Street Photography: Post 2
Artist Reflection: Alex Webb
Alex Webb is particularly known for using strong colors, severe lighting, and apparent emotion to form his street photography. His photographs have been described using terms such as “depth”, “technicolored”, “unexpected moments”, and “a melting pot of cultures”. Thus, I find his work to be especially relevant in my planning. I have stated that I wish to convey the details of day-to-day urban life through my photo set; I feel that it is the depiction of these details that distinguishes Webb from many other photographers. Using bold colors, playful composition, and the seemingly unpurposeful capturing of fleeting moments, Webb delivers a raw yet reflective perspective on city life.
In this image, we see the use of extremely saturated colors, such as the red and yellow on the bus and the green that appears both as paint on the side of the vehicle and as the color of the lady’s shirt. Not only do these colors stand out and make the picture a very strong statement, but the fact that they all more or less have the same level of saturation means that the photo turns out very harmonious and balanced.
The color is not the only “severe” element of the image. In terms of lighting, we also see a lot of places of strong contrast. For instance, The figure standing at the very back of the composition is merely a silhouette; the light coming from the windows on the other side of the bus outlines her shape, but none of her features are visible. Furthermore, you could imagine there basically being a slab of light at the front of the frame, as shown by the border between light and dark on the man’s jacket. This intense sort of “division” makes the subjects and the photo stand out even more.
One of the things I find most interesting about this image, however, is actually the use of reflections and setting. Behind the figures standing at the very front of the composition, we see the window panes of the bus. The glass adds so much detail and nuance to the photo because of all the reflection, refraction, and distortion it causes the surrounding light and colors. Through it, we not only see the blurry outlines of what is behind the camera, but we also see a glimpse of the cityscape behind the bus. It is not much, but it is enough; there are neon signs, booths, stop signs, and concrete structures—all of which suggest that we are in a busy, urban setting.
Another typical feature of Webb’s photographs is the use of multiple subjects. It is never quite clear who exactly he is emphasizing. In the upper left image, is the couple standing at the front the focus of the image, or is it the father and daughter whose silhouettes (again, silhouettes) appear at the back? Or, is the person on the side, shielding their face with a pamphlet—are they the focus point? In the upper right image, there is a total of five important persons; does any single one of them play the most important role, or is their combination the important part?
In my photo set, I want to also experiment with this technique of placing many people within one frame. I think that this is not only a good use of the setting in which we’ll be shooting (Sanlitun, which is extremely busy), but it also depicts the hustle and complexities of urban life.
Another element used repeatedly in Webb’s photographs: primary colors (and, often, saturated greens). You can almost always find blocks of these colors in his images, and if there aren’t any blocks of the primary colors (yellow, blue, red), there are most definitely large amounts of another color. He also loves to find corresponding tones in one frame, such as the green on the lady’s shirt that was mentioned earlier, and the yellow that is present both in the subject’s hair and her backpack in this image.
Overall, his photos tend to have a greenish/bluish tint, which makes them feel slightly vintage, aged, and even faded. Whether through later editing or the selection of cameras, I also want to establish this feeling of dateness.
