THE STREETS - ISSUE TWO Preview

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ISSUE TWO

WHAT DO OLIVIA PALERMO and SKATEBOARDERS HAVE IN COMMON?

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

EDITOR’S LETTER 4 PERSPECTIVES

6 Felik Wong - Paris 14 Christopher Barron - Manchester 24 Keith Aitken - Naples, Paris, Istanbul, Charlotte 34 Angela Datre - NYC INTERSECTION

44 A People-Sized City 48 Street Art 62 Big Bang 68 Greg Mike

72 Lela Brunet 78 Skatelife 90 Interview with Will Boatwright 94 Skatelife on the Streets

EDITOR AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Meredith M Howard CREATIVE AND DIGITAL ASSISTANT: Eva Howard Special thanks, once again, to Dot Paul CONTRIBUTORS: Felik Wong Christopher Barron Keith Aitken

Angela Datre Will Boatwright Jason Travis

Front cover photo by: Felik Wong

Back cover photo by: Jason Travis

Contact THE STREETS info@thestreetsmag.com www.thestreetsmag.com All work is copyrighted to the photographer, artist or author. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be used or reproduced without permission from THE STREETS. 3

What do Olivia Palermo and skateboarders have in common?

They both appear on the streets. And we love to photograph them!

I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to put that gorgeous photo of Olivia (captured by Felik Wong) on the cover of this issue of THE STREETS, because it takes me back to my photography roots. I was originally drawn into photography through fashion. My dad gave me his old camera, and said - “You should try photography. I think you’ll like it.” I just wasn’t that interested...until street style bloggers like The Sartorialist and Garance Dore came along. I stopped in my tracks - “Wait. You can take pictures of strangers just because they are wearing cool outfits?” And that’s where my love of street photography began. It has since evolved to include all kinds of people (not just fashionistas), and in this issue you can follow the trail that leads from models to street artists to skateboarders.

Once again, we have striking photographs from around the world featuring a variety of cities and perspectives. From Paris to New York, to Naples and Atlanta, as street photographers we look at the world sometimes as tourists but most often as residents. We show you where we live and what we see. It is through my experiences as a street photographer that I have just recently started to love my hometown of Atlanta. In this issue I will share with you some of the changes in the city that finally excite me. Creative visions and artistic collaborations are sprouting up downtown, and I had fun documenting this new growth for you.

I appreciate all of the artists and skateboarders and bikers that allowed me to photograph them in action. Their creativity, dedication, and skill inspire me. And I am especially grateful to and inspired by the other photographers that contributed their awesome photos to this issue. They help me to see the world in a fresh way, and I hope they will do the same for you.

Meredith

Editor and Creative Director

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“Taking pictures is like tip-toeing into the kitchen late at night and stealing Oreo cookies.”

- Diane Arbus Photographer As quoted on PetaPixel

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Felik Wong

Where do you live and what are three words to describe your city?

I live in

Paris It is a vibrant, elegant and boring city because everything is so beautiful.

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Felik Wong

Felik Wong

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What are your favorite things to do?

I like reading (mainly classics and mystery novels), writing (I write scripts for independent films) and watching tons of films.

(I am an omnivore. I watch everything from Star Wars to films like Ivan’s Childhood.)

“I suggest every photographer should read at least 100 pages of books a day.”

How did you get into photography?

After I graduated from film school, there were literally no film jobs in Paris.

To earn a living I simply must pick up the Canon 1000D that my dad abandoned because he doesn’t know how to operate and start learning from scratch. Eventually I found a living. If I can’t shoot 24 frames per second, at least I can shoot 1 frame per time.

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Felik Wong

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Felik Wong

“Film directors like Stanley Kubrick, Hitchcock, Godard, Haneke, Wong Kar-wai influenced my taste in photography.”

Who or what inspires your style of photography?

Well, I don’t know much about photographers (don’t kill me). Perhaps those photographers that everyone should know like Vivian Maier, Diane Arbus or Brassai etc...

However, film directors like Stanley Kubrick, Hitchcock, Godard, Haneke, Wong Kar-wai influenced my taste in photography.

What is your favorite street and why?

Passage Vivienne, because it looks like it is from one of Brassai’s photos.

What is the secret to a good street photograph?

Don’t be arrogant and ignorant. I suggest every photographer should read at least 100 pages of books a day.

Follow Felik Wong on Instagram @felik.wong and his website at streetfashionparis.tumblr.com 13

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Christopher Barron

Where do you live and what are three words to describe your city?

I live in a leafy south Manchester suburb known as Chorlton-Cum-Hardy.

It’s about 4 miles away from Manchester City Centre. I would describe Manchester as being

diverse Creative

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“Bands such as The Smith’s, New Order, Joy Division, The Fall, A Certain Ratio have all influenced me” What are your favorite things to do?

I love to cycle, being able to absorb the city by bike gives you a great perspective of things and keeps you in touch with your surroundings. It’s a great way to look for new and exciting places to photograph as well. I also love the rich legacy of the Manchester music scene from the 70’s onwards. Bands such as The Smiths, New Order, Joy Division, The Fall, A Certain Ratio have all influenced me in a cre-

I was part of the Manchester music scene myself in the 1990’s, playing in bands around the ative sense as

city. It’s a very creative city and is forever evolving. I do love collecting vinyl and spend a lot of time in second hand vinyl shops looking for hidden gems. There’s no shortage of them here!

Street photography is something I have fallen in love with quite recently. The Manchester urban landscape seems to compliment its characters and passersby so well, I’m totally drawn to recording what I see with my camera now days.

I carry my Ricoh GR wherever I go.

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Why did you get into photography?

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I decided to get into street photography about five years ago when I stumbled across some photographs online that had been taken in the 1970’s and 1980’s. These photographs were taken in the City of Peterborough where I had grown up. The street photographer was Chris Porsz, a local paramedic who was also a keen street photographer. I was blown away with what I was seeing, because not only had these photographs reunited me with my own childhood memories, they had documented this era perfectly. Chris Porsz had managed to capture the daily lives of people of the streets in “Thatcher’s Britain” from the elderly to the ever changing fashion of Britain youth identity.

Ever since seeing these photographic moments , I have been truly inspired to begin documenting the streets myself.

Who or what inspires your style of photography?

I love the actual street itself, down to the chewing gum that has been trampled into the pavement, the grit of the city really inspires me. I have found that the surroundings are as important as the main subject and try to ensure that the buildings, signage and street details are all captured, which is why I also choose to shoot the street with a 35mm for the better depth of field. I remember Chris Porsz saying in an interview that he’d regretted deliberately blurring out the background of a lot of his shots he took 30 years ago as the signs, shops, buildings, etc are all as important as the people in the shot.

I was also inspired by Daido Moriyama who had been using a Ricoh GR camera in such an expressive way on the streets. In fact, it was through this street photography that I got to know the Ricoh GR and fell in love with the camera.

The compactness of this camera seemed to bring you closer to your subjects as it’s so unobtrusive, which is what you need in street photography when shooting with a 35mm.

“I love the actual street itself, down to the chewing gum that has been trampled into the pavement” 19

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What is your favorite street and why?

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I do love the look of a typical northern suburban working class street with back to back terraced houses, but I find that all the parked cars on either side of the road tend to detract a bit from this strong architectural visual. As far as shooting street photography goes I don’t really have a favou-

I’m a firm believer in street photography happening a stones throw from one’s backyard, as well as rite street to shoot in.

the more urban and more populated places to shoot, and anywhere in between! When I started off I always used to go to one particular street in the City Centre. Because I knew the street so well, it was great to practice on. Now I find that if I incorporate street photography into my daily routine I’ll capture a broad range of things happening. I do like gritty areas though. The run down inner city look is something I like to document. In years to come, these areas change, so I think it’s important for the archives.

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What is the secret to a good street photograph?

It is important and very good practice to compose with your own eyes before using the camera viewfinder. This is why I shoot blindly and from the hip most of the time. You should be looking for leading lines, triangular points of interest constantly when walking down the street. A lot less fiddling with the camera settings on the street and much more focus on your surroundings with your own eyes already framing potential shots is in my mind what makes the end result a good street photograph. The art is learning to see, the camera is merely a slave. I find that you get more dynamic results shooting from the hip as it gives the viewer the feeling they are on the streets themselves and also has the advantage of not being seen when you are after that ultimate candid.

Follow Christopher Barron on Flickr under the name The Green Hornet (Manchester) 23

big bang

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big bang

WE'LL BE SKATEBOARDING WHILE YOU DECIDE...

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