ryu 的快照

I always thought documenting the lives of people around me is a cool thing to do. Unlike random street shots, I know these people and their photos will remind me of their personality and my experience. After all, isn't this the way most cameras are used - documenting the life of people that you know and care?

Some random street scenes...

Harvard Sq., an software engineer looking Indian man with his "XML DevCon" bag.

Park Street, man in wheelchair

Near Harvard Sq, an old lady with bags

Arlington T station, reflection in a puddle

Boylston Street, shoppers walking through steam

I've added Robert Mirani's weblog (http://coincidences.typepad.com/) to my links. A member of the BostonStreet "eat & drink, photos? maybe" photographer's group (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bostonstreet/), Robert is more of a fashion/portrait/glamour shooter than the old style classic street shooter as some of us are. His photos are certainly more artsy and "new age" comparing to those classic b&w on-the-street snapshots. Sometimes I felt an urge to do something different by just looking at the stuff on his weblog and his works (http://coincidences.typepad.com/photos/blue_moods/, http://coincidences.typepad.com/photos/dreams_of_dance/, http://coincidences.typepad.com/photos/portraits/).

Yesterday I bumped into Alex Levac's show "our country" in Boston public library (http://www.estadao.com.br/divirtaseonline/galeria/our/?par=20). 28 very street style photographs, mostly amusing, couple very cool ones. In his introduction to the show he mentioned "someone from a very important museum told me street photography is dead", but then he argued against it by hiding behind the old cliche of "juxtaposition", "moment", "realistic world" etc. etc.

As corny as it may sound, I like those stuff. Street photography, is really documentary photography. When we can tell a good story, then we'll talk photography. After all, people always love good stories.

So I watched the video of Mr. Berg's final minutes. The poor fellow was screaming at the top of his lung before his death. I didn't turn on my computer's speaker but I could see - and subsequently read about his screaming. That shriek, which I actually never listened to, was deafening. That was the last effort mustered by a dying man, last sign of him ever being alive in this sick and crazy world.

Alas, you might say, this is so far from us, what can we do about it? Poor Mr. Berg. Or I know some might even say, he probably deserved it because he's an American.

When I was about to take this photo, through the view finder I didn't see a bunch of Americans, I only saw  people. And their scream, who knows, may someday and somehow save someone from his last scream and a horrible death.

Sometimes street photography is all about luck - I was originally attracted by the juxtaposition of these three nonchalantly standing adults while the little girl rushed out and made my photo.

A weekend trip to the Big Apple marks the farewell to our friend Shishamo, who's moving to San Francisco in April.

I like to imagine New York City as a crazy piece of branding iron, which leaves a mark on every New Yorker's mind. The mark burnt on Shishamo's has to be pretty deep, probably gonna last for the rest of his life.

It was more than a year ago I first read about Shishamo from a post on the MIT photo forum, which was about his work of the homeless people. Although he has since then produced more oustanding works, that series of photos, now think of it, really served as my inspiration of street photography. Last Halloween, I had the honor of meeting him in person for the first time and was further impressed by his kind and open personality. Things I've learned and am still learning from him are true blessings.

After his move to the west, I am pretty sure Shishamo will be missed by lots of friends at the east coast. However, I am glad to hear he will be able to devote a lot more time to taking photos and working on his own projects - what's more exciting than having the freedom of doing what you love and being good at it?

After the dinner that night, we all stood at the sidewalk of the busy Flushing's Main street chatting. Mamiya looked at us, in a somewhat grave tone he said - it was fate that brought us all together tonight. Although it may sound corny and all, that particular moment, like a wonderfully captured snap shot, has been ironed on my mind permanently.