its a common street performance piece, much like the people who paint themselves copper or silver, the idea here is that it is really windy, you put a wire in your jacket to keep it up, hairspray your hair back etc. Ive seen it in Italy and similar photos even here on da.
so the true kettle of worms on this one is the crux of street photography, this guy was obviously doing this before the photographer came along, so he captured it without interference, but none the less it is a performance.
I second =Eliza-mac's statement. Normally street performers (in here in Havana) don't mind about cameras, but easily can pose if you ask (or pay them). So staging something like this isn't very difficult if you take all that factors into consideration.
I don't think it's reasonable to assume that it was set up to the extent that the photographer brought the guy in and gave him props. It's most probably a street entertainer or someone else dressed like that for a particular reason. Whether the photographer saw him running and took the shot or saw him in the street and told him to run is a mystery. We can only speculate.
i think its a street performer or similar - perhaps they were doing an odd run/expression with the photographer in mind but the "yeah, whatever" look on the faces of the other people suggests to me that he's not exactly an odd spectacle in that area, therefore making that area a logical target for photographers seeking the weird and wacky... = this photo. my two cents
Looking at the shot and without any more information than the location, I would assume that the focus of the photograph is a street entertainer. I wouldn't take the lack of reaction from passers by as an indicator that it's a set up, (I'll post one late of an ignored mime ) On the side of it not being set up, street entertainers are aware of cameras, most are happy to play to them. It's a difficult one to call, it could be a set up, the photographer directing the guy where to run but the props aren't what would make me question the image.
Sta.sh
Devious Comments
so the true kettle of worms on this one is the crux of street photography, this guy was obviously doing this before the photographer came along, so he captured it without interference, but none the less it is a performance.
Anyways, it's a great photo, be it staged or not.
On the side of it not being set up, street entertainers are aware of cameras, most are happy to play to them. It's a difficult one to call, it could be a set up, the photographer directing the guy where to run but the props aren't what would make me question the image.
I suppose you could ask the person that took it.