My website is a portfolio of my photographic works. Some of which are for sale, click here for more info. I am mainly into

'street photography', although as I travel a lot I am open to plenty of subject matter and cant help but shoot what I see.

"I love the idea that photography can be read internationally among all cultures, not needing the use of language.

Just knowing that one photo can be read in every single different country in the world." I quote.

GALLERIES

To get the best results from viewing my website

please adjust your screen to be 1024 by 768 pixels.

WEBSITE LAST UPDATED     30/04/08

CHECK OUT MY BLOG,

GUEST BOOK & LINKS PAGE

E-MAIL - paul@urbanography.co.uk

URBANOGRAPHY, CAPTURING OF A VISUAL URBAN IMAGE.

Change your focus from the grander subject matter of skylines and architecture and you will discover a whole new world of less obvious but equally interesting subjects. These subjects are the kind if things that most people take for granted and walk by without a second look, but for the sharp eyed photographer they are key in creating an overall impression of the city. Urbanography (street photography) generally refers to photographs taken in public places. In one sense it can be thought of a branch of documentary photography. Although unlike traditional documentary photography its chief aim (or at least its chief effect) is seldom to documentate one particular subject, but rather to create photographs which strongly demonstrate the photographer's vision of the world. 

Good street photography often ends up being good documentary photography without really trying, especially after the passage of a few years, but unlike documentary it seldom has an explicit social agenda or rhetorical intent. It tends to be more ironic and distanced from its subject matter. Street photography has evolved over the decades and continues to do so. Like most other branches of photography it has been driven by both aesthetic and technological innovations and often the introduction of new technology has had profound impact on the prevailing aesthetic. 

With urbanography a photograph does not need to be structured or have any meaning behind it. Its a spontaneous capturing of real urban life through a lens, it can just be aesthetically pleasing to the eye. I try to free my mind of all the preconceptions other than the need for finding interesting shapes within the view finder and opening the shutter to record them. Things that the busy pace of the street stop you from taking note of, I look for simple and direct shapes that can easily be identified paying great attention to detail. All the time we walk the streets we miss things, I take a camera and keep en eye out and explore the street. I need to think fast and react quick then point and shoot, I forget about all the technical bits and pieces and the boring books I've read and experiment . . . . simple. The subject could be anything in today's world, man made or a real time event. I use photography as a means of recording today, the event or subject for tomorrow. 

What is most funny about this subject of photography is the reaction you get from the general public when photographing something of such insignificants.

"There is always that dilemma of "is this photograph a master piece?" But to whose standards? There will always be painters, writers and photographers whom reach the real artistic status. Although with Urbanography it doesn't really matter, its better sometimes to got out with an eye for shapes which interest rather than worry about the subject meaning and standards."  I quote.