in the Highlands are not Mickey Mouse.” One thing anyone should know is that when taking a picture of someone, you’re taking on the role of their advocate or greatest critic, and whichever you choose should be done faithfully.

[@huntercreatesthings]

I agree

[@theazurian2778]

honestly i feel u, I took a class for photography so that I could learn flash techniques and how to work with flash but 70% of the time was us just doing what the lecturer specialized or prefered in photography, he said street potraiture was street fashion and it blew my mind with how 60% of what he thought was utter preferance,....................

[@huntercreatesthings]

That's all too common unfortunately. Best way to learn flash, or any photography technique, is to just try it until it works

[@theazurian2778]

@@huntercreatesthings very true, had high hopes considering im attending a rather prestigous university in the top 100 global rankings. Thought the classes would be good but in all honesty, its kinda trash and is really too basic and most of the skills i learnt are from experience over anything else.........

[@MysterDaftGame]

Social media photo influencers : Boring subject ✅️ Over-editing to cover the boring subject ✅️ All of this is also amplified by Tik Tok's nature : fast food of entertainment, you don't give a thought about what you see and forget it after swiping a couple of times...

[@huntercreatesthings]

It's quite a shame

[@ryanbowiephotography]

Love the microphone on the wooden spoon 🤣

[@huntercreatesthings]

Thanks hahaha

[@randomchannel323]

Street photography doesn't even have to be the people. It can be the architecture as well

[@xxxxz4862]

This is a touchy subject, but I completely agree. Its annoying when I cee them and typically block them when I see them post this trend.

[@huntercreatesthings]

Glad you agree!

[@TNT925]

Somewhat off topic but I think it might be a really cool concept to first take a photo of someone unaware of you living their daily life than approach them to take a more relaxed intimate photo. Like showing the difference in the face we present the world vs the face we present a freind

[@huntercreatesthings]

not a bad idea tbh

[@4toconvert389]

Here is the thing, someone can shoot photos of beautiful women with an 85mm or 135mm lens and it can still be street photography. It can tell a tell story and whether you like or dislike the story is irrelevant. It might be a simple story and not complex but that is the beauty of stories. Some street photographers are inspired by women, some by the interplay of shadows and highlights, and some love abstract subjects. The biggest difference between street photography and street portraits is the question of consent. The moment a person shoots a beautiful woman but asks for consent before or after, it is a street portrait. However, if there is no consent and the person shot does not know, it is street photography. It is just that the subjects of street photography are varied. Beautiful women shot with telephoto lenses can also be street photography subjects. This can blur the lines as someone viewing the images may not know if there was consent or not, and might have a harder time defining which is which. The difference between portraiture and street photography is razor thin. I do see what you are saying with these tik tok portraits because there is consent sought in most cases, but when there isn’t that consent, their work falls on the side of street photography. For a non photographer that may be confusing. I shoot everything that I find captivating on the street from people to objects and abstracts and I think we run into difficulties when we become too pedantic and prescriptive. As photographers, we should be grateful for the photographers who are putting photography on the map and bucking the trends of videos by showing the beauty of photography. Digital has made photography accessible and it has created a more diverse pool of photographers and we should be celebrating that instead of trying to stick people into boxes and hope they stay there. Be like water and go with the flow and enjoy the shape you find yourself in a given moment.

[@huntercreatesthings]

I disagree that consent is the differentiator personally

[@4toconvert389]

@huntercreatesthings You are free to disagree.

[@SianaGearz]

1:31 i bloody love this pic, there's so much right with it.

[@huntercreatesthings]

Thank you hahaha it's probably the photo I'm most proud of!

[@fetzie23]

Those TikToks looked like the kind of photos that would end up on the front page of a high gloss celebrity scandal magazine (the scandal being “ Oh Em Gee did you see her wearing the same shoes two days in a row?!”)

[@huntercreatesthings]

100%

[@classic_kennedy]

Stopped at 4:00 (great video btw), I'd like to add, that in Shanghai there are often pockets of photographers on certain streets to purposely take pics of "beautiful" people walking down the street(usually carrying telephoto lenses, low aperture lenses, etc). This practice boards near harassment as they will crowd to get a photo. I didn't understand the market component of this behavior at the time. The online fashion industry - ads - the digital media world - opens a space for photographers to go out and commit to this type of photography because it's profitable - there's market influence - I'm thankful for your video critiquing the style but we have to also critique the market influence on this.

[@huntercreatesthings]

Wow - I didn't know about that. In most western countries it is very VERY illegal to use photos like that for commercial purposes without a model release, so I wonder if there's a legislative aspect as well?

[@classic_kennedy]

@@huntercreatesthings I tried replying to your comment twice (YT deleted it) but there is an article I can share on this. Also, I've seen people online demand the Posters to remove their photos/friends' photos the photographer took on the street. I'm not sure which policies are available, but I do think democratic participation in digital media spaces is a way to combat some of these problems. Because photography has become democratized, it means photographers (anyone with a camera) needs to develop their own ethic or sense of play. Meaning - they need to know how to share space...give n take.

[@nimpichu3711]

I agree with you but at the same time, we are definitely gatekeeping

[@huntercreatesthings]

Maybe - but I like to think of it as providing guidance

[@SivertAlmvik]

This reminds me of certain Facebook street photography groups (and why I stopped using them AND Facebook all together many, many years ago) where older men with long lenses take pictures of beautiful young girls in the summertime. It is creepy as hell!

[@huntercreatesthings]

Yeah definitely doesn't give me a good feeling

[@jerry.cray..]

I understand the sentiment, but I respectfully disagree. To me, a Public Space + a Candid Moment = Street Photography. Take it and run with it. We don’t have to like everything that people create within a genre, but it doesn’t make it any less authentic to the genre. If the photos are staged, then that’s a whole other story. But if it’s in a public space, and it’s documenting a candid moment, person, or thing, then it’s street to me. Of course there can be overlaps with other genres too, but it’s still street. I think a problem is presented when without the context of the videos “showing” us that it’s candid, we wouldn’t always be able to tell from just the final photo. I do think that will be a challenge for this emerging sub-genre. Traditional street photography presents as a candid moment. And that’s sort of the magic of the genre. To casually, beautifully capture such seemingly raw moments. I’m not the biggest fan of this emerging “tik tok” style of street photography myself, but I wouldn’t dare try to exclude their work because it doesn’t fit a purist idea of what street should be. Just my two cents. 🙏🏿

[@huntercreatesthings]

Fair enough :)

[@fofopho]

Not sure you know what candid means my dude 😅

[@csmcrckrs]

Haha thanks for calling it out, so annoying! The main problem isn't even that it's portraiture (and you see a lot of them ask their subject for permission beforehand), but such a bland and clichéd style of portraiture ... that over-edited look with heaps of crappy bokeh, completely void of any artistic quality.

[@huntercreatesthings]

Right?!

[@lotadot]

I am currently studying photography as my major, we had a project, to take "candid shots" on Iford 400 B&W. There is a moment between the photographer, camera and person (audience or spectator). that is indiscernible. for me, it's unfortunate to see people on TikTok using the street photography tag to take creepshots.

[@huntercreatesthings]

Yes!

[@dellonia]

The other main issue that I think you didn't talk about is the legality. In most european countries, you must ask the permission to post the picture in the first place while in fewer others, like switzerland, it is plain illegal to shot strangers in the road if it's not for a "public interest reason" (for example, if there is a big incident, anyone that shares videos where we can identify people risk nothing as long as they are not the main topic of the content shared).

[@huntercreatesthings]

That's inaccurate afaik. I'm not a lawyer, but my understanding is that for commercial work, you do most definitely need a model release - however for fine art & social documentary purposes, almost every country either has a provision to allow it, or keeps it in a legal grey area.

[@SISSI_LU]

Well said 👏👏

[@huntercreatesthings]

Thank you!!!!

[@francotamayo94]

This is the same as doing a photo shoot with a model in a mountain taking portrait photos of said model and calling them "landscape photography".

[@huntercreatesthings]

yessir

[@washingtonradio]

I'm not a street photographer; my understanding is street photography is about the human experience especially in urban/suburban environments. What I have seen happen is something gets popular and many jump on the hot trend for likes and clicks.

[@huntercreatesthings]

Bang on

[@SamuelStreetlife]

Thank you!

[@huntercreatesthings]

Thank you for watching!!

[@AnthonyGugliotta]

Street photography, Lightroom presets, fake photoshoots all of these videos are problematic.

[@huntercreatesthings]

1000%

[@JenniferPayne-uu5ve]

The microphone 😂 As amateur, I loved the explanation and took a little pride of "oh, I am doing something right! I am on my way"

[@huntercreatesthings]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Jayroi]

Your channel is my new favorite on photography. Thanks for the vids.

[@huntercreatesthings]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@thatcookingdude]

Finally someone said it!! I’m not a street photographer, more of a fashion and portrait photographer but calling that a street photo or street photography is simply wrong.

[@huntercreatesthings]

Glad you agree!

[@martinohesse]

Street photography is only misunderstood by people who doesn't even educate at a minimum level on photography. The problem is there are too many people without photo education but are enough to steal the term "street photography"...

[@huntercreatesthings]

I am doing the education bit, or at least trying

[@rasyasejati]

thank you for shining a light on this

[@huntercreatesthings]

Thanks for listening!

[@wasifmoramen]

Thank god someone made this video

[@huntercreatesthings]

You're so welcome

[@stacci9144]

😂 my approach to street photography was always to cosplay a crime scene investigator and try and find what’s out of place and oddities for a good while. Even now I usually only capture people as shadows or not faces. I feel extremely invasive randomly shooting people so they’re never my focus.

[@huntercreatesthings]

That's a great approach :)

[@jerrykovis5417]

The only thing that really matters nowadays is how people title things, especially since street photography is so saturated now.

[@huntercreatesthings]

Not sure - I think street photography maybe feels saturated but the demand is growing too

[@jerrykovis5417]

@@huntercreatesthings I guess what I meant is that because of Street Photography being so hyped these days, more and more people are doing it because of how trendy it is, which can lead to people calling everything they shoot “Street Photography”. It’s happening everywhere, especially on social media. But I agree that there should be some parameters as to what is actually Street Photography.