Strangers In The Street

A great shot with all the ingredients of top class street photography coming together in one opportune moment. The players seem to be unaware of the whereabouts of the floating balloons and how funny they look. This quick-witted photographer has captured an iconic street scene to be proud of - I’d love to know if the participants were shown the photo and what their reaction was. Very well done.

A very powerful street portrait with the pin sharp definition of the man’s red leather jacket and facial tattoos matching the muted graffiti colours in the background. The aged punk’s aggression works well echoing his subcultures ethos of non-conformity. It must have taken some nerve to approach this scary looking rebel but the photographer’s courage has paid off with one of the strongest captures of a characters emotions and eccentricity in this contest. Well done.

Congratulations for spotting the gobbledygook graffiti tag on the wall acting as a visual sound wave connecting two generations of iPod users. There are many strong comparisons captured within this simple frame. Young and old. Tall and short. Thin and fat. The strangers are so perfectly placed that I wonder if the photo had been posed or if it really was a chance happening. Either way its a well-captured moment beautifully done.

Street photography is all about luck. Being in the right place at the right time. This photographer spotted a clash of cultures and held his nerve waiting for the best moment to click the camera despite getting the evil eye from the tall young man. Converting to mono and draining all colour was a good choice as it puts both figures on an equal footing without over emphasising one or the other. Brilliantly done.

One of the hardest moments to capture in street photography is the unpredictability of people’s hand gestures. This gem throws up many unanswered question. I like the way the stripes of the bag he’s holding and the stripes on the three bollards connect the man to the street. A fascinating image which holds the viewer’s attention trying to figure out what on earth's going on. I enjoy the conundrum very much. Well done.

This old man’s smiling face with missing front tooth makes a good street portrait on its own but the addition of the laughing men in the background makes this a great street photo. The fact that all the men are facing in different directions seemingly enjoying different jokes makes this photo even more intriguing. The viewer is forced to linger longer over the photo searching for unexplained clues to why they are all having a laugh. Well done for creating a fun street photograph.

It’s difficult enough in street photography to capture a passerby who adds relevance to a photographer’s staked out background but to get two such people is a real bonus. Not only has this photographer managed to catch the irony of two bald men walking past a wig and hair extension shop but their skin tones coincidently match the name over the premises. Perfect - well done.