Essay On Street Photography

As a photographer, Vivian Maier 's street photography is interesting because it captures everyday life on the street, but her work always seems to have a purpose. All of her photos have interesting subjects and focuses, which allows a lot of diversity in her photography. Her street photography and self-portraits are very similar, in my opinion. They are similar because they capture many emotions in an array of settings. Since many of the pictures are candid, they show true, raw emotions that do not over-glorify the reality of the situations caught on film. Maier naturally places herself in a setting, which allows her to capture photos that are natural. In both self-portraits and street photographs, she often tries to create a mysterious photograph.

I do believe street photography can play a role in society because artists are able to tell stories that are not obvious to the public. There are many lessons to be learned from the variety of people found in society and artists are able to capture these lessons to share with the world. In a society where there is an ample amount of inequality, I think photography can teach lessons about closing the gaps in society and accepting people who are different. Maier was obviously very different than others around her, yet her art has become extremely impactful in the world in which we live. Photography is an exciting form of art because it can tell stories that otherwise would be ignored or forgotten.

Street photography captures a lot of candid moments which allows audiences to relate to different emotions that are felt through pictures. Street photography allows collaboration between many people including the artist and regular people that fall into the frame of the camera. Streets and photography come together to give a voice to those who would not normally have one and help influence change in society. I believe all art forms are beneficial to society, regardless of the artist 's intention Vivian Maier has a unique story and way of capturing life on the streets and showing the world her