3 cities, 12 frames and a lot of doubt about whether I really need all this.

 
Hello here ! This post i a logical and thematic continue of three my previous posts about documenting a sociaty in the three different cities “here”, “here” and “here” and my final conclusion that almost impossible to recognize a city where these potographs were taken and to find a difference in the human behavior OR i just looking for the same thinks everywhere and that is sounds very sad.

I would like to start this post with the words of my friend “Daniel Baerwald” which he commented in very emotional way and for my shame i can talk so eloquently and meaningfully as Daniel can. And I just remind you, that I wrote about my co-worker who asked me why I shot all these strangers and what I have to do with these photographs.

“Hello Victor! Your co-worker’s question resonated very strongly in me, and made me look for my own answer.
Some more, others less, we are all stuck in our routines of life, trying to fill our gaps with things or activities that, in one way or another, give us pleasure. Frequently we find ourselves “doing” without a “why”. Sometimes we need a friend, a co-worker, or a friend’s co-worker to wake us up with the question: Why do we do what we do?
When I wondered why I do street photography, I realized that the answer was not so clear. The subject is complex and multifaceted. I can think at least of four dimensions: the rational, the value, the emotional, and the artistic.
On the rational level, documenting current times, people and places, is obviously intrinsic to the activity, and maybe the goal for some specific projects, but, to me, in general it is a natural consequence of street photography practice. In addition, it allows me to know other places and meet people, to exercise, to improve my technical skills as a photographer, etc., but these are by-products, not my main motivation.
On an artistic level, street photography is an infinite world of opportunities to create images where form (composition, light and shadow, color) and content (storytelling, visual poetry, and message) merge. However, for me, street photography is one of many photography styles that I have explored and I would like to continue exploring as a creative expression.
On the value level, important questions have arisen: Which are the red lines that I do not want to cross? What kind of situations or people do I consciously avoid? Is there a message I want to convey? Obviously, the answer is very personal.
On the emotional level, who are these images of unknown people for? Why do I share them with the world? The cliché is to say that we share our photography to provoke an emotional reaction and a connection between the observer and the image. However, somehow, our photography, in general, is the mirror of oneself as a photographer, of our own psyche and subconscious. A reflection of our history, pains, joys and emotional needs. I think that especially in Street photography when we shoot people and situations, we capture “things” that we do not consciously see in ourselves. To some extent, maybe it is an exhaust valve, or perhaps an unconscious self-therapy. Maybe that’s the reason why street photography attracts us intuitively and mysteriously. It is in this dimension that I believe we can find the answer to the original question.
Thanks, Victor for making me think.”

A few words about Daniel – he has very beautiful ability to bring a story with his black and white photographs. He uses Ricoh GRii for the everyday street and also different film cameras for his homemade darkroom developing and printing.

Today I continue the series about the social life in the different cities around me, I just replaced TelAviv with the beautiful old Jaffa that is absolutely gorgeous in terms of life that is constantly boiling here.