A Street is a Street!

Some people feel or believe that you have to be a big city like New York or London if you love Street/Urban photography. Now while places like New York are certainly the mecca for Street photography, they are not the only places where you can make great pictures. I have shot Street/Urban photography in small towns, in small cities and in biggger cities. And some of my favourite shots have been taken in small towns and cities. While smaller communities may not have the diversity that big cities have, but they do have their charms. A lot smaller communities have unique "downtown" areas that while have a slower pace still have a lot of life to them. You may find things in these places that you won't find in other places.

This picture for example was taken in a small town north of Toronto called Alliston. It has a small main downtown area that mainly consists of a main street that stretches about five blocks and a a few side streets. This old advertising sign hangs on one of the side streets. I don't even think the building still holds a bar, but Schlitz beer signs still hangs proudly.

This next shot was taken very early one morning downtown Barrie. Barrie is a small city about an hour or so north of Toronto. It is a widely spread out city but it does have a great downtown core with a great main street and some great alleys. I just wish the rest of the city had kept the same charm that the downtown has, even though it has it's share of problems.

Another favourite place to do street photography is Saint John, New Brunswick. It is Canada's oldest city. It has such history and an amazing core of streets, shops and landmarks. While not as big as places like Toronto, it ranks 78 on the list of Canada's biggest municipalities based on population.(Barrie ranks 34th). What Saint John might lack in size it more than makes up for it in history. It is definately one of my favourite places to shoot. It has a very laid back feel to it. This shot was taken this past summer

So while places like New York, London and even Toronto will be the mecca's for Street/Urban photography, you can get great shots no matter where you live or are visiting. All you need is a good eye and an open mind.