alternatives to hotshoe flash in street photography

[shinden]

Has anyone any experience using other sources of lighting than flash

in street photography? I am thinking here of LED video lamps or

similar. I hear that some photojournalists use other sources than

flash. Thanks for your response.

Ladislav Drezdowicz

[jay ott]

"Nuts"--U.S. General Anthony McAulliffe at the Battle of Bastogne. Although there are similarities, street photography differs from photojournalism because it's candid and less formal. The subjects of the photojournalists on the other hand are aware that if a photojournalist is hanging around with a camera it's likely that their picture may be taken. Most PJ's working for a publication will make themselves known to their subjects and SP's may or may not. People going about their normal activities on the street don't expect to be photographed unless they see someone walking around with a camera and some sort of lighting set up. The idea of street photography is to be as unobtrusive as possible.

[mfeetham]

You could always use the sun. Then again, it burns like heck when you carry it around in your pocket.

[Jochen_S]

As far as I know you can only use infrared flash and film to remain unnoticed.

[roland_schmid]

M. Drezdowicz didn't say that he wants to remain unnoticed.

[._._z]

You could use infrared flash, which is (mostly) invisible to passersby.

 

Philip-Lorca diCorcia sometimes uses complex, pre-set artificial lighting in public

spaces and waits for subjects to come into the areas he's lit.

[phil r calgary ab canada]

though i laugh at first because using the same thing that works the tv remote seems bizarre almost but does it have the same power as a normal flash?

 

that's awesome... who makes those...? i've never heard of an infra-red flash, but in a way that makes a lot of sense for being unobtrusive and i'd love one because people always complain about bright flashes understandably if doing a hour long shoot, so please tell, are there some good webpage links?

 

 

 

other sources? torches are one source that pops to mind, the ones you see out in outdoor cafes and pubs, neon signs work too with a tripod

 

street lamps... on the street? crazy... though i don't know what kind of exposure you'd need, mirrored reflections from puddles and store windows during the day

 

if photojournalistically speaking... firelight from a blazing house fire works, fireworks, and candle lit memorials work for intimate dramatic portraits too

 

when inside... i've commandered small lamps and taken the lampshades off

 

dude... think outside the lightbox and infra-red slave flash, i can't afford either of those while i'm in college so i adapt, thankfully i got a good handheld light meter when experimenting