My passion for photography began in 2012 when I started taking pictures linked to two of my interests: travel and music. I showed them to the world through my first photo blog. However, since I moved to London in 2017, my focus shifted entirely to street photography. What better place to try and master this art than a vibrant and diverse city of almost 9 million people living their lives in a captivating urban landscape? Taking street photos is time to myself, when I can fully focus, observe, learn and better understand the world around me.
In February 2020 I created my first photo book “Adam Kliczek – Selected Street Photos 2016-19”. (This was a Professional Line Photobook printed by Saal Digital on excellent quality paper with leather and acrylic cover – see my review.)
I am a member of The StreetSnappers Collective. One of my pictures has been included on the first page of “The StreetSnappers Collective – 2020 Collection” photobook, which you can order on Blurb. (The photo of the book cover below by Brian Lloyd Duckett.)
Photos which you can find on my blog have been taken mostly in London, but there are also shots from Warsaw, Birmingham, Istanbul and many other places.
And here are three quotes which really resonate with my idea of what street photography is:
I don’t really want to to disturb the flow of life around me. I much prefer waiting and hoping for something to happen. It’s also much simpler. For me the whole point of photography is not to interfere with what is happening, or might be about to happen. It could be more interesting that what I have in mind anyway. If nothing happens, that’s just too bad.
― Michael David Murphy
Street photography can be a positive counterpoint to our culture of selfies and our dysmorphic self-image that we perpetuate throught social media platforms where the selective of for we share we present an edited and filtered version of our lives and ultimately create an online brand for ourselves. Candid Street shots can break this fasade and presente us with a view of our society that is free from the control of its participants. It has the power to present what’s with an observational view of ourselfs and document a more objective view of social attitudes that maybe we struggle to see when we’re engulfed within them. Street photografy creates an overview of a culture in a particular place at a particular time. It’s a documentation of history.
― Jamie Windsor
You’re out in a public place, lots of everyday stuff is going on, your finger is on the button and something comes out of the crowd, exists for a tiny moment and is gone. You have to recognize that it’s special and make your picture. That’s what I see in the best street photographs: evidence of the quick witted mind of the photographer.
― Nick Turpin
It is foolish to change the vector of chaos. You shouldn’t try to control it, but fall into it
― Gueorgui Pinkhassov