La Banda

This image made in April of 2013 exemplifies some of the reasons I enjoy street portraiture. Regular candid street shooting involves no connection or involvement with the people being photographed. In a strict sense, it's almost --or well could be-- defined as exploitative, but this is obviously debatable and I won't get into a senseless discussion on the subject here. There are, however, street tog purists who will outright reject any photography that involves posing individuals. The claim is the photography lacks authenticity. I would rather not be called a street photographer if I am to be bound to certain rules that will keep me from enjoying something I do greatly: connecting, understanding, and getting to know others while following my passion for photography