This is part one in a two part series where I talk a bit about how the place that you take street photographs effects the photographs themselves. First off Halifax. Street photography was born in the fashionable cities of Paris and New York so it’s only natural that most of its practitioners photograph in large cities themselves.
Shooting Street Photographs in Halifax
Halifax may not be as big as the two previously mentioned cities but it is dense enough to provide new stimulation around every block. You can find just about anything you need in downtown Halifax. There are people everywhere so that’s your best bet for creating a great street photograph. Joel Maeyerowitz once said that approaching a city street is like going into the sea and approaching a wave of life. Nowhere is this more true in Halifax than the waterfront in the summer. It’s tourist central, there’s great views of everywhere, and being around water is one of the most meditative feelings of all. The Halifax waterfront has got to be my favorite place in Nova-Scotia.
Street Photographs Document Change
Halifax is a very interesting place for street photographers because it’s currently in a state of rapid change. There’s so much construction and new developments coming up that we’re on the eve of something new, something different. In ten years Halifax will have a new face, a new style, a new flavor. I think this change will be one of the most interesting things to look back upon in thirty years time. To see not only how the city looked but the people as well. This is what I feel to be on of the most fascinating things about great street photographs.
