negative street experience

So i was shooting some half hearted street shots a while back while i was on

holiday. NONE of them worked out either. Oh well.

 

Anyway, we were looking at a poster board and i caught an interesting charactor

out of the corner of my eye. I quickly tried a hipshot on him. (it didnt work).

He saw me, and began freaking out. On closer inspection, he was a raging

crackhead with open sores all over his face. He was yelling and screaming at me,

talked about 'ripping the camera off my neck and smash' ing it. He decided i was

a narc, etc. Well, he walked away and we left the scene. Leon noticed him

following us. He followed for a few blocks, being all hide-y and sneaky... We

darted into a store and had the lady lock the door. Leon caught his reflection

in a mirror in the store, and we saw his shadow there by the door. He was going

to jump us, or something. So we called the cops, by the time they got to the

store he was gone. It really scared the crap out of me.

 

Sorry for the long story!

 

The point is, i find myself gunshy now, where as before i was fearless. Looking

for advice i guess. I cant seem to get myself back out there to shoot since i

got back from that holiday.

 

thanks

want my advice? Go out tomorrow and do it again but don't hipshot half hearted shots. i don't sneak on people, i make it quiet obvious but as fast as I can and I move on. Still, cops were called on me twice -- I know what I did wrong (i looked like a sissy, took too much time composing a shot and didn't leave fast enough). But two bad experiences in 6 or seven years of street shooting ain't that bad -- most probably the worst is over for ya.

That's definitely Yellow Zone. I'd pack up and go. If he got within 50 feet again, I'd unsnap.

Discretion is sometimes the better part of valor. For me, I usually freeze assessing the

situation (the flight or fright scenario isn't true, there's a variety of human responses to

sudden events). But that's also meant I've had people standing in front of me yelling about

what I was doing taking their picture. I even had one walk toward me yelling from half a

block away, and when he got close enough, I let down the camera, smiled, and said, "Ok",

and walked on. He just stood there dumbfounded. I've found most of them, although

crazy, won't hurt you if you're in a crowd or on a busy street. Generally I've found they're

all noise knowing many people are watching, since many know the police aren't far away in

the areas I photograph, and most cities have laws governing transients and police patrols

in common places they usually are.

 

If I have to give advice, I would put down the camera and move somewhere near people.

Otherwise, find a Starbucks, cafe, store, etc. (like you did), they won't walk into one and

likely won't stick around. Most of all do what is most comfortable for you to be safe. But I

wouldn't let it stop you photography.

Sorry to hear about your ordeal Carla. It happens what can we say? What I find odd is when I'm shooting nobody gives me a hard time. This is probably thanks to the waist level finder my RZ uses so I'd bet most people simply don't know. However, Santa Monica, where I've been doing a lot of shooting has a fairly large homeless population. All I have to do is simply walk past some of them without even looking at them let alone pointing my camera in their direction for them to go off. Really, who can blame them with all the other shutterbugs walking around who probably want to add a couple such pics to add an edge to their otherwise usual touristy shots. One never knows when someone homeless or not might be having a particulary bad trip that day. This is why when you go out street shooting it's best to try and get familiar with the vibe and people around. Anyone acting strangely, including other photographers, calls for a little extra caution.

<i>oh, and watch out for open manholes...</i><p>

 

Heh, I was shooting someone on a fire escape as I walked down the street, put my foot in a hole in the sidewalk and sprained my ankle. I couldn't even limp back to the car.<p>

 

So I've had some pretty intense confrontations when the invisibility shield had an electrical failure, but somehow the gift of gab has gotten me out. You just have to be prepared.

Probably not a bad idea to carry a little pepper spray on you for such occasions. A spot of that in the eye should do the trick. His eye, mind you...

 

Of course, I carry an F4s with an old-ass 35mm Nikkor-NC Auto on the nose. One pop with that and crackhead takes on new meaning.

 

C.

Too busy being a wise-ass, left off my sincere hope that you continue to shoot, and that have better days doing so. It ain't the end of the world.

 

And I'm serious about the pepper spray, unless it's illegal to carry in your neck-o-da-world.

"become one with the street, become invisible, be the street."

 

okay Bruce Lee. haha...that just reminded me Bruce Lee's comment about the water

becoming the cup.

 

anyway, tough situation you got yourself into. i suggest you pack a bottle of mace and

some hand cleaning lotion the next time you go out. AND i always wear running shoes

just in case i have to get away fast.

There are two types of people I avoid (for the most part) drug addicts and pissed-off drunks.

 

No need to fight with anyone who has nothing to lose.

According to <a href="http://www.joelmeyerowitz.com/photography/interview_06.html">this video</a>, the best way to be invisible is to dress up like a cat burglar with a black watchcap, black pants, and black army jacket, and jump in front of people with your black (of course) leica. I've watched the video 3 times and I don't even see him anymore.

 

But seriously, get back out and shoot. I've had goons threaten to stuff the camera down my throat and went out shooting later (of course, I ran like hell first!)

while wearing all black including the cap.

I always carry pepper spray with me. If somebody asks me a cigarette, I spray. If somebody asks me to light a cigarette, I spray. If somebody asks me "what's the time?", I spray.

 

Once a beggar asked me for some money. I sprayed.

 

Then I went back home, my girflriend asked if I could empty the trashcan, and I sprayed her too.

Maybe use the on camera flash and shoot him blind. While he's blind and confused, kick him in the balls then chop him in the throat perhaps...

That always work:)

 

 

Seriously, you have to be strong and don't show fear (shooting in public is not wrong nor illegal in the US). 99% of the time, most will not *physically* harm you over a photo. For that 1%, you might as well as blind him and kick in the nut:) *if you can't get away*

"You can't please everyone, and you shouldn't even try to"

 

one of the best sentences ever posted in this forum.

Boy, you guys are a rowdy bunch of street shooters. Spraying eyeballs, ball kicking, nose punching, blinding people with flashes....holy cow, I hope I never run into any of you guys! I'm a street shooter and I have had more problems with cops and security guards than regular people on the street. Next time a cop stops me and asks me what I'm shooting I'll just pop a flash to blind him, then I'll bop him on the head with my D2H, and then just for good measure, I'll kick him square in the nuts. I'm sure he won't mind.:) Seriously, when I am on the street shooting, I carry a 4 inch folding Gerber hunting knife in a sheath on my belt. You never know.....

Rick, you forgot pepper spray and mace.

Thanks Bruno, I knew I was forgetting something.

I actually plan a new street series... go next to people, spray them with mace and then take their pictures... I might also hire an assistant for the spray, so that my hands are free. I only fear that the assistant might use the spray against me.

<I>I carry a 4 inch folding Gerber hunting knife in a sheath on my belt.</I>

<P>

Never bring a knife to a gun fight.

<P>

Lots of funny commentary, but so far the best "accessory" mentioned was a pair of running shoes.

don't listen to them, Carla! Get a sixpack with you instead -- a can of Budwiser (not that i drink that crap) is a guarantee of a meaningful social interchange and plenty of great shots. he might be even inclined to tell you about his full of open sores life.

The advice to go right out and continue to photograph is sensible. I also feel that if someone who is troubled, like the person you described to us, senses unsureness on your part they can become bullying and irate. I don't shoot from the hip, nor do I photograph persons who may be disturbed. I'd rather not take the shot. I find that I ask myself "what is my purpose in taking this shot?" If it is not to create something beautiful (as I see it) but merely to stroke my ego I won't take the shot.

Just a few weeks ago in a book store a kid, maybe about 10 or 11 snaped a pic of me. As I browsed the cases I saw him come up to me out of the corner of my eye and raise something to his face. As I turned to face him to see what he was doing *pop* went the flash. He immediatly tried to fool me by pointing his camera (a disposable)off to the side and he muttered "I'm just trying this camera out". "That's ok kid" I told him. I couldn't exactly scold him or anything could I especially since I had my camera with me and was about to do the same thing. Of course I could have started screaming "My soul! You took my soul" at him.

A good time had by all on the spray comment. Yuck yuck.

 

What should have been inferred is that spray or other defensive action would be a last resort... obviously. If one is so unhinged that they would lash out at the slightest hint of trouble, well... probably shouldn't be on the street. Walk away, run if you must, and if that fails, something like pepper spray might be the difference between safely escaping or being seriously harmed.

Carla's trolling, methinks.