Philadelphia Street Style: Big Rube Harley, Walnut St

Reuben "Big Rube" Harley is Philadelphia's best-known street style photographer and a regular fixture on the streets of Center City. He's been on this blog a couple of times before, and I can't think of anyone who more embodies Philly style. Here he is at work on Walnut St., trusty Schwinn at his side, Canon camera strapped to his chest. We run into each other occasionally when out shooting. I always find it fascinating to compare his style of shooting to my own. He has a much more democratic take on style, shoots way more pics than I do of a much broader range of people. He also does more snapshots and action shots. I, on the other hand, seem to take fewer and fewer pictures these days, trying to be more and more selective about who I choose. I want edge and grit mixed with just a touch of glamour. And I only do "straights up" with my subjects posing quite deliberately for me. Sure it's staged, in the sense that I intervene in whatever my subjects were doing. But does that make it any less real?

You can check out his photos on his blog, Street Gazing, or in his column in the Philadelphia Daily News. Or read my interview with Big Rube here.