Street photography: a red balloon, a fabric stall and the girl in yellow

Wednesday 25 November 2020, 22:44 by Jan Poldervaart | 4,024 views | 3 comments

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

Martin Bril featured prominently in my previous blog because of the girls in their colourful skirts. He was, after all, the man behind Skirt Day. That makes many people happy.

Children make many people happy too. They are often spontaneous and can do all sorts of things in the street that put a smile on your face. I think many children's authors draw their inspiration from the things children do.

Children can be exuberant, but sometimes sad, and then free again in their play. You often see that in the street. That is why photographing children is also great fun for a street photographer.

It is a theme that is often overlooked in street photography, but it can also lead to a specialisation. So today's blog is about street photography with children in the leading roles. I like to let my imagination run free and create a story around my photos.

Writers and children

Annie M.G. Schmidt could write about and for children like no one else. Think of Jip en Janneke, Ja zuster, nee zuster and Puk van de Petteflet or Floddertje. You could come across these children in the street, at least if you look carefully and have a bit of imagination.

But you can also discover other writers if you look around carefully. Scary stories by Roald Dahl or Carry Slee about juf Braaksel or Meester Paardenpoep.

I read Pietje Bell when I was young, of course. And if you pay attention, you can still see Pietje Bell walking around the streets.

There are also writers who do street photography themselves. One such writer is Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer. He writes for adults, though. For example: Grand Hotel Europa.

But if you look at his Instagram: @iljaleonardpfeijffer, you will see some beautiful street photos by him in unusual colour tones. Well worth a look.

A red balloon

Children with balloons are always lovely to see. They always make me very happy. Below you can see a photo of a girl with a red balloon. She immediately stands out, precisely because of that balloon.

You can also see a green balloon on the right, probably belonging to her sister. With a photo like this, I wonder why they have the balloons with them. A children's party, a birthday, a wedding anniversary for grandad and grandma, or did they get them from a shop?

She is dressed festively too. And if I could ask Annie M.G. Schmidt, she would probably see a little story for Jip en Janneke in it. Something like grandad has lost his way. Just look at the man pointing. That must be her grandad.

A fabric stall

Colourful children at a colourful fabric stall in the market. It looks as if the girl is telling the blonde girl which colour she should choose for Halloween.

Look, I like this one. I could make a witch's costume from that, or use this colour for a princess's dress.

The blonde girl is listening attentively and is meanwhile imagining herself as a ballerina. Yes, that is what I would like, she thinks: such beautiful fabric, and then performing in Swan Lake.

And for the observant viewer. Look at the beautiful bows on the shoes of the girl in the blue skirt. A cheerful scene.

The girl in yellow

Children can get up to all sorts of fun antics in the street. The girl in yellow looks as if she is about to fly. Following her mother and little brother. Look, I can fly.

She stretches out her arms as if she is heading for the Feijenoord stadium. Because that is where she thinks the big children's party is. Harry Potter is there, along with The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Dummie de Mummie. Maybe Wolfje is there too, as well as the Gorgels.

Look, look, I can fly. A shame that nobody is watching, apart from a street photographer.

Scootering after the police

On her scooter, following the police. This cheerful girl seems to be having lots of fun. Perhaps she wants to join the police later too. Catching criminals and helping people.

Racing in the police car with its flashing light and all the noise. Speeding through the city. Every child sometimes dreams about what they want to do when they grow up.

Becoming a baker, air hostess, pilot, nurse or firefighter. Children have a lot of imagination. They like dressing up to act out their future profession. And yes, when you have a police car so close by, you naturally follow it.

Street photos with children often make you happy. They are often photos with even more emotion than photos of adults.

Still, some street photographers may find it difficult to photograph children. We live in quite a difficult time for that. But as a photographer, you are still in a public space, and you can photograph children in the street just as you photograph adults.

I like taking photos that parents would also want in their own photo album. Photos that make them happy. On my Instagram, @dutchartandphotographer, I also write short stories to go with my photos. That makes the street photos a little more lively.

My motto is: if someone recognises themselves, I send them the photo.

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