We got in touch with the administrators and moderators of the group Street Photography Cartier-Bresson Inspired and its founder, digital content creator Peter Pickering agreed to tell us more about the inner workings of how such a community looks from the inside.
"Maintaining the group's quality and standards is a top priority for [our] team, and as the group has grown in size, the cleaning and moderation duties have become more challenging," Pickering told Bored Panda.
"However, the team is committed to keeping the group clean and engaging for its members, and they work tirelessly to remove any content that violates the group's rules or aesthetic standards."
#3 Through The Streets Of The Center Of Tallinn, The Capital Of Estonia
Of course, every similar group is different, but the most common issue that the admins and mods of Street Photography Cartier-Bresson Inspired have to take care of is the members (of whom there already are a whopping 294K) posting images that don't meet the group's guidelines or rules, such as:
- Not meeting our definition of street photography;
- Lacking visual impact and clichés;
- Technically lacking;
- Color instead of black and white;
- Borders;
- Logos and watermarks;
- Over-processing.
"We understand that although members may have questions about why their images were rejected, despite being pointed to the rule that was breached, it can be time-consuming for our team to provide individualized explanations for every rejected image," Pickering explained.
"Occasionally some members may come across as overly critical or dismissive in their comments towards other members, and even towards our ... team," the founder of Street Photography Cartier-Bresson Inspired said. "While we do not condone this behavior, we approach it with understanding and compassion and work to educate them on the importance of respectful and constructive feedback. It takes time."
"Overall, we try to keep the group clean and free from any content that doesn't align with our mission or standards. It is a lot of work, but we are committed to maintaining a positive and supportive community for street photographers of all levels."
Since Pickering is the founder of what we can sort of call Henri Cartier-Bresson's modern fan club, we also asked him what he considers to be the quintessential components of the master's success.
"[Cartier-Bresson's] photography is characterized by a sense of spontaneity, capturing candid moments and emotions in a way that feels authentic and immediate," Pickering said. "He was a master of composition, using techniques like the rule of thirds and natural light and shadow to create striking and balanced images."
"His work often focused on the human experience, capturing everyday moments and emotions in a way that feels both relatable and profound. [It] has inspired countless photographers over the years. His style can be described as an unobtrusive, intuitive approach that sought to capture the essence of a moment or scene, rather than impose a preconceived narrative or message," Pickering explained.
However, while the members of the group are trying to imitate Cartier-Bresson's work to some extent, Pickering and the other group's admins and mods believe they should also "strive to find their own voice and express themselves authentically through their art."
"We encourage our members to explore their own creative paths, rather than simply copying the work of others. Ultimately, we value the diversity of styles and approaches in our group and want our members to feel free to express themselves in their own unique way."
