Manet's paintings of cafe scenes are observations of social life in nineteenth century Paris. People are depicted drinking beer, listening to music, flirting, reading, or waiting. Many of these paintings were based on sketches executed on the spot. At the Cafe in 1878. Several people are at the bar, and one woman confronts the viewer while others wait to be served. Such depictions represent the painted journal of a man about town.  They capture the mood and feeling of Parisian night life. They are painted snapshots of bohemianism, urban working people, as well as some of the bourgeoisie.

In The Cafe Concert, shown below, a sophisticated gentleman sits at a bar while a waitress stands resolutely in the background, sipping her drink.

Depicting the everyday lives of ordinary people at work or play interested the Impressionists.

For further examples see below

Édouard Manet January 23, 1832 – April 30, 1883) was a French painter. One of the first nineteenth century artists to approach modern-life subjects.

Mary Stevenson Cassatt

(May 22, 1844 – June 14, 1926)

was an American painter and printmaker. She lived much of her adult life in France, where she first befriended Edgar Degas and later exhibited among the Impressionists.

Cassatt (pronounced ca-SAHT) often created images of the social and private lives of women, with particular emphasis on the intimate bonds between mothers and children

For more on the Impressionists click HERE

George Eastman's invention of the Kodak camera in 1888 gave rise to an amateur photography movement in the 1890s, which in turn led to camera clubs and eventually to the culture of exhibitions, criticism, and artistic identity that is the foundation of twentieth-century art photography. The function, concept, and aesthetic conditions of the anonymous snapshot remain a vital source for artistic photographers, and, as such, warrant serious consideration by an art museum. Recognized photographers of the modern era, from Alfred Stieglitz to Robert Frank, Harry Callahan, Lee Friedlander, and Nan Goldin, have each in their own way looked to the amateur snapshot for inspiration, embracing its informality and seeming unaffectedness.

Introduction to MOMA’s exhibition SNAPSHOTS     HERE

André Kertész

(July 2nd 1894 – September 28th 1985)

born Andor Kertész, was a Hungarian-born photographer distinguished by his photographic composition and by his early efforts in developing the photo essay. In the early years of his lengthy career, his then-unorthodox camera angles, and his unwillingness to compromise his personal photographic style, prevented his work from gaining wider recognition. Even towards the end of his life, Kertész did not feel he had gained worldwide recognition. The first photographer to have an exposition devoted to his work, he is recognized as one of the seminal figures of photojournalism, if not photography as a whole. Although Kertész rarely received bad review as, it was the lack of them which lead to the photographer feeling distant from recognition. Even other photographers cite Kertész and his photographs as being inspirational; Henri Cartier-Bresson once said of him in the early 1930s, "We all owe him a great deal".

You need to spend some time on this excellent site.

All the great masters are there including the greats mentioned below

Eugene Atget - documentary photos of Paris architecture in the early 20th century

Bill Brandt - surrealist and working class imagery, British, 1930-60

Robert Doisneau - Happy photos of Parisian life in the mid 20th century

William Klein - New York street photography in the mid-fifties

Lisette Model - an important pioneer in street photography and portraits from the edge

Garry Winogrand - compulsive street photographer, imagery is edgy, disorienting

Check these dudes out in this site

Garry Winogrand

What Garry Winogrand has to say about Photography

"A photograph is the illusion of a literal description of how the camera 'saw' a piece of time and space."

"Photography is not about the thing photographed. It is about how that thing looks photographed."

"I photograph to see what the world looks like in photographs."

"I like to think of photographing as a two-way act of respect. Respect for the medium, by letting it do what it does best, describe. And respect for the subject, by describing as it is. A photograph must be responsible to both."

"I don't know if all the women in the photographs are beautiful, but I do know that the women are beautiful in the photographs." (In reference to his book, "Women are Beautiful.")

"There is nothing as mysterious as a fact clearly described."

"All things are photographable."

"I don't have anything to say in any picture. My only interest in photography is to see what something looks like as a photograph. I have no preconceptions.

Garry Winogrand (1928, New York City – 1984)

was a street photographer known for his portrayal of American life in the early 1960s.  Many of his photographs depict the social issues of his time and the role of media in shaping attitudes. He roamed the streets of New York with his 35mm Leica camera rapidly taking photographs using a prefocused wide angle lens.

His pictures frequently appeared as if they were driven by the energy of the events he was witnessing. While the style has been much imitated, Winogrand's eye, his visual style, and his wit, are unique.

Some candid impressionist even “street” snaps taken in Leeds and Dublin by Mrs S and her trusty DSLR.

Please note this does not represent days of toil merely keeping your photographic eyes wide open when you are out and about.........

Of course once the shutter has clicked that is not the end of the matter ‘cos there are other variants you can try and the examiner does love variations on a theme.

Then come the mighty Photoshop and there the possibilities are vast as the woman and phones variations demonstrate.

Note how mood, even meaning,can be changed with variations in colour and texture and how you can add graffiti, even turn it into a pointillist nightmare or let it melt like Dali.

Which is the most true? the most honest?

Most of the great ones of photography shot on Black and White and yet we see the world in colour......

Hey Dudes the only limit is your imagination and even the government are allowing us to use the C* word again...

*C as in creative

Mrs S “captures”/”snaps”/”documents”/”shoots” the great Martin Parr in Leeds City square.”Your work is all over my classroom wall”, she babbles. Mr Parr smiles (not shown). Students who do not know who Martin Parr is have not been listening and wandering round with their eyes shut.