It’s hard to watch Bruce Gilden in action, and not feel a strong reaction to his methods. Take the members of the Flickr group Hardcore Street Photography. One member wrote, “I got nervous just watching that” and another member asks, “I wonder how many times he gets thumped for doing that?” And over on the Rangefinder forum, Alex from Holland laments, “If i do that over here i get home (if i am lucky) with 2 blue eyes and a broken nose!!”
But some photo forum members say that they can relate to and learn from Gilden’s questionable methods. Back on Flickr, a member of the Kuwait Science Club, of all places, wrote, “watch and learn. I did.” And one photographer from the Rangefinder forum, has brought Gilden’s style to the terrified streets of Stockholm, Sweden:
So, how does Bruce Gilden get away with this? When I was on 5th Avenue with him, watching him cram his flash into the faces of unsuspecting pedestrians, we asked him, “Does anyone ever get mad at you for doing that? What do you tell them?”
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Want to ask him that yourself? Bruce Gilden will be on WNYC’s Brian Lehrer Show this Friday, discussing what you can and cannot shoot with Eileen Clancy, a representative from PictureNY.org. You can give the show a call this Friday, May 23rd from 11:30am-12:00pm EST, or you can chime in by leaving a comment here.
While you’re at it, who do you think is the tougher photographer—Bruce Gilden, for sticking his camera in the faces of strangers, or Sandra Roa, for braving the streets of Jackson Heights to tell stories?
May 22nd, 2008 at 7:46 am
I’m from the UK so don’t know the exact geography of New York, having only visited the city once. But I’d guess Sandra Roa is maybe the tougher one. If she’s working in any area where street gang’s are active she runs the risk of taking pictures of the ‘wrong face’ pretty much everytime she walks the neighbourhood. Plus if the workers she’s photographing are working illegally and think the pictures might be published or used by the INS etc - she runs the risk of being singled out for retaliation, whatever her honest motivations for the project.
I’m guessing Bruce Gilden, whatever the immmediate risks he faces from angry & pissed off pedestrians, is far safer (ironically) stalking the main streets and sidewalks of the busier parts of the city.
May 22nd, 2008 at 3:41 pm
I would contest that great street photography need not be confrontational at all.
http://www.flickr.com/people/lorenzodom
May 22nd, 2008 at 6:50 pm
I am impressed by Bruce Gilden’s attitude. I suspect that his appearance in the vest and stature as an older male photographer– clearly a professional on the street– this may be what enables him to get away with such a confrontational style), and though Jackson Heights is not particularly dangerous, I would suggest that there is also an advantage in being a young woman taking pictures… if she were to employ his style on this project I think she’d get vastly more hostile reactions… You have to work within your own personality. When I get angry or confused looks from people I’ve just photographed I smile at them or explain that I’m just taking pictures of New York and often the problem dissolves. But I’m never quite this close and I don’t use flash for street shots like this.
May 23rd, 2008 at 10:34 am
From what see Bruce has been taking p the same 5 photographs again and again for ten years. What are we learning from these pictures? From what I see is that Hattie is the same as NYC maybe Bruce would like to explain what is his point. I personally think that he is trying to show his self-proclaimed superiority over his subjects I deliberately do not uses the term victim.
May 23rd, 2008 at 11:55 am
Last year, while riding on a bus coming up 6th Avenue, our bus driver stopped and opened the front door (at around 31st St.) and shouted at 2 tourists who were taking a photo that included our bus. He told them in no uncertain terms that it was illegal to take a picture of a city bus, and if they didn’t stop it at once, he would call a policeman.
We on the bus were rather shocked.
May 23rd, 2008 at 11:57 am
I find that NYC is rather tolerant in general, though I can see where policemen can make bad/unfair decisions. In Paris, someone needs a permit from each Marie, where photography will be taken by anything larger than a 35mm format. It takes about a week to get the permits.
May 23rd, 2008 at 12:15 pm
Well, Bruce’s pictures do capture a certain aspect of the city. I think his “deer in the headlights (flash gun)” approach makes for some interesting archiving of the city’s denizens. One of the comments on the video states that without Bruce, they never see any characters. Either this person has an uninteresting way of looking at things, or Bruce is capturing a staged moment precisely because of his style of shooting. In my opinion, the ambush technique captures an unnatural reaction to an unnatural event. Either way, they are interesting, and I applaud him for standing up to petty police harassment. That said, if he approached me in such a quick and furtive manner on the streets of NYC, he’d end up flipped over with his arm behind his back until I determined that he just wanted a picture. Might make for a good action sequence.
May 24th, 2008 at 3:22 am
Bruce Gilden is closer to a thief that gets a good haul and gets good cash for it from the local fence. And I’m sure that’s exactly how his “victims” feels. Nothing honorable here. Many photographers have to PAY for their models. His, don’t get a nickel. Not too much overhead. If he had to pay these people, he would feel like HE was being cheated, and find some other scam more to his advantage. Sorry to be so nasty, but this guy inspires me.
May 25th, 2008 at 6:00 pm
Bruce’s style is based on who he is and where he came from. He can no more change his approach, without being totally dishonest, than he can change the past. He responds to that which interests him, in a way that is unique and authentic. Like it or not, if you are in a public place, anyone can take your photo. Whether you like his work or not, he has created a substantial and important body of work over a long period of time with a definitive point of view that will stand the test of history. Not many people can say that and actually back it up with the images to prove it.
May 26th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
Mr. Gilden is simply attacking other people for personal enjoyment and gain in a way which happens to not violate any laws. Someday, someone will retaliate in a definitive manner, and then Mr. Gilden, if he survives, _will_ changes his approach. It depresses me, though, is that so many of you support and encourage his pathological behavior. What’s the matter with you?
June 8th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
Really good photographer, but WHAT a jerk off. A true New York character. it is very insulting the way he photographs people, but produces some excellent photos.
I prefer to treat people a little more respectfully if I intent to use their image for my art.
June 20th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
He’s obnoxious, he knows it and doesn’t care. An aggressive, egotistical man.
June 25th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
Inspirational video of Bruce Gilden shooting on the streets. I can remember purchasing my first camera at 47th street photo and walking through Times Square scared for my life with $500 in my sock. His commments about NYC becoming Disneyworld are spot on. He has an incredible insight into people and is capturing a slice of life, whether or not he is confrontational or not. NYC itself is confrontational, don’t you think?
August 10th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
His methods are certainly hardcore. I couldn’t do it, but at the same time I don’t think he could get the same results using a different method. So if you like the photos, you can’t object to the method…
The other is, I gather he doesn’t have a model release for his pictures. So how exactly can he use them? My knowledge of photography law is blurry, but I thought you needed a release to use commercially a picture in which someone is recognizable?
August 14th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
hahah, that tiny mp3 made my day.
amazing how many people can easily confuse sarcasm and plain honesty with obnoxiousness. either way i much rather prefer this kind of provocation to all sorts of puritanism, paranoia, condescendence, paternalism… well, the whole fake morality deal.
September 7th, 2008 at 9:10 pm
I think if its used for art or displayed in a gallery its ok. Not sure about the books he published though. Bruce is a great artist!
September 21st, 2008 at 6:20 pm
Putting that flash in peoples faces, sometimes seniors, IS a assault. It startles them.
This kind of behavior gives everyone with a camera a bad name, and is disgraceful.
It someone stepped out in front of one of my parents as he does, or my kids, I would start beating him in the face until he was blind. He would not get one smart-ass word in before he was rendered unable to talk.
October 11th, 2008 at 8:13 pm
I am preparing an article for my Blog (and a possible magazine feature) on how street photographers like Bruce Gilden “tick”.
I’d welcome the chance to ask Bruce - and other photographers with similar modus operandus - how they think their subjects feel about this seemingly intrusive style of photography.
Bruce Gilden’s photography is, to me, is reminiscent of the work of his fellow Magnum associate, British photographer Martin Parr. I have, for a very long time, looked at Parr’s work with awe, fascination and dread, feeling almost sick at the thought of getting so close to another person and doing something of which they might not approve.
I would certainly welcome the chance to ask if they mind if the subject doesn’t like being photographed. And, did they have to grow a thick skin (that is; become a pachyderm) or were they born that way?
November 18th, 2008 at 4:10 am
I’m a UK Street Photographer, and having cut my teeth in SP by learning from the amazing Matt Stuart, I was completely astounded by Bruce’s style. I’ve adopted the same approach to SP (only I work closer!) and it works. It’s also completely set me free. People are less confrontational than you might think when you shove a camera in their face. I do it all day, every day and have never been threatened.
It’s the only way to get the shot; to be part of the action. And as Bruce said, people just aren’t paying attention.
Thank you Bruce Gilden - you’re an inspiration!