Need advice on feeling comfortable taking shots of strangers

BTW, I wouldn't have though of any of these photos as "street photos" -- and I

honestly don't get what is so special about "that" kind of photography. I like

photographing people I don't know (and hate taking photos of friends and

family). That some of the people I photograph are also on the street is just a

coincidnece.

 

Don't try to make yourself be someone else. There's no reason you have to

shoot like Frank or Winogrand (or Grant or Edmo) to make compelling

photographs. That's THEIR style of street photography. What's yours?

<i>Yeah right, telephoto lens. that will make an excellent spy out

of Nancy.</i><p>

 

need some luv fruit cake?

Nancy... its like anything else, you have to practice at it for it to feel like second nature. Sooner or later it'll get easier and you'll feel better about it. After a while, you'll know if you want to continue on or not, but you'll never know if you don't give it a good try, right?

<p>

Anyways... one thing that helped me was picking <i>events</i> to photograph. People kind of expect photographers to be there & to be photographed and they will even kind of pose for the camera which will make you feel a wee bit easier. Over time, I chose to photograph spectators & others who weren't expecting camera attention. Then I moved onto busy, touristy sections of the city where people with cameras are an ever present thing. Soon I took to subway cars & neighborhood street corners. I tried the hip shots but didn't care for the sneeky aspect of it (ymmv) so I took to working on raising my camera quickly & pre focusing to lessen the time it takes me to pull off a shot. Over time I got more comfortable & took to photographing in places like cafes & bakeries. Sometimes I engage in conversation, sometimes I don't. I am rather blatant, but I refuse to be apologetic & will simply stop shooting if someone asks me to. Perhapse its because I am a woman, but I never had anyone act negatively towards me photographing except for once on the 7 train which was all around embarassing because I had a duh moment & tried to photograph a tatoo on some kid's hand with my 50mm while his hand happend to be located near his crotch area. In the end, once I explained myself, we both laughed & I was a lovely shade of red until I got to Grand Central.

You have a few options. 1) Use a telephoto. A 75 or 90mm lens is pretty handholdable even at slow shutter speeds (1/15, 1/30th) and you can keep a comfortable--for you--distance. A 135mm lens gives you more distance but naturally will be shakier. 2) Use a 50 or 35mm lens, move into their situation or environment, don't hide your gear, be friendly and talk with the people you want to photograph first. Make that personal contact. Then, ask their permission. If refused, thank them and move on. If not, go for it-and thank them as well. 3) Use the pre-focusing technique described above and shoot fast and move out fast. Less personal, but probably works a lot of the time. 4) If you want photos to sell, have a legal model release ready. Use it. 5) If you still feel uneasy with these, then stick with photographing inanimate objects. But first of all, start any of these choices with

people you know, family, friends, co-workers,etc. It'll give you

confidence. Then, move on to strangers.

Start slow, make it easy on yourself at first and if you're not enjoying it something is probably not quite right. Try just photographing the street, never mind the fact people are in the viewfinder. You're going to have to deal with the background sooner or later, make it sooner. Believe me, a lot of great shots are little set-ups where the photog, like a spider, is just waiting for the prey to walk into the scene/web.

Capa's gregarious approach is more fun for me: "Hi, that's a

great composition, do you mind?" with a big smile. Usually they

feel flattered and you get as many shots as you like.

 

On the other hand Cartier-Bresson zone focused, tried to hide

his camera until the last possible instant and then ducked out of

sight. The original title of "The Decisive Moment", "Images a la

Sauvette" is slang for buying something from an unlicensed

steet vendor, a close English translation would have been "Illicit

Images" Charles Degaulle compared him to an artilleryman:

"You aim carefully, get the shot and scram." Artillerymen scram

right after firing because they have just given away their position

and they know an incoming round is likely!

 

Even so, flip through any collection of HCB's work and you will

see that lots of the shots are of people taken from behind.. And

that's by the master of invisibility!

 

A third way, maybe the most productive of all, is to just patiently

hang out untill you are accepted, just part of the wallpaper. A

great many street photographers report success with this

approach, which, alas, I am too antsy and impatient to use.

Hi, as stated before, I am a beginner, but here is what I try to do.

Try to get the rules straight in your mind before you go out shooting strangers, that way you can loosen up a bit and feel relaxed, because you know what you can do, how to do it, and when.

I think this technique is used by people who pre-focus a scene.

 

Take advantage of your own opportunities, assuming you have access to a city, or wherever you want to start. Perhaps you could start with people you know, and incorporate them into a city shoot or whatever, good friends will usually be a good models. If you have a good friend who can use a camera why not try to be on the other side of a lens, as a subject? I guess that way you could put yourself in the shoes of people you feel nervous about shooting, and learn in the proccess. Chances are if you feel nervous about shooting strangers there is a reason for it. So if you do jump in the deep end

enjoy the moment and keep swimming. Integrating friends and family into an environmental portrait would be an easier way to begin, but

personally I would just jump in! So it really is up to yourself Nancy, try to get out there with friends and try it.

 

Best wishes.

I'd also like to add that I almost never think in terms of photographing "the

street." I couldn't care less about the street. You really have to be totally into

watching people.

 

In fact maybe that's a good place to begin. Leave the camera behind and just

watch people until you find you just can't stand not photographing them doing

what you've been watching them doing.

<i>...Need advice on feeling comfortable taking shots of strangers...</i><p> if it's cold wear a warm coat--cold?--don't wear a coat....you should then be comfortable...!!</p>

Hi,

 

My second stich of advice in this thread: shoot close, shoot wide--don't sneak.

 

Tom

<i>Try to get the rules straight in your mind...</i>

<p>

Ben, there ain't no rules...

<p>

Regarding focal length, it's all spying and voyeurism no matter what lens you use too...

Nancy,

 

You have been given enough advice to choke an elephant! So, spit out the bits that don't taste good to you.

 

It may be clear that their 'are no rules', just what works for YOU.

 

Eg. "Don't use telephoto lenses. CRAP! If a tele lens gets the pic YOU want, it IS right. Certainly, most photogs use 35mm or shorter. That dosen't make it right! It just means they use it and justify doing it. A tele may not be the easiest because all that distance between you and the subject is prone to "invasion" by other wandering objects, but it can still work in SOME situations. Rule nothing out. Just exploit it if it works.

 

Now go shoot and see how you feel. Then do it again, maybe a different way. Eventually you will feel comfortable. I remember taking a protege of mine out street shooting. Even though I was comfortable anyway, having her along gave me some more credibilty IMO. Maybe taking a fellow photographer might give you some confidence to start with. Worth a try.

Enjoy a glass of wine.Then take your camera for a walk.Ignore the noise.

One other peice of advice:if you want a Candid photograph, Asking permission doesn't work. Also striking up a converstion immediately before shooting also doesn't get you a candid shot.This assumes you want candid streeet shots.

Hello, I think there are a few basic rules people are obliged to obey whilst using a camera in a city, that's life and I'm sure you know it. These so called rules inculde not using a camera on the N.Y. subway, it is illegal, etc... the list is boring but I think it is as well to know the 'rules' before you try to break them. Anyhow I live in a wonderful part of Ireland where there are less rules, and in fact there is no subway.........

 

Good luck Nancy and best wishes for your photography.

I agree with Edmo re the rules and voyeurism. My advice about how to get over the self-conscious feeling is to go out and do it, preferably from a close enough distance that your subjects can easily detect what you're doing. Most of the time, they'll be much less interested in you than you assume they are.

Hi Mike, I respect you as an experienced photographer but I don't understand how you can advocate the lack of rules. Surely for someone to learn to shoot strangers a few rules need to be learned first. I am a beginner so please understand that I am not speaking from experience, perhaps that's why I see the need for the rules.

Like I said, it would be foolish for Nancy to jump on a N.Y. subway and shoot people, because it is illegal and not a safe way to learn.

I also tend to agree with TOm Foley in that a fast wide prime is good for street stuff, whereas a long telephoto may be a little tricky.

 

Nice to chat, cheers.

I never learned any rules. I suppose it's good to know the basic laws governing what you're doing (know your rights and their limitations), so if that's what you mean by "rules," I guess we agree. But there aren't any rules regarding how street photography should be done. What works depends very much on the situation, the individual photographer, and the intended result.

 

As I see it, the NYC subway photography ban is just a ploy for generating revenue--if you can afford the ticket, shoot all you want.

Whew, thanks everyone, I'm overwhelmed by how much good advice is out there. I really think I'm going to feel more comfortable out there in the future, because now I have the tools I need. Next time I'm out, I'm going to use these new tools and hopefully I can capture something great. (And yes Eugene, I am a bit shy and thin-skinned, that's why I've always concentrated on buildings and such but I would love to change this part of my personality.) I don't really expect to turn into HCB overnight, but I've always admired his work and I hope to emulate him to a certain extent. He always seemed to be in the right places at exactly the right time! I should have no problem being where there's a lot of people myself, since there are 4 million people in Toronto and almost every culture is represented here and lots going on. Maybe I'll bring my camera to work tomorrow and try some shots in the subway on my way home (gulp!!). Thanks again!

So, you are taking the camera to work tomorrow Nancy! Good start. Now don't restrict your pics to the subway. Do some of colleagues at work as well. You will probably feel more comfortable with them to start anyway. They may 'rag' you, or they may encourage you. Whatever, you will be starting your 'encounter' experience.

 

POst some results.

I used to worry about that a bit myself. I've concluded that if there were any overwhelming reason to take photographs of people who are strangers to me, other than doing it simply because it's what "street photographers" do, I would most likely get over the whole matter very quickly. Fact is, I like environments, buildings, plants, you name it, especially where humans have left their mark, much more so than the people themselves.. for me there's more opportunity there, more interest, less pedestrian cliche. To do street worth doing, you have to truly love people, their behaviors, etc. I don't. If someone wanders into the shot and it still works for me, they can stay, otherwise I'd prefer they get the heck out of there! I'm ok with that because it's true for me, so my suggestion is that you first explore just why you think you're missing something by not taking shots of strangers. Why do you want to do that? If you can't do it, it might be because it's not an artistic imperative for you. OTOH, if it is then you'd better just get over it and start shooting the photos. If you need to do it you will. There's no trick to it, as far as I can tell. Me, I don't have an eye for it.

Like the many before me, I just gotta say "just do it". Personally, my street shooting covers everything. Sometimes I go for the candid shot other times I'll go up to people and ask for the shot. This is usually the case when they have an interesting look or they are not engaged in some activity that catches my eye. I use a medium format camera so I have the luxury of a waist level finder. This might explain how in the last year I've been doing mostly street and after 50 rolls or so why nobody has objected to me photographing them nor have I been kicked out of anyplace (knock on wood)! I use a standard lenght lense most of the time. Wide angle distorts too much the closer you get. I don't like too many people in my shots. Most of my shots have no more then two people in them. I carry a short telephoto with me that is great for single person shots but even then I have to be less then 10 feet away. It all comes down to what kind of mood I'm in that day. After awhile, if you still feel uncomfortable, then do what I do: Think of all the shots you passed on because you weren't confident enough to take them. I don't remember every shot I did take, but I certainly remember every shot I wanted to take but didn't. This hindsight can get to you after awhile. At some point you will learn that it's better to take the shot even if it feels uncomfortable to do so. Like others have said, it's all in your head. Shoot from your heart, not your head and it will be hard to go wrong.

I was out shooting with Brad today, he had an ultra-wide and just stuck the camera in people's faces. I do this too, but I ony had a longer lens today. As expected, proper photographer attitude resulted in zero comments, I only saw one person who even noticed. It's not the equipment, it's the attitude.

Dean, I've always been comfortable taking shots of static objects, but I think this comfort level was getting boring, so much so that I haven't really done any worthwhile photography for a year. I really think it would help me if I stepped out of my comfort zone. I used to be like you and would get annoyed when people wandered into my shots; I spent eight days in Paris, and after 28 rolls of film, I think I have a handful of shots with people in them. My travelling companion had to force me to take shots of her! I've been told I have an eye for architectural photography, but now I'd really like to see if I have an eye for people photography. And John, I brought my Holga to work today, so we'll see if I can get up the nerve to take some shots on the way home. Hopefully I'll have something to post in the next week or so.

Sounds like you're at the place you need to be to explore this. Another alternative, potentially even more daunting, is to get acquainted with the people you meet on the street and to take a street or environmental portraiture approach. I'm thinking of Arbus and Mary Ellen Mark among others. Alec Soth is very good at this. I think that is probably the route I will eventually take, starting with people I know socially or vocationally. Then perhaps extend some visual vocabulary out to more anonymous subjects. There's always something new to learn! Good luck to you.