The street doesn’t strike a pose, it doesn’t wait for you, and above all, it doesn’t ask your permission. The street just happens; it sweeps you up. If there is one photographer who has managed to let himself be consumed by the city’s voracious, chaotic energy, transforming it into his own unique language, itis Garry Winogrand.
In the pages of Artribune, when I talk about those who choose street photography as their medium, I often emphasize a concept that lies at the very heart ofour photography school in Rome: before thinking about technique, you must think about life. The camera is a medium, a formidable tool for appreciating existence, for being in the world, and for looking it straight in the eye. Every shot taken on the street is, ultimately, a self-portrait. And Winogrand captured his insatiable hunger for life by shooting relentlessly.
Who was Garry Winogrand? Living in Conflict
Born in the Bronx in 1928, Winogrand wasn’t looking for the “decisive moment” in a geometric, perfect sense. He was looking for the friction, the tension, the absurdity, and the irony of everyday life. He roamed the streets of New York, and later the rest of America, like a sponge unable to stop absorbing the social changes of the mid-20th century.
Winogrand photographed compulsively until his death in 1984, leaving behind an incredible archive: some 300,000 images that had never been viewed, including over 2,500 rolls of film still waiting to be developed. He wasn’t interested in meticulous editing or glossy gallery prints; he was interested in the physical act of looking. The moment his finger pressed the shutter was his true, sole obsession.
The 28mm Lens and the Slanted Horizon: Being “Inside” the Scene
What can we learn from such a giant to apply to our daily practice? There are three technical elements, dictated by a specific mental requirement, that those on the path must understand:
- The wide-angle lens (28mm):Winogrand used almost exclusively rangefinder cameras (his Leica M4 was particularly famous) equipped with a 28mm lens. This lens forces you to do something uncomfortable: get up close. You can’t capture the scene from a distance with a telephoto lens; you have to be right in the middle of it, you have to smell the asphalt and feel the breath of the people.
- The Tilted Horizon (The “Winogrand Tilt”):In his compositions, the edges are almost never straight. This wasn’t a mistake caused by distraction, but rather a desperate need to fit as many vital elements as possible within the frame. Instead of taking a step back, he rotated the camera. The result is a visual dynamic that conveys instability, movement, and pure life.
- Zone focusing:He had a perfect grasp of depth of field. By shooting at the hyperfocal distance, he knew exactly at what distance his subjects would be in focus, allowing him to raise the camera and shoot in a fraction of a second without having to refocus each time.
From Winogrand’s New York to Rome’s cobblestones
Street photography is gritty; it’s made up of failures, worn-out shoes, and exhausting waits. It’s not about searching for the perfect light, but about being mentally engaged, about learning to read the human drama as naturally as possible.
Rome is the perfect stage for those who want to put themselves to the test. It has the same hunger, the same contrasts, and the same fierce vitality that Winogrand sought out. During the practical sessions ofour photography school in Rome, the goal is not to imitate photographers of the past, but to adopt their mindset: walking on the cobblestones with all our senses alert, asking questions, and telling others’ stories to understand ourselves.
Moving from observation to storytelling
If you want to stop snapping photos haphazardly and start capturing the street with a clear vision, you need to obsessively study the work of those who came before you—and then forget it all and find your own style.
I look forward to seeing you there to discuss this, exchange ideas, and, above all, take photos together. Discover the courses we’ve designed for you by visiting thePhotography Courses in Romepage. Don’t just be a spectator.
