Reception: City Streets by Jim Lustenader (Griffin at SOWA)

Street photography has a cinematic character that has always attracted me, combining elements of photojournalism, documentary and pure surprise to catch unguarded moments of everyday life.

Spontaneity, immediacy, serendipity and empathy all come into play. But to me what makes for impactful street photos is visual tension, the interplay between subjects themselves or between them and their surroundings. Visual tension gives a photo intimacy and depth, inviting the viewer to pause and decipher possible meanings; it offers a glimpse of the photographer’s intention while providing opportunity for imagination.

So I look for the “click point” in a simple situation — the visceral second that suggests a story and evokes the humor, sadness, beauty, irony, mystery or absurdity of human nature in action. People’s eyes, dress, body language, and relationships to objects and each other are some of the things I seek out that might resonate with a viewer. Whether shot indoors or out, my work is candid and intuitive, neither staged nor manipulated.

My usual kit is minimal: Contax G2 with 28mm and 45mm Zeiss lenses, Contax T3 with a 35mm Zeiss lens, or Nikon N70 with a 24mm lens. I shoot film (Tri-X 400 and T-Max 3200) because I like its distinctive look and the fact that it forces me to pay close attention, and I prefer black and white because it reduces visual complexity and focuses the eye. – JL

Lustenader has been published in Black & White magazine, and had solo exhibitions at Umbrella Arts Gallery in New York, In An Instant Gallery in Florida, and Dartmouth College. He has also been in over forty  juried exhibitions, including the Salmagundi Art Club of New York; Your Daily Photograph; Center for Fine Art Photography; New York Center for Photographic Art; Black Box Gallery; Greg Moon Art Gallery; WPGA Pollux (“Photographer of the Year”), Charles Dodgson and Jacob Riis Awards; Cape Cod Art Association; Texas National Art Competition; Camera USA National Photography Award; Minneapolis Photo Center; Colorado Photographic Arts Center; and the Boca Raton Museum of Art. Three of his photos are in the permanent collection of the Municipal Museum in Malaga, Spain.

Jim Lustenader is a New Hampshire resident.

All photographs are available as Silver Gelatin prints.