Author(s): Andrew "Fundy" Funderburg

Photography

To Andrew "Fundy" Funderburg, street photography means hitting the streets with a simple camera (or even a phone) and capturing everyday life. To do it well, the photographer has to be part of the action--part of the moment. He or she must be willing to be yelled at, and brave enough to pick up that camera and point it at a stranger. And when the moment is perfect, magic happens; the viewer can see into the moment and the soul of the person in the photograph, and that split-second exposure becomes a slice of history, frozen in time. In additional to being an artform, however, street photography has the power to preserve the history of a city or neighborhood and bring its citizens together. It has the power to save the story of the time, place, and people--and sometimes even prove the value of a place that is worthy of preservation. After all, it's not usually the people going to work in giant office buildings that give a place it's character--it's the bartenders, the waiters, the street vendors, the lifetime residents, and even the homeless characters that make a town truly come alive.