Moments

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The key to good street photography is a very keen eye for those special moments that happen all the time around us. Henri Cartier-Bresson had it, Robert Doisneau had it and more recently Matt Stuart has it. The work of these photographers make us smile and giggle at touching moments in the ordinary streets of Europe. And now we can add China to this list. Self thought photographer Tao Liu Has took up the camera while working as a water meter reader.

His work as a water meter reader, as wonderful as it is to say, the job really was dull and boring. He made use of his daily strolls trough the streets of Hefei in the Anhui Province. And in-between the reading of water meters he photographed the streets. In a fun and joyful manner. He really has a keen eye for those brief moments, that when we realize what we have witnessed it has already gone. Luckily there is Tao Lui Has. Check out his profile on Flickr to find more wonders of the streets of Hefei.

Tao Lui Has’ Flickr account: www.flickr.com/photos/58083590@N05/

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Tao Lui Has’ Flickr account: www.flickr.com/photos/58083590@N05/

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Controversy is always something that can help promote your work. Because of all the commotion around the photo series The Neighbors it manages to come across my table. And that’s why I’m sharing it with you. So in a way the saying, bad publicity is good publicity worked for photographer Arne Svenson. In his series he pointed the camera at the apartment building across from his studio. It shows us snippets of the lives lived in these stacked living spaces. A series of anonymous lives lived behind the windows of downtown Manhattan.

The photos have a painting like quality. The framing of the windows mimic that of paintings. And they remind me of the works of Edwards Hopper. Moments captured in a wonderful composition. It leave much to the imagination. The subjects aren’t recognizable. The artist allows us to create our own story. A theatrical way of looking at ordinary life. It also reminded me of the series Windows by Michael Wolf.

Read about the controversy of being secretly photographed and putting the work up for sale here. I can understand the feelings of being photographed in your private homes. It does raise some privacy questions but overall the work doesn’t seem to be about those specific neighbors. It shows a stage we can recognize. If I was Arne’s neighbor I would ask for a print. Not sue him for making such an interesting series.

Arne Svenson’s website: arnesvenson.com

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Arne Svenson’s website: arnesvenson.com

Touching Street Encounters

The Neighbors by Arne Svenson

A Slice Of Day