Marco Giusfredi on Street Photography: Life Slips Away, I gather It In A Photograph

Marco Giusfredi on Street Photography: “Life Slips Away, I gather It In A Photograph”

When I first saw Marco’s Street Photography, I was not sure to which decade they belonged! His website & Read:

Very little is known about Marco Giusfredi’s life and The man himself (Oh No!)

Some anonymous witnesses report having seen him wandering the streets of Paris with an uncertain gait and a precarious balance, as if he suspects he might have taken a wrong turn. Others claim that he passed away several years ago, but an unscrupulous individual concealed his death in order to continue receiving his state benefits. According to this version, the most recent photographs that can be seen on social networks or occasionally at small festivals are the work of the said unscrupulous individual. ( An Imposter Street Photographer!?? )

Then on another Page I read : In 2073 Marco We Was the Recipient of the ‘Emerging Passed Away Unknown Photographer Award”

WHAT!??

2073???!!!

I immediately remembered reading the wonderful ‘The Real Frank Zappa Book” by Frank Zappa in which Zappa ReCoins a Phrase from The Composer Edgard Varèse which goes: The Present Day Composer Refuses to Die! Which way back, I ReCoined To: The Present Day Street Photographer Refuse To Die!

2073 on Marco’s Website Now made better sense me! A Present Day Street Photographer

I just Love his Street Photography! I just Love that in Some images, I recognise the same obsessions! Are they indeed Obsessions or just Similar interests & opportunities? I think Brilliant Street Photographers, are obsessed!

At first glance, I couldn’t help but to compare Marco’s photos to the works of other street photographers, but after a few viewings, I stopped. WHAT IS THE POINT, I thought! There is One Earth, Millions of Streets, Millions of People, Millions of Photographers, Millions of Cameras, Millions of Subject and devices and BILLIONS of pictures….. But what only matters, is which Picture resonates with you. Which one, makes you pause? Which one brings you a smile? The longer the Pause, the more you imagine your own colourful story about it, and the more conversations you can have with yourself about it. The more you return to the picture, the longer the internal conversation. The Bigger the Joy & Pleasure. That’s what Really matters. In The photo ( s ) that capture your mind, you see “YOURSELF”, regardless of how famous or unknown the Photographer is. That’s Marco’s Street Photography. That’s YOU.

Looking through Marco’s Street Photography, I wondered to which decades they belonged? To me, Some of Marc’s Pictures are reminiscent of the 1950’s, some The1960’s, some The 70’s, some 1990’s & some yesterday!

On Marco’s website, I then landed on “Desire To Waste” which according to Marco, is his long-term photographic project that seeks to explore the many facets of desire permeating public spaces. Desire as the energy that drives the photographer into the streets. Desire that sparks encounters, sublimates the moment by freezing it in a state of unresolved contradictions, where everything is still possible… and then nothing more. Lost desire that isolates the subject in an inner journey, searching for a drive to escape the labyrinth. Desire that strives to transcend the conventional separation between public and private, high and low, prosaic and poetic. The desire to become something else.

I was even more curious.

Marco lives in Saint-Denis, Not far from Paris where most o this street photography is shot. He mainly shoots on the Streets and in Public Places & believes that “The practice of street photography involves a certain tension, an openness towards the outside, towards others, and it offers the possibility of forgetting oneself, providing great relief.”

How True.

Marco is Self Taught, he continued: “I didn’t go to a school to learn how to take photos. I don’t like schools, I don’t like any school. Neither public nor private.

However, I learned from others. You meet people, photographers, images… all of this has an influence, but I don’t think I can refer to a particular photographer.”

For years, he barely moved away from shooting in Paris & why not, It’s as eventful and as exciting as cities like NYC or London. He says that he didn’t feel the need to move. But he adds: “lately, I’ve been wanting to explore other territories, perhaps even less dense ones” but in tandem he still continue to practice photography in Paris.

I ask him, What is Great Street Photography? “An image in which at least at first glance, The Photographer’s virtuosity does Not appear” . Nothing else needs to be added to Marco’s response!

I particularly love & was drawn to Marco’s low level, almost from the ground up angle of view shots! How easy is that? Do people notice you when so close to them & you are so low? Does Palpitation kick in?? How do you do it I ask?

“It depends, he replies. You have to be either very fast or very slow. Sometimes, slowness is reassuring. When you can’t avoid being seen, speed can be perceived as an aggression. In that case, approaching almost in slow motion, accompanied by a glance, a gesture, or a grimace, can lead to a silent happy consent.”

Confidence is what comes mind! A Charming Mannerism infused with “Desire”, spiced with Humour, excitement & a little cheekiness. Is this natural to All Street Photographers? To Marco, it evidently is. Can others practice & develop the skill? Maybe but just about maybe.

Before we end, I’m curious to know if The much talked about Photography Laws in Public Places in France, are a Problem for Street Photographers? He replies “The law isn’t really be a problem yet. It’s more the distorted perception that people have of the law that causes the issues. Those who (thankfully a minority) , express disapproval of a photo often refer to the right of image and believing their consent is required, when in fact, according to the law, you can photograph freely in public spaces. Problems can arise, if at all, upon “distribution” of the image, it’s usage. That’s how it seems to me anyway, though I have no legal training.”

My wishful suspicions were right, he’s Film Fan but I don’t get the feeling that he is Brand or Type addicted or Dependant: “I’ve gone through so many cameras… you know, a camera that’s 40, 50, 60 years old eventually gives up. Right now, I mainly use a Nikon FM because so many were sold, so it’s easier to find spare parts and technicians who can work on them. Then, I also use an Olympus Pen S half-frame and a Mamiya C220 when I indulge in the luxury of shooting in medium format. Lenses between 28mm and 50mm”

But as always, The EYE is his own.

I’m glad that he is around now & that I could talk to him about Street Photography.

I couldn’t probably wait until 2073…. But then again…. Who Knows!

To see more of Marco Visit his Website

And Follow him on Instagram

Johnny Mobasher Johnny Mobasher, The Site Founder & a Street Photography Enthusiast!

Marco Giusfredi on Street Photography: Life Slips Away, I gather It In A Photograph

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