What is PJ?

marionet

I feel kind of silly asking this, but I can't find PJ in any web reference.

Not so silly- if it means photojournalism, I think maybe photojournalism should be spelled out because I think PJ can be kind of confusing and maybe abstruse, and I think street is a subset of photojournalism.

RyanS

Some of the greatest photographic minds from the last century have argued over photography definitions in book after book, speech after speech, workshop after workshop. Please, don't start another one. ;-)

Generally 'round these parts, PJ is a short hand reference to photojournalist/ism, etc. Spell it out if you'd like.

RSL

Bill, A photojournalism story, like Gene Smith's marvelous Life magazine spread "Country Doctor," often includes one or more shots that can be considered street photography, but a genuine street shot is a story in itself. The best kind of photojournalistic spread includes at least one central shot that satisfies the requirements of street, but it also needs peripheral shots to cover the rest of the story. One shot in "Country Doctor" that satisfies street requirements is the picture of Dr. Ceriani sponging an injured kid's eye. Another is the picture of an exhausted Dr. Ceriani slumping over a cup of coffee and a cigarette after losing a patient. That one's so complete as a story that it gets copied too often by painters without attribution. A lot of the other shots in "Country Doctor" are there to cover the general scene and point toward the central street shots, but they're not complete enough in themselves to be considered real street photographs.

Yes, "photojournalism" ought to be spelled out so people don't get the idea that this is a forum for pictures of people in pajamas.

marionet

Thanks, Ryan and Russ. I still felt a bit confused about "Street" so did a little research and it seems strictly speaking, Street is pictures done in public places.

Lol, Ryan, I have no interest in splitting hairs. I think my - personal - problem with "PJ" is probably that I'm not hip enough to think of photojournalism as PJ, just as I somehow can't find it in me to think of non-snapshot pictures as "snaps".

RSL

Bill, Check Elliott Erwitt's book: Elliott Erwitt Snaps. Elliott's pictures certainly aren't what we usually classify as snapshots, but he's not too proud to use the slang term, "snaps."

By the way, if you check the work of the greatest street shooters -- people like Elliott Erwitt and Henri Cartier-Bresson -- you'll find that a lot of street photography isn't done on streets, and that very few pictures done in public places can qualify as street photography. But I don't want to split hairs either, so I'll leave it at that.

marionet

Um.

michswiss

Shooting in public certainly gives you more leeway in terms of how you go about it. But many, including myself think of "street" as more an approach and way of seeing and reacting to your surrounds no matter the setting.

I'd always equated the term PJ, i.e. photojournalism in the title of this group as implying reportage, and I didn't like it. But, I can absolutely agree with the way Russ described it above. For what it's worth, I would have classified that as Documentary photography.

I love both approaches. Studying the "masters" and looking at a lot of the contemporary accomplished street shoots can give you an idea of what's happening and what might inspire you. But I honestly wouldn't worry too much about labels. At the end of the day, you need to define it for yourself. Shoot what you love.

DavidTO

marionet wrote: »

I feel kind of silly asking this, but I can't find PJ in any web reference.

Not so silly- if it means photojournalism, I think maybe photojournalism should be spelled out because I think PJ can be kind of confusing and maybe abstruse, and I think street is a subset of photojournalism.

You may be right that it should be spelled out. Problem is it's so dang long, and I'm not sure it's really worth it in the long run. A quick read of our [thread=164592]welcome sticky[/thread] would clear it up for anyone who's confused.

RSL

michswiss wrote: »

Shoot what you love.

Hear, hear!

RSL

DavidTO wrote: »

You may be right that it should be spelled out. Problem is it's so dang long, and I'm not sure it's really worth it in the long run. A quick read of our [thread=164592]welcome sticky[/thread] would clear it up for anyone who's confused.

If the "welcome sticky" is the specification for this forum then the name should be changed to "The Urban Scene." A lot of street photography is done within the urban scene, but some of the very best is done far outside the urban scene. Same thing's true of photojournalism. Neither Gene Smith's Country Doctor nor his A Man of Mercy, nor his Nurse Midwife, three of the all-time finest examples of both street photography and photojournalism had anything to do with the "urban scene." Far from it, all had to do with the rural scene. So let's get away from the idea that you have to be downtown somewhere to do street photography.

marionet

DavidTO wrote: »

... [thread=164592]welcome sticky[/thread] ...

Ah so. Thanks, DavidTO. Hm lol, I didn't even think of that.

RSL

From the welcome sticky: "Street scenes and candids, back alleys, graffiti, dimly lit bars, etc..." But maybe there's more to the world of street photography than those standard cliches. The masters in Richard's list of "The Masters" will show you that for the most part, the standard cliches aren't what street photography's all about.