Can you approach them?

Can you approach a stranger on the street and ask him/her to be photographed by you? I missed my chance last weekend when I did not come up to 2 gypsy girls one of them was damn beautiful. :oops:

I did it with a young woman in a restaurant a while back. Was with my wife at the time, probably a helpful factor, but no problem at all. A single photo which I posted here. Probably variable - different every time. Nothing ventured, nothing gained!

Yes, you can. And normally, you should.

 

Many years ago, I did a portraiture workshop at Peters Valley Craft Center. As a 'final exam', the class spent an afternoon at the local county fair doing casual portraits of total strangers. It's not easy - at least not for me - to engage a total stranger in conversation, leading up to a request to make a portrait.

India - Amer Palace

I asked, they said yes, I paid

I asked. She said yes. The dog licked me.

 

I think it works better than stealthily shooting someone's picture, which if get caught can be an unpleasant experience. However, it varies a lot as to how the person looks at the request and depends on his/her mood as well. For example, if someone stands out in the public due to body type, clothing, physical disabilities or deformities, it may appear suspicious to them (particularly if they have experienced frequent unwanted attention). On the other hand, they may take it up as an opportunity to celebrate their individuality as well. It also depends on how the photographer asks and connects with them, and his overall interaction with the crowd.

 

Here is one example where I was implicitly invited to take the picture.

 

Many times I've asked strangers to pose, almost always with good results. But since the popularity of the Internet and especially Facebook, people have become more suspicious about the manner in which their picture will be used.

Dunno. - Last year I probably could. Due to new legislation I need to sit down, cobble some data privacy statement together print it out and stuff copies to shoot folks on digital.

That issue aside I feel quite confident in my ability to gesture a request for shooting permission.

I simply pretend to be an old Frenchman and say “Photo?” with an interrogative inflection and a smile.

Grey fedora,white chin whiskers, and as Sandy says, wife at my side works well.

Harmless old fart with an old film camera.

I sometimes try to get scenery pictures with someone in them, but not directly at the person.

 

I could probably crop down to just one person, though.

 

In public scenic places, someone should not be surprised to accidentally get into a picture.

 

I suppose for what is more a portrait, one should ask.

 

I have a picture of someone playing violin in a Paris Metro tunnel, accepting donations.

If I wasn't in a rush (the rest of the family was ahead) I should at least have given a donation,

but I didn't.

 

 

You can't tell from the picture, but I think she knew that I took it.

Edited October 20, 2018 by glen_h

"Can you approach a stranger on the street and ask him/her to be photographed by you?"

 

Sure! Most people will say yes. Just ask! If they ask why, I usually say it's for my blog, or that I'm documenting the city.

 

I've found most people are very accommodating if they believe you're sincere with good intentions. Maybe one out of 15 will say no. Just say "thank you anyway," and move on. Or engage for a bit more conversation and sometimes they'll change their minds.

 

Here are some more portraits from people I've hit up on the street.

Edited October 20, 2018 by Brad_

Casual, on the spot, portraiture is what I really love. I don't do it on literally on the street, but I do it at parties, festivals, gatherings of any kind. I always engage the person to get permission and a straightforward connection with the camera.

Now and again. Probably more candids, but I enjoy it when I can connect a little and make a pic.

Can you approach a stranger on the street and ask him/her to be photographed by you?

Sure, I do exactly that all the time.

Ask openly and with passion.

Give them a bit of time to get comfortable and offer to send them a copy . . .

 

Fuji x100s

 

WW

Ask openly and with passion.

Give them a bit of time to get comfortable and offer to send them a copy . . .

I really like your approach but in this photo their faces are not visible, which is crucial in human portraying and portraiture.

I really like your approach but in this photo their faces are not visible, which is crucial in human portraying and portraiture.

It often is but isn’t always. Sometimes it’s crucial and sometimes a choice either of photographer or subject NOT to show a face, in favor of a different flavor portrait or photo. Here, attire, body language, and vehicles say a lot.

 

People are often as much the masks they wear, the personas they adopt, and even the gestures they make as they are their faces.

 

Check out Karsh’s famous portrait of Pablo Casals.

 

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/7a/cd/66/7acd6627ba9f6adcc73e40bc4cf98939.jpg

 

Or Mapplethorpe’s portrait of Lisa Lyons. [NSFW]

 

https://www.nationalgalleries.org/sites/default/files/styles/postcard/public/externals/12077.jpg?itok=8gwSD5Eo

Edited October 20, 2018 by The Shadow

"Can you approach a stranger on the street and ask him/her to be photographed by you?" I do it quite often whenever I see interesting people to photograph. After you get used to asking and getting a lot of "sure, I guess so" and not a lot of "no way" replies, it gets much easier and becomes more natural. The woman in this photograph was hesitant at first but warmed up when I told her that I was just an old guy that loved to take photos of interesting people. She said "you don't look dangerous", laughed and said go ahead. I am amazed that I don't get more "what are you going to do with the photos?"

Ask openly and with passion. Give them a bit of time to get comfortable and offer to send them a copy . . .

 

I really like your approach but in this photo their faces are not visible, which is crucial in human portraying and portraiture.

 

The salient point of me making that Street Portrait was, that after me ‘asking openly and with passion’ the two Bikers readily agreed to be photographed, but only AFTER they had covered their faces.

 

Sorry if that was not an obvious conclusion to be drawn from my original commentary.

 

WW