Famous Street Photographer Captures Life on The Streets of Shanghai

Ron Gessel, Boots, The Streets of Shanghai 2. Famous Street photographer. Photo: Ron Gessel

ART PROJECT: Ron Gessel, the famous street photographer, documents people drinking, smoking, and eating noodles on the streets of Shanghai

BY KAZAD

Image- Ron Gessel street photograph shows a street trader on the The Street ‘The Streets of Shanghai. Besides is trash — Ron Gessel, The Street Trader, ‘The Streets of Shanghai’1. Photo: Ron Gessel

AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS—Traveling is one of the best ways to learn about other cultures and peoples. However, for those who cannot afford to travel, photography provides some insight into the lives of people from other cultures. Ron Gessel is a freelance art director and photographer. Based in Utrecht, the Netherlands, he is one of the very few outstanding street photographers who have adequately documented the lives of the people they come across. Gessel’s photography career has taken him to many places across the globe, including Malaysia, China, Japan, and the United States of America.

Traveling the World

Considered a famous street photographer, Gessel has been traveling the world for several years engaged in street photography. “I am a street photographer in heart and soul,” he says. In many of the cities that he has visited, Gessel has produced some amazing street photography. From New York to Japan, Beijing, Shanghai, Penang, and Kuala Lumpur, Gessel’s photography projects have included capturing street lives and the everyday activities of the people he encountered.

Recently, Gessel was in Shanghai, where he produced some amazing street photography. Gessel gets his street photography inspiration from observing the people and the environment. Many of the photographs capture everyday people as they eat noodles, drink, and engage in everyday activities. “My photos are not staged because I want to show real life,” he notes as he explains his street photography techniques.

Some of the Shanghai images reveal the dress culture of the inhabitants. In one of the images, an old man pulls his pant chest high. Similarly, another man with a cigarette in his mouth examines a small book. Although many of the images were not staged realities, they are carefully structured to accentuate design elements.

Ron Gessel: A Modern Street Photographer’s Time in Shanghai

Gessel is a modern street photographer. His street photography techniques explore dynamic positioning and an eye for details. For many young photographers, there are so many street photography tips to learn from just looking at Gessel’s photographs. There is great attention to colors, mood, the environment, and dramatic expressions.

Gessel studied graphic design in Utrecht, the Netherlands. He was an art director for several years, working with major advertising industries. Presently a freelance art director/photographer, he has been traveling the world practicing as a street photographer. He follows in the Henri Cartier-Bresson street photography tradition. You can see more of his work on Behance.