Sunday Edition: Sam L. Street and Ian Beesley
PHOTOSNACK #405
Every Sunday, I contact photographers previously featured on PHOTOSNACK and ask them to send me their spontaneous thoughts, observations, reflections, or advice.
Today, I am sharing the messages I received from Sam L. Street and Ian Beesley.
Sam L. Street
In street photography, I’m drawn to what catches my eye and stirs my feelings; that’s when I take the shot.
Though stories have their place, there doesn’t always need to be a story. I don’t go out seeking narratives per se. Instead, I let the street and its moments unfold naturally as I shoot.
What I capture could be anything: a simple object, a color, a person, or a situation. Sometimes, I’m drawn to poetic scenes; other times, it’s just a fleeting detail that captures my attention. In street photography, I follow my instincts, my feelings, and my heart—and, of course, I embrace stories when they emerge.
This photo is one of my early works; it focuses on cigarette butts but carries a certain feeling, an emotion I sensed in the scene—so I captured it. It was taken in Barcelona.
Sam L. Street was featured in PHOTOSNACK #366.
Ian Beesley
"Dolly" was incarcerated in the Moor Psychiatric Hospital for having an illegitimate child in her early teens; she never left and died a few months after I took the photograph.
This photograph of Dolly was taken under strict control by the health authority, and I was embargoed from exhibiting or publishing it for a minimum of 10 years after I took it. When the restrictions were lifted, I was very cautious about exhibiting and publishing this image.
When it was exhibited in Salts Mill in 2023, the response was unbelievable. The number of people who contacted me who had worked in psychiatric hospitals knew of similar cases (women incarcerated under the 1911 Lunatic Asylum Act for having illegitimate children). When it appeared on social media it went viral over 1.2 million views with thousands of comments, it exposed the inhumanity and injustice inflicted on thousands of women. (The recently published book The Undesirables by Sarah Price features a selection of these comments)
Ian Beesley was featured in PHOTOSNACK #368.
Sunday Editions connect you with photographers whose work you previously explored through PHOTOSNACK.
I want to reveal some authentic parts of the people behind the cameras.
I don't ask them any specific questions. I ask them to share whatever comes to mind when they think about YOU, the newsletter readers.
It makes their responses genuine and personal.
I hope you enjoyed today's Sunday Edition.
Until next time,
Tomasz
These are fantastic. And for the second image and explanation, which country?
When we are sad or depressed about current affairs, I like to look back in 50- and 100- year chunks to compare our living environments today vs yesterday. It makes me feel better about our societal progress. We are evolving much more slowly than I’d like, but we are indeed moving forward. I think, anyway.