Definition of Street Photography
…un-posed, un-staged photography which captures, explores or questions contemporary society and the relationships between individuals and their surroundings
The London Festival of Photography defines Street Photography
Statement of Intent
Working title: a day in the life of the Hutongs
Message: The message of my triptych will be to capture the cultural context of life in the hutongs. The houhai hutongs are one of the most distinguishing representations of old Beijing life and culture, which are quickly vanishing amongst modernization, urbanization, and globalization in fast paced Beijing life. Thus, I want to capture the typical “common Beijing life” residents of the hutongs live, among the backdrop of a more bustling city life. Even though they might not be familiar with Beijing, I want to let them feel like they can be immersed in “hutong culture”, which as been described as various Chinese authors as a close knit community that is peaceful, harmonious, and carries the rich history of China. Through my pictures, I want my audience to better appreciate Hutong culture and feel a sense of relaxation. Hutongs are less developed than the rest of urbanized Beijing, so to me it feels like its a slice of living history from a different time. Thus, I also want the audience to feel nostalgia for a different time of the hutongs, and sadness that this culture is slowly being disappeared without acknowledgement.
I will get inspiration from artists that can balance capturing both broad and detailed aspects of society. In specific, artists that can capture the broader culture context of their time through context clues, background, signboards, etc, but can also capture the individual characteristics of people, their clothes, their expression etc. I also want an artist who can connect to the environment and people they photograph, and who captures everything about their surroundings, not just the decisive moments, but also normal moments where people go about their lives.
Mind Map
Mood Board