as it is

various - March 2017

Street photography is one of the oldest genres in photography. One of the first known street scenes dates back to 1826/27, showing an almost empty boulevard in Paris, except for a shoeshine man and his customer. Due to the length of exposure required to make the photograph, who and whatever else moved on the road and pavement had simply disappeared into thin air.

Much has changed in the last 190 years, but 'all the world remains a stage' and much unfolds in public view, from the presence of a single person to larger crowds. Today, the body of street photography is extensive and divers. The names of renowned photographers who had and have at least one foot in this camp is endless and many of their images have become iconic. Indeed, the best of photography can be found in street pictures. While they provide information about how things are or were, the span between what is in the picture and what we see, leaves the room for interpretation and reflection wide and open.

My picture making has always been concerned with capturing the traces of life and time. What prompted me initially to photograph my fellow citizens, was a change in people's behavior; with phones in hand and heads bent, navigating the pavement had become more difficult. But over time my focus broadened. This selection of pictures are part of a body of work made between 2012 and today.