Julie Hrudová: Celebrating the Absurdity of Daily Life With Street Photography

Julie Hrudová: Celebrating the Absurdity of Daily Life With Street Photography

With much of street photography rooted in the realities of daily life, it’s always refreshing to find approaches on the more creative or alternative side of the craft. They encourage us to be more open to the more unexpected and lighthearted side of things. Or, in the case of the work of Netherlands-based Julie Hrudová, challenges us to use our imagination to make sense of what could be happening in a photo.

Born and raised in Prague, Czech Republic, she eventually moved to the Netherlands when she was 10. This duality, she believes, led her to be more observant and imaginative, which likely had a hand in her photography style.

“Because of this, I think, I’ve always been observing both ‘homes’ from a distance and it might have helped in my photography journey,” Hrudová reflects. “As a child I was drawing a lot, and later on I switched to photography, always capturing daily life around me, trying to create my own version of someone else’s reality.”

Prague, she adds, is full of contrasts and mirrors her own experiences and memories growing up in the city. “I feel so deeply rooted there, but also extremely estranged. As a street photographer, this discomfort makes me a bit shy.” And yet, the foreign eyes that she eventually developed enabled her to see her hometown differently, leading to her marked inclination for absurdity of daily life.

Today, Hrudová dedicates a lot of her time to street photography, understanding that investing time is key to the craft. Given her chosen approach, this is crucial for developing the observation skills necessary for spotting absurdity out in the streets. Building on her curiosity for strange, puzzling, or emotional scenes, she has become more interested in challenging the viewer to look for the story — or imagine one, even — instead of presenting it outright.

“One of the first photos that is exemplary for my absurdist style is this image of an ice skater. People always wonder what happened to this person’s face, if it’s a real person, what is going on. I love this confusion, especially when people start to make up their own story.”

The world through an absurdist lens

This creative purview is so natural to Hrudová that it has become her way of seeing the world. Instead of the usual documentary or photojournalistic style of street photography, she turns to her absurdist lens to tell her own version of reality. “For me, it’s much more interesting to create my version of a situation, to give it a twist or capture it in a moment when things become weird or sometimes just funny.”

She also entertains the possibility of being influenced by Czech directors Miloš Forman and Jiří Menzel, who she admires for their humorous or absurdist work. On her favorite photographers, she ties their influence to the distinct way they see and present the world, particularly William Eggleston’s special manner of depicting banality, Vivian Maier’s focus on emotion, and Lars Tunbjörk’s use of color and overall absurdist style.

Certain places also tend to influence some street photographers’ mood or motivation, given the idea that some locations are more conducive to street photography than others. It doesn’t seem to apply to Hrudová, however, despite her frequent travels.

“The funny thing is that I don’t have to like a place much to be able to photograph it well. For example, I wouldn’t like to live in Copenhagen, but because it’s all so structured and organised, it inspired me to photograph it in a clean way as well and I got some absurd images.”

In pursuit of discovery

Hrudová finds inspiration not in the search for the ideal street photo, but the pursuit of discovery, which often happens when an image almost forces her to look closer. “When a photo is too obvious, I scan it quickly and forget about it immediately,” she muses. In contrast, she pays more attention when there’s something about a photo that she wants to discover, like a certain look, atmosphere, or mystery.

This spirit of pursuit often extends to her own street photography process, where a potential scene immediately gets her into “hunting mode.” She plans and moves towards her target shot, and tries to “get there logistically” to capture it as best possible.

Being a photography educator and a YouTube Creater, has also allowed her to learn more about herself and her own process. Through organising workshops, conducting portfolio reviews, and creating videos, she has been able to put her process into words and give it more structure as a result.

“The more I talk and explain about how I photograph (not so much about what is happening in the photo, but really the creative process), the easier it has become to actually do it. Practice what you teach, I guess!”

The most important street photography lessons

One of the sobering realities that every street photographer eventually comes across is the uncertainty of getting good photos and the frustration it brings. It’s one of the biggest challenges of the craft that lead to one of the most important realizations for Hrudová.

“Over the years I’ve been reassured that at a certain point something comes around, and thanks to the time I’ve invested in capturing the streets and crafting the logistical approach, I know I will probably be able to capture it and come home with something,” she notes on why it matters to keep trying.

Likewise, she cannot stress enough how developing a way of seeing is crucial to getting noteworthy results. The technical aspects can be learned along the way, she says. But the ability to recognise potential scenes to capture should be on top of every aspiring street photographer’s creative toolkit.

“I teach my students how to look ahead, how to predict movement, read the light, how (and how fast!) to move around, and then how to set up your camera to always be ready for it,” she says, and follows up with some basic “troubleshooting” for when an attempt doesn’t work.

“One of the misconceptions I saw was thinking of being already late when the situation was still unfolding. It needs action from the photographer! Run for it and get ahead of your subject once again, for example.”

Examining one’s work critically is another crucial skill that Hrudová helps her students develop through portfolio reviews. “We discuss how a situation could have been captured in a stronger way by adjusting the angle, composition and framing, or choosing a slightly different moment to press the shutter,” she outlines. Still, she also affirms the importance of understanding one’s personal vision and style, and notes, ”I’m very fond of going after what truly obsesses you, instead of trying to mimic an existing style, often done much better by other photographers.”

Make sure to follow Julie Hrudová on Instagram to see more of her absurdist street photography, Julie’s YouTube Channel , and visit her website to stay updated on her upcoming workshops and exhibitions.

Joy Celine Asto Film photographer, writer, crafter, part-time traveler from Manila, Philippines. Present Editor at Whattaroll Magazine and Managing Editor at Photofocus. Former Culture & News Editor at The Phoblographer. Creator of The Zinery, Co-Founder of ZINEDICATE and Saturday Press.

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