Picture Talk

Seeing as the Great Picture Hunt was a strain to read on my computer screen, I opted to peruse David Snider's Street Pictures. The comments he made in the introduction about the timidity and fear involved in taking a stranger's picture really resonated with me. I am a naturally shy person and have always felt strange about, in a sense, violating a person's privacy by giving permanent material form to a moment in his or her daily life. Looking through Snider's portfolio makes me regret passing up any photographic opportunities because of personal reservations. By having the confidence to insert himself into and record a stranger's life (not to mention the small bit about having technical and artistic skill), he is able to capture great expressive moments. You can tell, too, that these photographs aren't sly attempts capture people completely without their knowledge. In many, it is obvious that Snider made a connection with his subjects simply by being there with a camera. This is especially noticeable in one picture of a child peeking around the corner of a doorway. His eyes, directed straight at the camera, show his playful rapport that emotionally draws the viewer into the photograph. It is precisely this appeal that a photographer wants his or her pictures to have, and the boldness to achieve that is admirable.