Gavin Stoker

Paranoia about social media is spoiling stree photography, frets our regular contributor

- GAVIN STOKER

I recently got to watch a film about Henri Cartier-Bresson while scripting links for a Sky Arts photography documentary series. I was fascinated to see the veteran street photography maestro in action, rising on tiptoes or making himself smaller and less visible when weaving between bodies and traffic. He appeared less like a photographer seeking the perfect angle and more like a heron stalking its prey.

Cartier-Bresson's day has long gone, however, and today our lives are heavily under surveillance, thanks to CCTV and smartphones. But while cameras watch and record us from all angles, I believe social media, and the public awareness of its omnipresence, is threatening the very art of street photography.