Suspect Photography

words and images from david george brommer

Tag: critique

Suspect Photography Assignment- Street Photography in the Tradition of Henry Cartier Bresson

Peter Pickering added as editor! Read below for details!

The Britannica Definition:

Street photography, a genre of photography that records everyday life in a public place. The very public nature of the setting enables the photographer to take candid pictures of strangers, often without their knowledge. Street photographers do not necessarily have a social purpose in mind, but they prefer to isolate and capture moments which might otherwise go unnoticed.”

Henri Cartier-Bresson was a French artist and humanist photographer considered a master of candid photography, and an early user of 35mm film. He pioneered the genre of street photography, and viewed photography as capturing a ‘decisive moment’.

I have been contemplating the relationship between Travel Photography and Street Photography for a few years now. Traditional travel photography that bases itself on “Sense of Place” (as explained by my mentor Bob Krist), benefits tremendously from the addition of “Street” technique. By imbuing “Rhythm of Place” (as stated by Steve Simon) with a human element, you achieve a high level photograph. I also believe that a stern practice of both Street and Travel will produce an extremely interesting body of work! Essentially, placing the human condition into the city/landscape and capturing the perfect exposure that requires timing and command of Bresson’s “Decisive Moment”.


This year, Steve Simon and I have been teaching many Street Photography workshops, and I’m very excited to share what I’ve learned by critiquing your images. This assignment, will also present an excellent primer for those who are unfamiliar with street photography.


Instructions to submit an image to the review:

You may upload ONE image that fits the above criteria as Street Photography in the Tradition of HCB.
Upload ONE 2-5 mb jpeg. Images must follow this naming convention: firstname_lastname.jpg ie: david_brommer.jpg and not have a water mark. Images will only be used for a one time recorded critique. By following the naming convention you will receive credit for your work in the form of a shout out during the review.

DEADLINE TO SUBMIT IMAGE IS JUNE 14TH.


The reviewers will choose their “Best in Class” and the winner will receive a $150 Discount to any of the upcoming Suspect Photography workshops.

Peter Pickering, the Australian Photographer who is the founder of the popular street photography Facebook group, “Street Photography Cartier-Bresson Inspired” has agreed to come on as a photo editor of the upcoming Suspect Photography Assignment/critique. Peter Pickering will be choosing 10 submitted images for Steve Simon and David Brommer to discuss live on Zoom and recorded to Youtube.

Assignment: Opposites Attract

On this next assignment (or shall we say ‘visual challenge’) we are going to explore how very different subjects can dynamically interact with each other, whether they are thrown in a situation or they just happen to exist in two diametrically opposite circumstances. 

The goal of the exercise is to push our vision to the brim of conflict,  break free from pre conceived notions and find the harmony in opposition. 

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: MAY 5 TH AT MIDNIGHT.
LIVE REVIEW MONDAY MAY 6TH AT 6:00 PM


Now point your cameras at it. Here are the rules:

You can submit one image in the theme “OPPOSITES ATTRACT”. This image is an assignment, you are highly encouraged to prioritize creating this photograph in the coming weeks. Since there is so much lead time, only newly created work will be reviewed.  You may NOT draw from your archive, by embracing this home work you will gain the full benefit of this assignment, seek out or make the image.


Upload ONE 2-5 mb jpeg. Images must follow this naming convention: firstname_lastname.jpg ie: david_brommer.jpg and not have a water mark. Images will only be used for a one time recorded critique. By following the naming convention you will receive credit for your work in the form of a shout out during the review.

Take this assignment seriously. Street Photographers can hit the pavement and find the opposites attracting or you can set up the photograph with family, friends and other willing accomplices. Start taking notes, write down ideas that come to your mind while thinking about what Opposites Attract means to you. Plan where you will make these photographs or how you will construct the photograph.

One image will be chosen as the best in class and a $50 donation to IPC will be made in the photographers name. Your hard work will do good by supporting an excellent organization.

The International Photographic Council (IPC) is dedicated to increasing worldwide recognition of photography as a universal means of communication. Through a variety of efforts such as the awarding of scholarships to students and the recognition of professional photographers annually at the UN, IPC continues to promote photography in the spirit of its motto: “Peace Through Photography, the Universal Language.”