There is something about this work that I like and it has to do with the very approach. It is not that what you are doing is different but it has something, a bunch of mild but significant details that give your pictures a special and quite unique look. In general, your approach is focused on two things: To capture light and shadow in order to create visual contrast like in pictures 1 or 5 and to exploit (via composition) the physical lines, shapes, and color of the urban environment to enhance composition and visuality. These gestures are the most common in street photography, and the vast majority of street photographers try doing the same. But in your case, both gestures do not follow the mainstream approach but they seem to deviate slightly yet with confidence. You are not exaggerating by showing bold visual contrast as most street photographers do. You do not overdo with color and shape. You do not overtake or overlook the subject as many others do. In picture 1, for instance, the police officer and the girl operate both as figures and characters. Most street photographers see the human form as figures that add more interest to their composition. They are not interested in the people they photograph at all – they see them as equals with a car, a tree, a building, and so forth.
first sight, I see a figure, a silhouette to be clear holding an umbrella. Because of their shape, umbrellas are rather the most beloved theme of most photographers out there – and for us who study the work of photographers, an umbrella is a piece of evidence that the photographer shows a preference for the form. So, at first sight, picture 2 looks utterly form-oriented. But, the more I look at the image the more I care about the lonesome figure walking under the snow. And the reason I care about him is not because of my empathy but because of yours. You may not remember this happened but you felt something when you took this shot, and that thing you felt found a way to pass to me. There is a strange feeling captured in your images that makes me think and imagine the figures in the scenes, the two women in picture 5 or the tiny lady in picture 4. Who are those people? How do they feel?
The point I am trying to make is that there is sensitivity in the form, sensitivity, and respect for the people you photograph. You may chase light and color like most street photographers nowadays do but when you press the shutter button you transfer your feeling about the people you photograph, and that feeling gives your work its special essence. Perhaps you cannot see that right now, but it is right there, embedded in the form, composition, light, and color of your photography. I urge you not to lose this because it will define your personal style as you grow. I wish you the best of luck in the contest.
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