Street Photography

Street Photography, also known as straight photography, refers to the body of photography that uses scenes from everyday life for its subjects. While street photography can focus on shots of streets, it may also focus on parks, malls, parades or any other urban center or celebration. While it is a subset of documentary photography, street photography differs from traditional documentary photography in that it documents a portrait of the world, rather than a specific subject.

Similarly, although street photography may have a social or political message, it tends to center more on an ironic statement relating to its subject directly, instead of commenting on all similar subjects. Essentially, the intent of street photography is to function as mirror that directly reflects its immediate subject.

While it may seem counterintuitive, black and white prints tend to be the main medium of street photography. By eliminating color, the photographer pulls the views focus into the action or onto his subjects, preventing distraction from garish color.

The history of photography highlights the time from 1890 to 1975 as the heyday of street photography.