街頭攝影與美學

Street photography

我專攻的攝影項目是街頭攝影。我認為這是最具經驗和技巧的一項攝影類型，因為街頭攝影的畫面並沒有經過事先配置，甚至可以說是無法預料的。即使已經接觸街頭攝影很長一段時間，還是無法消弭我在每一次街拍前激盪的心情，內心縈繞著雀躍，同時參雜一點擔憂，就像這是我第一次拿起相機拍照一樣。
在某些旅程中，我一開始並不認為自己會看見什麼令人驚豔的風景，直到我遇見那些美的瞬間，才真正體會到：關鍵並不在於你眼前晃過的那些事物，而是你所扮演的角色是否參與其中。只要你存在在故事裡，就不需要去等待哪個瞬間，也不需要找尋契機，一切將會自然而然地發生。

The genre of photography that I specialize in is called street photography – literally, to take photos on the street. It is more difficult than any other genre of photography because nothing is set in stone. Even though I have been shooting street photography for quite a long time, I still feel the nerves rising in my body every time I go out in search of new subjects. Every trip, as I prepare to take my camera out, feels like my first time. My emotions are a mix of concern and excitement. There are some trips when it seems that I cannot see anything beautiful on the street, but it is in those moments that I realize: it is not about seeing, it is about being. The key is participation. When you participate, you will see just by being present.

選擇題材  Finding a subject

有時候我尋遍了大街小巷，走到腿都快斷了，卻仍然一無所獲。不過我還是會保持正向的信念，相信明天會更好，因為事物總是瞬息萬變的。很多人會問我：「查理，你都是怎麼找到這些新鮮題材的，我已經不知道該拍些什麼了！」我的建議是：你可以選擇任何東西，像是你所居住的街道、陽台上的花盆，甚至是你身後那片斑駁的牆壁。不起眼的東西也可能是很好的題材，拍攝的主角不一定要是一個人或者物件，它可以是一個無形的「氛圍」。

I often walk for miles, covering more and more ground with my feet growing sore, and still, in the end I return home with nothing. During these experiences I always keep an open mind for I know that tomorrow will be better. So often, people ask me: “Hey Charlie, how do you find your subject? I don’t know what to shoot anymore”. The reply you will always hear from me will be to find something, anything, of beauty in your neighborhood. It may not even be the object that is important – it is a “Mood”.

Aesthetic is the key 

街頭攝影師常常與記者被搞混，因為兩者的工作都是在街頭拍照。事實上兩者的差別在於：攝影記者著重於「紀錄」，呈現具有新聞價值的畫面；而街頭攝影師著重於「美學」，一個好的街頭攝影師能夠抓住具美感的畫面結構，並且從中勾勒出故事氛圍，像是用照片去提出一個問題或觀點，引發觀眾的好奇心。攝影記者則是必須用照片傳達寫實的新聞事件。

Street photographers are often confused with photojournalists, who work in public. However, the main difference between the two is that street photography focuses on aesthetical framing while the point of photojournalism is to try and capture newsworthy objects for news reporting. The work of a street photographer is to question each situation and scene, piquing the audience’s curiosity in the subject, while photojournalists need to define the scene that is playing out.

神秘的通道 Curiosity gap

人們以往憑藉自己的視線高度作為視角，去定義一個世界的樣貌。然而身為攝影師，我們的任務就是要為人們開鑿一條新的通道。但這並不意味著我們必須透過精緻的畫面展現每一個細節，有的時候利用模糊的焦距、割裂的構圖、淡化的色彩去創造視覺的空隙，反而能夠賦予觀眾想像的空間，任由他們去填寫心裡的故事，也是和你的作品（所謂新的世界）產生連結的一種方式。

In general, what a person sees throughout their lifetime is viewed from their own eyes, at their own height. From this personal viewpoint, people form their vision of what the world looks like. As a photographer, our mission is to reform the various shapes of the world. This doesn’t necessarily have to be achieved through showing every detail. Sometimes, leaving certain details blurry will produce a gap in the visual scene that prompts the viewer to have curiosity. This curiosity gap provides the viewer with a space to fill in with his or her own thoughts and ideas or encourages them to learn more about the subject they see.

專業技術仍是必備條件 Technical skill is an inevitable necessity

街頭攝影需要高度的反應力和純熟的技術。在真實世界裡，故事總是不間斷地發生，而精彩只會無情地存在於一瞬間，並不會留給你多一秒的時間反應。因此，你必須擁有一定的攝影技巧和知識，才能夠將你的相機運用自如，就像用你的眼睛去記錄一樣。你必須對周遭事物保持機敏，隨時注意陽光移動的方向、觀察主題所呈現的氛圍、預想你的構圖，以及根據現場狀況調整合適的參數。這些都能夠幫助你提升攝影技巧和美學概念，更重要的是能夠幫你捕捉到那些獨一無二的瞬間！

Street photography is a technically oriented work. When you are out on the street, in the real world, the word continues to turn around you and so much is happening. There is not an extra second available for you to react and respond. In essence, you must possess quality knowledge of photography skills, allowing you to freely handle your camera. Just think, there is no time to peep into the camera monitor and adjust your settings multiple times. The moment will happen only once. Enhancing your photography skills and technical preparation will help you to be ready for that one moment. Note beforehand which direction the light is shining from, what mood would showcase the subject best, or which camera adjustment is needed in that situation. Write everything down as it comes up in your mind and check the technical numbers to make sure they are all correct.

拍攝的首要條件：尋找光源  Finding the light is always priority

「光」是攝影的核心因子，你可以透過光影，為影像創造出各式不同特色的美。因此研究光源是攝影時最重要，也是最初步的一項基本條件。針對初學者，我建議可以先和所到之處相處一段時間，直到你熟悉這個地方，更夠掌握整個環境的光線、氣氛之時再開始創作，這樣的方式可以讓你的作業更加順暢，也能擁有更深刻的攝影體驗。

At its core and base, photography is light-driven work. The beauty of photography is to about capturing shapes created by light. Investigating a good quality light source is the first step you need to take and always the first decision to make. For beginners, I suggest staying in one spot for a long time until you get used to your surroundings and the ambience is more predictable. Then, you will find that you can more easily do your work.

學習沒有捷徑 There are no shortcuts to learning

大量的拍照、練習，是讓自己攝影技術進步唯一的方法。當你開始習慣踏出家門練習攝影，累積越來越多作品時，你就越能在其中找到成就感，甚至累積出屬於自己的情懷。當然我只能在這裡給你一些攝影上的建議，學習是沒有捷徑的。只要你多花點時間帶你的相機出去走走，它絕對不會虧待你的！

The only way to learn and improve your photography skills is to get out of the door with your camera and take lots of images. Do this day after day until one day, where you may capture one or two images that give you the slightest glimmer of hope. I can give no other words of wisdom and methods for learning photography than to simply sacrifice time.