Circus, Fairs & Markets

March 20, 2012

Circus, Fairs & Markets

I have always been drawn to markets and fairs as a rich source of subjects for street photography. In 1977 I spent a day behind the scenes of the Lennon Brother's Circus in Burnley, Richmond. Recently I revisited the subject of circus performers, spending a day with the performers of Silver's Circus on the same site I photographed at, 35 years earlier. I was struck at how little life had changed for circus performers from living a semi- nomadic existence in caravans to the costumes that they wore. One change though was noticeable, and that was the non existence of performing circus animals today.

Lennon Bros Circus 1977

Lygon Street Festa 1977

Royal Melbourne Show 1978

Caribbean Gardens Market 1978

Queen Victoria Mark 1978

Fawkner Park Market 1978

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What is Street Photography?

Street photography captures people and places within the public domain. More specifically it is defined as 'un-posed, un-staged photography which captures, explores or questions contemporary society and the relationships between individuals and their surroundings.'

Street photography shows a pure vision of something, like holding up a mirror to society. It often tends to be ironic and can be distanced from its subject matter, and often concentrates on a decisive or poignant moment. On the other hand, much street photography takes the opposite approach and provides a very literal and extremely personal rendering of the subject matter, giving the audience a more visceral experience of walks of life they might only be passingly familiar with.

Street photography can often cross over into other genres such as portraiture, photojournalism and urban landscape photography. It is perhaps better categorized as a way of working than simply a genre in itself. The general consensus, however, is that images should be spontaneous with minimal interaction between subject and photographer.

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Simon Nowicki Photography

Circus, Fairs & Markets

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