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15 Lessons
Bruce
Davidson Can
Teach You
About Street
Photography
October 9, 2012 By Eric Kim
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Bruce
Davidsons
Biography
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Lessons Bruce
Davidson can
teach you about
street
photography
Once again to clarify, Davidson
doesnt like to categorize his
type of photography, and
would certainly disagree with
calling himself a street
photographer. However I feel
out of all the photographers
out there, he has had one of the
strongest impacts on my
photography in terms of his
humanitarianism, interest in
social issues, as well as his love
and compassion for his
subjects.
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1. Become part
of the
community
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I came to 100th
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Sometimes when I
photographed a
family of a person
again, I had to take
down my own
pictures. (East 100th
Street)
As street photographers, the
connections that we build with
our subjects is often very
shallow or non-existent. After
all, that is the working style of
street photography. We see a
subject or a scene we want to
capture, we take the
photograph, wave hello or
thank them and move on.
However the way that
Davidson worked was totally
different he spent a lot of time
in each area, getting to know
the people and having them
collaborate with him. When he
first came to East 100th street,
people were a bit suspicious of
him. However over time they
warmed up to him through him
giving out prints, talking with
the locals, and even having
them take his photograph.
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2. How to
approach your
subjects
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album of my work. I
have three choices. If I
see someone in this
beautiful mood, ill go
up to them and ask
them, Id like to take a
picture of that mood.
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Not everyone
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how I want my
picture taken. Ill tell
you when I want my
picture taken, when
Im feeling good.'
(East 100th Street)
We may also betray peoples
trust without really knowing it.
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4. Dont hesitate
when taking
photographs
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Despite my fantasies
of being a hunter
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on impulse, for if I
hesitated, my
subject might get
off at the next
station and be lost
forever.
Dont let yourself fall to
paralysis by analysis when
you are shooting street
photography. As my friend
Charlie Kirk says, When in
doubt, click.
Turn off that censor in your
mind that prevents you from
taking a photograph. The worst
thing that generally happens is
that people get upset and ask
you to delete the photograph.
But by not taking the
photograph, even worse, you
might miss that photo
opportunity forever.
5. When to work
in black & white
and when to
work in color
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project:
At first I
photographed in
black and white. After
a while, however, I
began to see a
dimension of
meaning that
demanded a color
consciousness.
Color photography
was not new for me
most of my
commissioned work
and all of my films
had been done in
color. But color in the
subway was different.
I found that the strobe
light reflecting off the
steel surfaces of the
defaced subway cars
created a new
understanding of
color. I had seen
photographs of
deep-sea fish
thousands of
fathoms below the
ocean surface,
glowing in total
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6. Dont be
afraid to ask for
permission
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ourselves street
photographers we can often
fall into the gap of not wanting
to take any photos with
permission (as it may cause us
no longer to be a street
photographer).
My suggestion is to disregard
that notion. Sure street
photographs are taken without
permission, but it shouldnt
prevent us from asking for
permission when taking
photographs. As much as
anybody out there, I dont like
adding labels to myself in terms
of what type of photography I
shoot. I tend to call myself a
street photographer as it is
the easiest way to classify
myself (I wouldnt call myself a
landscape photographer for
example).
If you come upon a great scene
but you may be a little wary or
concerned, dont be shy. Ask
for permission. Davidson
shares a memorable story from
one of his most powerful
images in Subway:
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I was looking at
the map when the
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Theres a picture in
my central park of a
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approach people
humanly. So they
dont feel youre
sneaking or
anything. Or some
sort of a bad
person. (Central
Park)
This is another good way to
approach your subjects if you
want to take a photograph of
them. Mention something
interesting or unique about
them (either their hair, nails,
outfit, pets, etc.). This helps
them understand why you want
to take their photograph and
also what you find interesting
and unique about them.
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7. Dont always
have a
destination in
mind
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I began to explore
8. Dont let
yourself become
pigeonholed
into definitions
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Oh people youre a
documentary
photographer. I dont
even know what that
means. Oh people say
you are a
photojournalist. Im
rarely published in
journals. Oh then
yore a fine art
photographer. Then I
say Im not. I aspire
to be a fine
photographer.
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Once I asked a
Im just a
humanist. I just
photograph the
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human condition as I
find it. It can be
serious. It can also be
ironic or humorous.
Im political, but not
in an overt way. Of
course, everything we
do in life is political.
Almost everything.
Rather than defining what type
of photography he does, he
explains why he photos. He
sees himself as a humanist by
photographing the human
condition as he finds it
rather than just to make
interesting images.
When it comes to his way of
working, Davidson shares that
the relationship and contact
that he has with his subjects are
very important:
If I am looking for a
story at all, it is in my
relationship to the
subject the story
that tells me, rather
than that I tell.
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I was permitted to go
into a life that I didnt
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9. Spend more
time working on
long-term
projects
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What carries me
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It is very difficult to
photograph that, but
Im doing that. Its
expensive, they dont
have a subway yet in
Los Angeles. So that
challenge and that
truth comes out of
doing it everyday.
Sometimes I dont
even know what Im
doing in Los
Angeles Im not sure
whats its all aboutbut its very
interesting to me.
Davidson, close to the age of 80,
has an incredible body of work
that he has already
accomplished. However rather
than being satisfied with what
he has already accomplished, he
is always looking for the next
thing to keep him energized
and inspired.
He also stresses the importance
of the challenge of a project- a
project that is too easy simply
wouldnt interest him.
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I became addicted
to the subway.
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I began to go out
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10. Capture
moods in your
photographs
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Or the atmosphere, or
the climate around a
given situation, which
somehow I was drawn
toit was all about
passion and how I was
attracted to
photography. I loved
to take pictures.
In an interview at the strand
bookstore, he is given a
question about cameras
(especially the proliferation of
the iPhone as a camera).
Davidson responds:
interested in
quality, vision; Im
interested in
challenges. Im
interested in
humanity. The more
iPhones, the better as
Im concerned.
It is very important to create
images with good composition,
framing, and technical settings.
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11. Be grateful
for what you
have
Im not trying to
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I supported myself
with a little bit of
commercial work. I
started to do fashion,
but didnt have any
feeling with fashion
and the models were
far too tall for me.
After a while I gave
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12. On editing,
printing, &
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putting together
books
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really within my
DNA. Its in my
bones.
I began by editing all
my contact sheets and
books. I edited for
two or three days
and then printed
for two or three
days. I cant edit
and print in the
same day. That took
a couple of years,
because I made all
the prints.
I methodically edited
and printed, and that
was an experience in
itself. For instance,
the circus dwarf
photographs are
somewhat well
known. [Circus,
2007.] But what isnt
well known is that I
also photographed the
circus itself, which I
never printed. So
there are a lot of
photographs in this
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process. I usually
work with Emily,
my dear wife of 30
years. I look at this
photo to be a bit trite.
Sometimes you take
out one picture that
locks everything else.
Davidson also shares his
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do is to keep my life in
balance. I walk the
streets with my
handheld camera,
interact with people,
discover, question,
know, understandand then I come back
into my darkroom and
make impressions of
what i experienced
during the day.
Davidson is also very
disciplined when it comes to
his printing:
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13. Dont be
sneaky
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observer:
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ghetto (Followed
by an awkward
silence).
Well, what you
call a ghetto, I call
my home. via
Bruce Davidson at
MILK gallery talk
(Adam Marelli Photo)
My personal opinion is that I
dont like being sneaky when
shooting street photography
either. I make it very obvious
when I am taking a photo of
someone, as I use a 35mm lens
and stand about 1-2 meters away
from someone. I also generally
smile and say thank you
(although not always).
If you want to be more discrete
(without being sneaky)
Davidson suggests to take
photos of a person that you
might have some rapport with,
and then use them as an anchor
to ask for recommendations for
other people to photograph.
Although I have never tried
this method, I think it is a great
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14. When in a
foreign place,
get help from
locals
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me and steal my
camera. He knew
many of the people
who let me into
their homes to
photograph them. I
relied on him. He
made me feel safe.
Consider that when Davidson
was working on his East 100th
Street project, it was a very
dangerous place to be
(especially as an outsider by
yourself). However by
befriending the boy- he helped
Davidson better navigate the
area and bring him a lot of
safety (and photo
opportunities).
When you travel to foreign
places (doesnt necessarily have
to be out of your city), it is
always good to figure out some
of the important local customs
and to even go out shooting
with someone from the local
area.
For example when I was
shooting in Tokyo, I was very
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slums. They
photograph their
friends. You know,
this boy kissing that
girl.. All sorts of
things all sorts of
possibilities, without
sentimality. They
photograph the life
they know, not its
horrors.
Davidson also shares how he
tries to give his subjects prints
whenever possible in order to
bond with them and get closer
to them. He shares his
experiences when shooting
The Brooklyn Gang:
always my practice
to offer pictures.
Even in the Brooklyn
gang I would give
them pictures. It was a
way of seeing them,
and a way of them
seeing me. So I was
able to be invisible
almost to thembecause they were
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Conclusion
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Bruce Davidson is a
photographer who refuses to
let himself be defined by others.
Rather, he follows his passions
and his gut to create
meaningful bodies of work.
When he chooses a project, he
sticks with it and pursues it for
several months, and often
several years. He is a man that
cares deeply for his subjects,
and cares more about his
relationships with them than
the photos themselves.
Although Davidson wouldnt
consider himself a street
photographer, us as street
photographers can learn very
much from Davidsons
experiences and wisdom from
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close to 70 years of
photographing. Follow your
heart, treat your subjects like
humans, and try to capture
emotion & humanity in your
images. And dont forget to
give back.
Interesting
stories from
Bruce
Davidsons
Subway book
Below are some fascinating
excerpts from Davidsons
Subway book that I wanted
to share:
1. On escaping a
potential
mugging
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I went on riding in
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strawberries between
her fingers and
dripped that onto the
breakfast cereal,
making a sickening
mess. I asked, Are
you making a subway
collage? She stared
hard at me, lit up a
cigarette, and sat
down. I asked if I
could take
photographs for a
book I was doing on
the subway. She stood
up, stamped out her
cigarette, and then
lifted up he dress. My
flash went off a few
times. The doors
between the cars
opened, and three
youths with their eyes
on my camera charged
into the car, but
halted when they
spotted the mess on
the floor. Hey man,
look at the shit on the
floor. Lets get outta
here! They turned
and went out into
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another car. I
realized the pile of
disgusting refuse
on the floor was a
protective bonfire
to keep the wild
animals away. It had
probably saved me
from a mugging.
2. On getting
mugged in the
subway
I noticed two
seventeen-year-old
boys in the very last
car smoking pot. I
entered the car to see
them more clearly,
but decided not to
make contact with
them. They looked
withdrawn and
dejected, slumped in
their seats. I stood for
a few moments
watching the view of
the Manhattan skyline
diminishing in the
hazy distance, and
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3. On working
with an
undercover cop
and busting a
thief
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4. On taking the
cover image of
Subway
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5. On why he
decided to
pursue Subway
as his project
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secret handwriting
that covered the walls,
windows, and maps. I
began to imagine that
these signatures
surrounding the
passengers were
ancient Egyptian
hieroglyphics. Every
now and then when I
was looking at one of
these cryptic
messages, someone
would come and sit in
front of it, and I
would feel as if the
message had been
decoded. I started to
draw a connection
between the
Broadway Island, the
neighborhood
cafeteria and the pious
scribe on the Lower
East Side. The
connection was the
subway.
6. How Davidson
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prepared himself
for the Subway
project:
To prepare for
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bleeding. I tightened
my belt with the
heavy strobe power
pack on it, slipped on
my jacket, put on my
cap slung my camera
over my shoulder,
made one last trip to
the bathroom, and
was ready for a day in
the subway.
Books by Bruce
Davidson
Support Bruce Davidson and
myself by purchasing one of
Davidsons books below (if you
purchase a book through one of
these links on Amazon I make a
small commission). All of these
collections are published by
Steidl, inarguably the best
publisher in the world. The
books have some of the finest
printing- with nice thick paper
and vibrant colors and soulful
black & whites. The snapshots
in this post dont do the photos
any real justice, purchase a copy
below!
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Subway by
Bruce Davidson
Black + White,
by Bruce
Davidson
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Videos by Bruce
Davidson
Below are some videos I highly
recommend watching:
Bruce Davidson,
Subway talk at
the Strand
Bookstore (2011)
A great in-depth watch at
around 1 hour long Davidson
talks about his most famous
shots in his Subway book.
Nice Q&A at the end too.
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Bruce Davidson,
Everybody
Street (2011):
A nice contemporary interview
with Cheryl Dunn shows his
darkroom and working style.
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Bruce Davidson:
Making Contact
(2000)
An earlier film with a
younger Davidson talking
about his photography.
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Bruce Davidson:
A Lifetime with
Leica (Leica Blog)
A nice feature with Leica
featuring some of Davidsons
sweet Leicas.
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Bruce Davidsons
East 100th
Street book flipthrough
A lovely flip-through
Davidsons East 100th street
book.
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Bibliography:
Below is a list of resources I
used to compile this article
together. I highly encourage
you to read the articles more indepth:
1. Interview with Bruce
Davidson Thoughts on a
Lifetime with Leica (Leica
Blog) Link
2. Interview with Bruce
Davidson (2006) Link
3. The Renowned, Unknown
Bruce Davidson (2010)
Link
4. Bruce Davidson Interview
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Subway
Below are some of my favorite
images from Subway:
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East 100th
Street
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Time of Change
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Central Park
Circus
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Brooklyn Gang
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Tw eet
30
Share
Chinatown, Downtown
Los Angeles Street
Photography
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#AskMagnum: Video
Interview with Bruce
Gilden
Christopher Anderson,
Magnum Photographer,
Interview with VICE
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Upcoming Street
Photography
Workshops
If you want to conquer your
fears and meet new peers, join
me in Portland, SF, Chicago,
Toronto, NYC, Vienna, Paris,
Berlin, Stockholm, Istanbul &
More!
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SEE MY UPCOMING
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2 years ago
Reply Share
2 years ago
I opened a photobook I
own, there is an
interesting sentence:
"All rights reserved. No
part of this publication
may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval
system or transmitted, in
any form, or by any
means, electronic,
mechanical,
photocopying, recording
or otherwise without the
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Sometimes it is just
stated "All rights
reserved", that according
to copyright law means
the same as the long
sentence above.
3
Reply
Share
JM >
deepo
2 years
ago
Stop trying to
make people
understand what
copyright is and
how it works,
some people just
don't comprehend
and feel that
they're above the
law and, worst of
all maybe, they'll
most certainly
have many good
reasons to do so
right at hand.
It's even worse
when
photographers
are the culprits
1
Reply
Share
Eric Kim
Mod
>
Mike Avina
2 years ago
Reply
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Reply
Share
David Fathi
2 years ago
Reply Share
Eric Kim
Mod
>
David Fathi
2 years ago
Reply
Share
Brian Sparks
2 years ago
Vlad Dusil
Reply Share
2 years ago
109/119
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Reply Share
Eric Kim
Mod
>
Vlad Dusil
2 years ago
Dear Vlad,
Thanks very much for
your feedback and
comment. You bring up a
lot of good points and I'll
try my best to give you
some of my reasoning:
One of the reasons I
share a lot of these
photographs because
there are lots of
photographers who don't
have access to these
erickimphotography.com/blog/2012/10/09/15-lessons-bruce-davidson-can-teach-you-about-street-photography/
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10
Reply
Share
rrroy > Eric
Kim
2 years
ago
I don't want to
interfere, just to
make a small
correction.
"I have lots of
friends in Asia
who want to
purchase the
books yet can't
afford them
because the
shipping costs
already double
the price of books
by twice."
There are
Amazon
equivalents in
Asia that will
deliver these
books to buyers
doorstep without
shipping charges.
It's not that we
need to order
these books
directly from
Amazon USA or
UK.
Your knowledge
of Asia is at best
rudimentary. Do
you have any idea
of the quality of
life of a
photographer in
erickimphotography.com/blog/2012/10/09/15-lessons-bruce-davidson-can-teach-you-about-street-photography/
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Reply
Share
Vlad Dusil
> Eric Kim
2 years
ago
I appreciate your
response.
Your reasonings
are flawed. You
reproduce a vast
quantity of an
artist's work
because it's not
available in many
countries? 489 of
BD's books ship
via
AmazonGlobal.
My assumption is
also that majority
of your website's
visitors live in
English-speaking
countries. Plenty
of coverage and
accessibility
there. Many
readers can't
afford the books
overseas?
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overseas?
Fortunately we
have Robin Hood
on our side to
deliver the goods
for free. /s
Just because
Magnum
indicated in
interviews that
they tolerate web
sharing of their
licensed work
doesn't mean that
it's cool to
republish crappy
cell phone
pictures by the
hundreds. This is
not a "glimpse" as
you call it, this
goes way beyond
fair use to
educate and
inspire. Use 5
images and it's a
glimpse, use
190+ and it's a
unicorn-powered
thunderfuck of
insight.
Look, I disagree
with the direction
you're taking with
your latest
editorials, I
believe it does a
disservice to the
great
photographers to
have much of
their work
ejaculated on
Photobucket.
That is all.
3
Reply
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Reply
Share
d_horton
>
Vlad
Dusil
2
years
ago
Terrific
article,
Eric. So
well done.
Thank you
for
sharing.
1
Reply
Share
Joseph
Camosy
>
Vlad
Dusil
2
years
ago
@Vlad,
@Charlie,
@Eric,
This is
what I
wrote
about
below,
using the
term
"transgressive
recontextualization."
There are
many
levels of
this to
consider.
see more
Reply
Share
erickimphotography.com/blog/2012/10/09/15-lessons-bruce-davidson-can-teach-you-about-street-photography/
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Eric
Kim
Mod
>
Vlad
Dusil
2
years
ago
Thanks for
your
feedback
Vlad appreciate
it and will
be
something
to
consider
Reply
Share
JM
>
Eric
Kim
2
years
ago
That's
always
your
response
Eric when
this issue
of over
using
copyrighted
material
comes up,
yet you
never
change
your way
of doing
and I very
much
doubt
you've
ever
asked,
before or
erickimphotography.com/blog/2012/10/09/15-lessons-bruce-davidson-can-teach-you-about-street-photography/
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before or
after, with
the
owners of
said
material;
you
basically
just
assume
they're OK
as you've
mentioned
above.
Lets connect.
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