THE STREETS OF DÜSSELDORF

PhotographyEditor:Charlotte Davies

Aleksandra Piskunova

Engaging in street photography might seem like an everyday activity. One might think that 'all it takes is to take up your phone' but in reality, you can easily feel lost if you go outside with more advanced gear for the first time The experience may feel utterly different because it can attract additional attention Luckily, it is only partially true. If you prefer to avoid contact, you can stay far away from your subjects or even not include people in your photos. This way, you can work with the movement and experiences of urban everyday life, whilst still respecting other people's privacy as much as possible. It is also a perfect strategy when unfamiliar with the place or cultural context When visiting Düsseldorf for the first time last summer, I used this approach as a mindful observer. I walked around the city in the morning when the sun was still bearable, and the streets were almost empty. It allowed me to pay closer attention to the detailed scenes that can be harder to notice on the run. For instance, a picture I have taken in an alley along lake Stadtgraben As I was passing along it, a scene caught my eye Backlighting created a highlighted silhouette of a man and bikes on the other side of the alley so that a person sitting on the bench became distinct from the background. The contrast between massive trees and buildings and this person having a slow morning reading a book seemed so drastic from afar. This is why there was no need to come closer and invade the man’s privacy. This scene illustrates the pause we all sometimes must take to calm down, no matter how immense our problems may appear