Walker Evans is a great and interesting photographer during his time. He was able to take pictures of several people on the train without them noticing. By doing this he is able to show how people look in their natural face expression without having to pose. He showed that many things can be an art just by looking at certain perspectives. I actually find it very impressive that he is able to take these pictures without getting caught. I know that today, if you take a picture of a random stranger, they would be agitated and may even cause a scene. I also think that it was very wise of Evans to publish these pictures after 25 years that way he would not feel he violated people’s privacy. The subway riders in his picture are similar to the people riding the subways today. They both still have average people taking the train and socializing or doing their own thing. The difference is what they are doing. Today people are on their mobile phones playing apps or texting each other or just listening to music. If people attempted to do what he did today and getting caught, the penalty may be a lot worse and is considered even more disrespectful.
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I agree with you about people becoming agitated and confrontation if you try to take pictures of them without permission especially on the subway. The cellphone has been a blessing and curse, but thanks to its popularity, many incidents that have occurred on the subways have been captured in video and utilized to support the type of dangerous episodes that can happen on the trains. There was cellphone video once captured recently about how the A Train was stranded outside on the Jamaica Bay in the dead of winter with no heat and the riders suffered for hours before the train was able to move.
Your response was very interesting and you’ve made some solid observations about Walker Evans photographs in comparison with subway riders today. It is definitely a difficult task to be a street photographer, for the photographer and the subjects. It never gets easy taking photos of total strangers neither now or then. However, people CAN be photographed if they are in public (without their consent) unless they have secluded themselves, it is not against the law unless you are taking photographs in or on a private compound. It’s just really uncomfortable, and although there is no law that restricts it, people, especially in New York are defensive and aggressive when having their photographs taken. Walker Evans found a way to take that discomfort away from his subjects and still capture their true identity in these portraits.
Tony,
I really enjoyed reading your response. I too believe as I mentioned on my post, that Walker Evans used a smart method to take these photographs. Like you said, he needed to use this method because if not, no one would allow him to photograph them. Also, I agree with you that by taking these secretive photos, he was able to capture the subjects’ natural face and state. The pictures looked candid and not posed at all.
I also agree with your statement that he was clever enough to publish these pictures years after they had been taken. By doing this, he didn’t really invade anyone’s privacy or disturb anyone.
Overall, I agreed with your response and post in regards to Walker Evans and his photographs.
I completely agree with your response and it was an enjoyable read. It was very clever of how Evans was able to take pictures of people in their natural expressions without being caught. It is pretty interesting to see how people are when they are not posing for a picture. I also agree that it was very wise and kind of him to wait a few decades before publishing his pictures. It may also be interesting if we were able to see the reactions of the people who were in the pictures after they see themselves published after the 25 years! If I was in Evans’ shoes, I don’t think I would ever be able to take pictures of strangers without getting nervous or at least feeling guilty. You also have a point in how different society is compared to the time during the Great Depression and today. People today are always focusing on their phones, sometimes they may even miss their destinations.