People in Cars
by Cheryl Atkins
My name is Cheryl Atkins.
I’m from Baltimore in the US and have been shooting street for almost thirteen years. I studied painting in art school and created very large expressionistic canvases.
After a long break I began to get the creative urge again.
My paintings required a lot of studio space and I had none. I remembered enjoying film photography while in school and thought I might give it a try again. No huge area required. I bought a Kodak EasyShare camera and moved on to digital from there. I had found my passion.
As an introvert and I have always been a people watcher, on the outside looking in. I like to quietly observe people in their everyday lives and find beauty in the mundane as well as the spectacular. The camera is a perfect tool for me because I can hide behind the lens, watch, wait and capture.
In my latest series entitled “People in Cars” I captured people their personal mobile environments. Shooting subjects in cars adds a different dimension to street photography. There is a steel barrier, one that says “This is my space and you’re not in it”. Some are hiding and feel as though they are invisible while in them. Others want to be seen and celebrate being photographed. It’s a very interesting dynamic.
“In LA in 1970, photographer Mike Mandel took the idea of street photography and did something a little different with it. He carried his camera to an intersection near his home, and started to take candid photos of drivers going past.”