The development of street style photography is the prodominant topic of my research at the moment. I feel that in order to get a good idea of what I am looking for on the streets I need to know what street style is about and how it has changed.. if at all. My starting point has been portrait photography, exploring how people once wanted to be viewed when having their photograph taken. August Sander, one of the 20th Century's greatest photographers, photographed difference 'kinds of people'.

Only a small selection, but all very interesting. You can see from the way these three people are posing that they are aware of how they are being viewed and what their status is in society. Back in the 20th Century everybody was always well dressed, even if you didn't have a lot of money, a large over coat would be worn to hide the ragged clothes underneath. The man's expression in the first photograph looks very aware and almost paranoid of what the photographer is thinking.
This third image interests me most.. You are able to see that his clothes are not in the best condition but he poses sternly..
I want to look into the history of street photography and how public portraiture has developed. How have peoples attitudes to street photography changed? Have peoples atttiudes changed towards it since it first began? Do you think people enjoy being photographed on the streets now? It has definitely become a more frequent thing, especially as it is a tool adopted by the fashion industry.

Any thoughts?

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