"Street Pictures" show that the ordinary can be beautiful

Throughout his collection of “Street Pictures”, David Snider impeccably blends simplicity with tried and true photographic techniques in order to create an accessible, yet masterful collection of documentary photography. In reviewing the samples of work we were linked to for our class assignment, never did I feel that he was reaching too far. Instead, I believed that he wanted his photography to be relatable to ordinary people not just trained professionals.

I particularly was attracted to a photo of children taken in Madison Square Park in New York City. Being something of a New York fan, I recognized the setting, and relatability and finding familiarity with viewers is something I feel is incredibly important, both in documentary and artistic photography. The leading lines and self-imposed framing created by the chain links on the bridge are ideal, and Snider uses them to his advantage, rather than casting them aside as a distracting element. Shadows too seem sculpted as a part of the image, rather than as an accidental occurrence. I also really like the various tones and tints visible in the photo, particularly the stark white of the child’s shoes, as contrasted with the dirt on the clothing of the other children around him or her.

The photo taken in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris also fascinated me. Truly, the tower is magnificent in person, and in many landscape photographs taken of it. However, Snider came at the image head on, and really made a relationship between the man in the foreground an the tower. While I can’t claim to understand exactly what Snider was going for, it seems to me that the enormity of the tower is meant to emphasize the normalcy of the man. To put it another way, while he’s the subject of the photgraph and in focus, he simply can not get away from the enormity of the landmark that towers behind him.

Looking at Snider’s pictures makes it evident that documentary or artistic photography does not have to be “boring”. There are unique angles to every image, and it takes a skilled and dedicated journalist or artist to capture them.