Eric Davidove: Stunning Street Moments

by Yvette Depaepe
Published the 7th of July 2023

Eric Davidove's remarkable street photography uses visual elements such as colour, light or shapes. It often isolates and captures moments which might otherwise go unnoticed. He mostly tends to create quirky and humorous photos which put a smile on the face of the viewers. He quotes : 'A memorable street photograph is one that immediately grabs and keeps my attention. A photo that cannot be easily copied by another photographer, that I don’t mind viewing over and over again, and one that is innovative and unique.' Read more about this artist in this most interesting interview and fully enjoy.

'Market Street'

Dear Eric, to begin, please introduce yourself and tell us about you, your hobbies or other jobs/projects you are involved in!

I was born in Hollywood California and have lived in many other places, including London. My home since 2010 has been the San Francisco Bay Area. While attending University, and eventually earning a Ph.D, my main sources of income came from being a certified sign language interpreter and street mime. After graduating University, and until I retired, I was a consultant employed by a large global company. My speciality areas were training and change management. Now, when I’m not teaching yoga, walking other people’s dogs, or making dinner, I am exploring the city streets with my camera.

'Bubbles'

'Smile'

'Corn'

Your work is full of vivid colours, combined with exceptional light and shadows. All your images undeniably wear your signature. What does street photography mean to you?

Thank you for your compliment and feedback about my street photography. For me, street photography simply means taking candid photos of strangers, often without their knowledge, and/or taking photos of the traces left by people that say something about life. There is no staging or direct manipulation by the photographer. The photographer is an observer, not a director. Street photos are best when they conjure up a narrative or emotional response and/or effectively showcase visual elements such as colour, light or shapes. Street Photography often isolates and captures moments which might otherwise go unnoticed.

'Primary'

'USA'

'Bus stop'

What first drew you to street photography and how did you discover it?

I suddenly found myself unemployed and feeling like it might take up to a year before I secure my next “right” position. This was the third time I found myself in this predicament during a 5 year period. Needless to say, my anxiety and stress levels were relatively high and I desperately needed to find a fun and healthy distraction. Then it dawned on me. My new camera (purchased primarily for use during holidays) was quietly collecting dust and I had a bunch of free time on my hands. Off to the city I went, for long periods of time, walking aimlessly with no specific route in mind, and taking photographs of anything that caught my eye. Just what the doctor ordered! I was having fun, getting exercise, discovering new locations, meeting new people, and doing something creative.

'Red Blue and White'

'Chrome'

'Cisero'

What do you think makes a memorable street photograph?

A memorable street photograph is one that immediately grabs and keeps my attention. A photo that cannot be easily copied by another photographer, that I don’t mind viewing over and over again, and one that is innovative and unique.

'Kids Win Prize Every Time'

'Hollywood Beauty'

'Contact'

Can you describe your overall photographic vision, Eric?

I mostly tend to create quirky and humorous photos. Perhaps this is because I was a street mime for 10 years and have a knack for spotting and exploiting situations such as this. Lately, my desire is to mix it up by using different angles and framing sizes, incorporating different lighting conditions, building layers, and filling up more of the frame. I am currently experimenting with street portraits, and trying to create more visually stunning photos.

'Half-Way Invisible Man'

'Payroll Advance'

'Red Balloon'

How important is content versus form in street photography? Do you personally think one plays a stronger role than the other?

I like photos that have content and/or form. I’m not a huge fan of photos with silhouettes. Some are good but most don’t appeal to me. Most of my photos tend to be stronger with content and weaker with form. I want to bring more form into my photos whilst maintaining some content strength.

'Split'

'Lococho'

'Corona'

What do you think are some clichés in street photography you steer away from yourself?

I am often tempted to create juxtapositions of people and backgrounds, such as murals and advertisements. To me, these sort of photos are fun to make but are also too cliche. Other cliches I tend to avoid are silhouettes, using objects to look like body parts, or taking photos of people who are jumping or diving into water.

Who are some of your favourite photographers, and how did they influence you?

I am strongly influenced by some of the well known and famous street photographers (no surprise there) as well as my contemporaries. I tend to spend more time studying street photographers who are active today in order to understand and learn from new techniques and approaches. This includes pursuing social media (primarily Instagram and Facebook) as well as online galleries of street photography competitions. In addition, I like to look at fine art photography, experimental photography, and photo journalism.
Looking at the work of other photographers often triggers new ideas and challenges me to experiment more.

What gear do you use (camera, lenses, bag)?

I had been shooting with Sony ASPC and full frame cameras, and prime lenses. My most recent set up was the Sony A7Riv with a G Master prime 35mm lens. As of January 2023, I started using the Leica M11 with a 35mm prime lens. The Leica M11 has an analogue (film) camera experience, keeps my attention on the composition rather than the camera operation, enables more focus control with zone focusing, and that is much lighter and smaller so as to draw less attention when on the streets. My camera bag is the Peak Design Everyday Sling.
I mostly shoot outdoors during the daytime and prefer natural light. Using a flash brings too much attention to me and spoils the candid moment or angers some people who believe I should have asked for their permission before taking their photo. Some photographers skill-fully use flash and I would like to improve my flash skills for those situations where the subjects expect or want a photographer’s attention (i.e., festivals or events). Night photography with artificial lights intrigues me and I want to spend more time building this skill-set. My Leica M11 should perform better than my Sony camera under low light conditions and I look forward to seeing where this leads me.

What software do you use to process your images?

I use Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop to process my images.

Can you tell us something more about your work flow?

I am a processing minimalist and do as little as possible, and only what I think is necessary. I strive to shoot a photo in my camera that is nearly perfect and that requires very little post editing. My processing workflow includes the basic adjustments such as white balance, exposure, highlights and shadows, contrast, and noise reduction. I will occasionally crop my photos a bit. In most cases, I am trying to achieve a photo that looks natural whereby my edits are not easily noticeable. Sometimes I make an exception when editing photos that have silhouettes, reflections, or very distracting elements.

How has social media played a role in your photography?

I use social media to connect and learn from fellow photographers, receive notifications about competitions, festivals and workshops, and to share some of my photos and accomplishments.

Now, since we have almost reached the end of this interview, I would kindly ask you to tell us how you discovered 1x and what do you think about it as a home base for your work?

I noticed that some of my social media connections were using 1x but did not immediately start using it myself. Then, I received an invitation from 1x to use the platform for one year at no cost. I think the quality of photos are relatively high as is the curation. I don’t see 1x ever replacing my website or becoming my predominant home base, but I do see 1x as a place to go to see inspiring work and to get ideas for my work. I also see it as a place where I can “test” out photos and learn whether the photos are suitable for competitions.