Shooting in public..

[tclarkps]

I'm kinda new to digital photography and really have an urge to shoot some

street photography. I notice what I have my camera I get odd looks from people.

I have diffutly just taking pictures of people on the fly. I'm not very

outgoing and think that I'm going to have to be a little assertive for street

photography. I did read somewhere that the best way is to ask someone if I can

take thier photo. I also think that could ruin a moment. How do others deal

with shooting on the street? Do you just take shots of what you want? Do you

ask for permission to take someone's photograph? What about children?

 

Your input would be appreciated.

 

Tony

[ianland]

Get in close, shoot quickly, don't make eye contact, keep moving.<p>

 

Even if you get spotted, if you're fast and don't make eye contact people aren't sure if you photographed them or not, like this guy, who looked straight at me but didn't react because I had moved on by the time he'd had a second or two to think about it (this happens quite a lot):<p>

 

<img src="http://www.adweb.co.uk/ian/photography/Brighton/Images/R0010180.jpg">

<p>

 

-- Ian

[vdp]

Anthony, I both ask and don't ask depending on the situation. I live in a big city and go to a lot of parades. At these parades you can pretty much shoot to your hearts content and not worry about asking. I ask when I want to take a portrait of a person. Other situations I don't ask as I feel it might ruin the shot. I've also walked down the street in midtown and photographed people without asking. Most people are too busy to notice or care. I also use parades as a cover to photograph people in the street as I almost never photograph the people marching.

 

As for children, I don't unless like yesterday at the Muslim-American Day parade the parent is right there and is letting others photograph her kid or if the kids are in costume for a stage presentation and the chaperone is there.

[csafdari]

With digital autofocus, you can usually just take the shot really quickly and move on before anyone notices. A telephoto lens can help. But sometimes (especially with a manual focus film camera) it requires understanding a bit of pscyhology. Getting to know people and have them relax in front of the camera does wonders but of course that's not always possible.

 

One technique I try is to take the shot of the subject, but continue holding the camera to my eye or pretend to continue taking shots in the same general direction past the subject, thus making the subject suspect that he had inadvertently walked into the shot & wasn't really the intended subject, or that the photographer has not yet actually taken the photo.

 

Also I sometimes ask the subject if I can take a photo of something they're wearing or holding or doing rather than ask to take a photo of them specifically - it seems less intrusive that way.

 

If the subject is doing something interesting - like a street performer - I usually just smile and take the photo, then give them a buck or so - seems fair.

[leicaglow]

I worked with an old photographer who shot a lot of assignments for national magazines. He wasn't very charismatic, but he'd always complement someone and use it as the reason to take the shot. "What a great t-shirt! Let me take a shot of you next to this building."

 

He always carried business cards with his website and info on one side, and a mini-model release on the other. He'd leave them with a card and tell them to write him and he'd send a print. He'd get the other one back and signed so he could have the release on file. While he wasn't very charismatic, he was definitely assertive and that's all he needed. He was a terrific people-shot person. With children, you always ask permission from the parent. It's usually pretty easy to get if you give them prints or let them download it. If they're public performers, you probably don't have to worry so much about getting permission, but it's a courtesy. You could always shoot first and ask afterwards if you want to capture the sponteneity.

[._._z]

I shoot street on film with a 24mm lens. I am anywhere from 2-10 feet away from people when I shoot. Do I ask for permission? No. Do I just shoot what I want? Yes. Do I ask permission to photograph people? Only if I want to shoot a street portrait with the input of the subject. Do I shoot kids? Yes. <p>

 

Do people sometimes get upset? Rarely. I walk away. No one's ever really followed. <p>

 

Some tips on street photography:<p>

 

<u><A href =

http://www.pinkheadedbug.com/techniques/shynessone.html>

http://www.pinkheadedbug.com/techniques/shynessone.html</a></u> <p>

 

 

<u><A href =

http://www.pinkheadedbug.com/techniques/shynesstwo.html>

http://www.pinkheadedbug.com/techniques/shynesstwo.html</a></u> <p>

 

<u><A href =

http://www.pinkheadedbug.com/techniques/general.html>

http://www.pinkheadedbug.com/techniques/general.html</a></u>

[Allen Herbert]

have to be a little assertive for street photography

 

Bit of bottle helps, not just in street photography, but in life.

 

Just point the cam and press the big button. Hey, they are not going to eat you.....it's been banned in London and New York.

[spanky]

Sometimes I ask, other times I don't. Like a lot of things, this is an undertaking that you just have to keep doing until you find your own personal comfort zone. If people are giving you odd looks then you are acting in a suspicious manner. Try to figure out why this is and cut it out. Then act like taking photographs of strangers is the most natural thing in the world for you to be doing at that moment. Your work will improve and this in turn will boost up your confidence which will improve your work and so on. Good luck and post some images.

[bljkasfdljkasfdljskfa]

"I have diffutly just taking pictures of people on the fly."

 

I don't consider myself very good at street photography, but after trying for two years, I still have it. It's in your head, it's inhibitions, and it will hopefully go away with time. Give it time - a LOT of time.

 

I am still very inhibited, I frankly just don't have the balls to get the shots I really want.

 

Also if you think street photography is having your camera with you while spending 30 minutes on the way to work or whatever and looking for pictures, you may as well give it up now. It may take days of wandering long, tiring hours, and not getting anything decent, and at the end of some lucky day, at 10:30 p.m. (and your last bus home is at 11) and you've been walking the streets for six hours already, frustrated and exhausted and looking for an interesting shot it just happens! That's what SP is to me, but I am not where I want to be with it yet. Many people do better because they're less inhibited. In the nutshell there is very little to be afraid of - few people ever get their ass kicked, but it's human nature, and it's tough to break (for me at least)

[h._p.]

Much to the horror of some people here, I like to use long lenses for candid photography. They get you closer to the action, you're less likely to be noticed and you've got a head start if someone turns nasty.

 

:-)))<div></div>

[________1]

After a couple years of not asking, now I'm asking everyone. Instead of stalking the streets for hrs on end I now hang around one area much longer. Sometimes the photos will come to you.<p>

 

<img src="http://members.shaw.ca/jamie_jenkins/ronnie.jpg">

[spanky]

Dan, you're just being modest. There's lots of great images in your gallery.

 

While some purists may scoff at the idea of asking people to stand for a photograph, often times these turn out better then a quick snap as they pass by. It gives people a chance to study a person and determine what kind of person they may be. The below example was taken at a Starbucks in Encino. The man is a guy who used to come into where I work until he was asked not to come back anymore. So he took to hanging out at Starbucks where I happened to catch a glimps of him from the parking lot. I won't go into details but most people who has seen this image was able to determine a lot about him that was true even though they never met or seen him before. If I took a grab shot of him it probably wouldn't have been effective.

 

So enlist your friends and acquaintances until you feel more confident. Most strangers seem flattered that I pick them out for a photograph and are more then happy to chat awhile. Last Sat. I photographed a young woman who happened to be from Scotland. She was visiting and was waiting for her friends to arrive. Hmmm...maybe I should have asked her out...<div></div>

[ivan_muska]

Sometimes the wide lens is very ideal for this kind of work. Take 20mm lens and put the person right to the 1/3 of the image. He would think you are shooting something next to him, but not him.

 

Ivan

[mark liddell]

Find a crowded street, shoot and keep moving. In crowds there is so much happening people just don't notice and even if they do, you are gone by then anyway. I like shooting like this since with so much going on there are so many opportunities if you are quick enough!

 

If you act suspicious people pick up on it. Act as if you are doing something totally normal and you will stand out less. A smaller camera might help you too. Tourist spots with loads of cameras around might make it easier in the beginning.

 

Good luck!

[hatley]

I'm certainly no authority on it, but I've had the same struggle so I'll add my experience. Asking for permission often makes the subject go tense. But then, I don't travel light, as I walk the streets with a backpack and a tripod - so once they take in what I am carrying they start considering - and I'm not salesman enough to distract them from it once they feel it.<br><br>On the other hand, I have a strong aversion to not making eye contact with people. It is a very bad habit, but especially when walking the street it is just part of me to lock eyes, to establish space. And since I wear a fairly serious expression, that is what is reflected back in the shots I take this way.<br><br>

So for me, the shots I've been happiest with is when I've sat down next to someone and chatted a bit - then began taking pictures of all kinds of stuff. The subject will relax a bit, and I can get a profile while they are daydreaming. It is far, far from perfect - but for me its fun.<br><br>

[david j.lee]

i agree with ivan. with a 28mm they think you are photographing something else most of

the time.

[sprouty]

First of all you need to understand your motivation and to come to terms with it. You need to be able to explain to a complete stranger why you feel it's acceptable to photograph a them. You may never have to have the conversation but understanding why will help your personal comfort level immensely. BTW this doesn't have to be an elaborate philosophy, a simple comment such as "I'm taking a photography course and have to take 10 pictures of strangers" will work just fine.

 

Second don't be sneaky. Point the camera and press the shutter. Continue to do so, act as though you have every right to take pictures. Because in public on public property (for the most part) you do.

 

Ease into it, start by simply taking reflections in windows of people passing by. Next move on to shooting people from across the street, anything with an artificial barrier will help you build confidence.

 

Shoot with a friend, or even a group.

 

Practise, practise, practise...etc.

[kent_tolley2]

Sometimes I ask permission<BR><BR>

<center><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/4332118-lg.jpg"></center><BR>

and sometimes I don't<BR><BR>

<center><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/4332112-lg.jpg"></center><BR>

sometimes they're aware of me<BR><BR>

<center><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/3996933-lg.jpg"></center><BR>

sometimes they're not

<center><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/3863259-lg.jpg"></center><BR>

To me a determining factor which will be highly visible in your pictures is the attitude you have toward your subject. A photograph is not exclusively about your subject. It is also about you.

[michael j hoffman]

Street photograpy is an exercise in observation. Make eye contact. Watch the reactions of others. You are not invisible. People react to your presence on the street, even if that reaction is to be completely oblivious to your activity. Don't photograph people who obviously do not want to be photographed. You'll know who those people are. Apart from that, my rule of thumb is that its easier to get forgiveness than permission. So I photograph whomever catches my interest and who is not obviously opposed to being photographed. I get a question or comment or two every once in a while. When questioned about my activity I am truthful and polite, but never apologetic. Some have demanded film from my camera, and I've refused. I've pissed off a few people, but its never caused any harm. I promise anyone who states objection after the fact that I will not use their image, and I never do. Most people don't object to being photographed, and most of the one's who question why are usually satisfied with a truthful answer even if they don't "get it".

 

Get out, shoot, learn to read people. Street photography is a great way to observe differently than you do otherwise. Good luck, and have fun!

 

Michael J Hoffman<div></div>

[ianland]

So, hopefully it's all clear now. Either don't ask or do, don't make eye contact or do, and make sure you either do or don't use a long lens.

 

:-)

 

I think the conclusion is that everyone has found their own way that they're happy with, and trying to adopt someone else's routine probably won't feel comfortable.

 

The main thing is to practice a lot, after a while the confidence will come. I started out when I was on a long holiday a couple of years ago, nowadays I take pictures nearly every day, and I've never yet been attacked or even questioned, although I have come close to the latter on occasion. My experience is likely to be the same as most other people doing SP, so you really don't have anything to fear.

 

-- Ian

[deli]

just butting in to say that it is a wonderful thread and thanks for all contributions and Tony for getting it started :)

[tclarkps]

Thank you so much for all your responses. I have learned alot, and will be getting out on the street and get busy. I will keep you informed of my results. There is an avacado festival coming up and I will shooting there.

 

Thank you again,

Tony

[rachel_seed]

This thread has been great. The bottom line seems to be that it's up to each shooter to

determine his/her style. I haven't met one person who says getting good street shots is

"easy". It's not very natural for us to get up in strangers' faces with cameras.

 

I find personally that it's always hard for the first little while, and after I get in the zone

and losen up I start getting better stuff. Just try to shoot for 2-3-4 hours at a time instead

of a few minutes here and there and you'll do better. Smile a lot and show people respect

and they'll usually be happy.

 

I take whatever pictures I want, including children, tho I ask if I sense sensitivity. Then I

say "just go about your business, don't pose".

[alun]

Tony,

 

In my experience there is no single right or wrong way. What works for some people

doesn't work for others. Do what you're comfortable with. Having said that, there are a

whole range of 'strategies' you can use for street shooting -- most of which have been

mentioned here. You can pre-focus and shoot from the hip (or the chest, or wherever

makes sense). You can choose a backdrop that interests you and wait for people to move

into place. Sometimes asking makes sense; sometimes it doesn't -- you snap and keep

moving. It's all over in the blink of an eye...

 

All of these techniques work -- at least some of the time. But I think the hardest thing to

get to learn is that all of these techniques will also produce different kinds of pictures.

Sometimes you may feel you want that additional drama that comes from the interaction

between subject and photographer; sometimes you just want the situation you can see,

with as little mediation as possible. Practice, as they say, makes perfect -- or at the very

least, helps you to understand what it is you're trying to do and more importantly why

some pictures work and others don't.

 

But the key thing for me -- and I think it's something that hasn't been mentioned -- is

editing. That's the crucial part of the process: deciding which pictures really do work and

which fail. As they also say, you have to learn to 'kill your babies': just because a picture

was a challenge to take and you feel good about the fact that you even managed to

capture the moment sadly doesn't necessarily mean that the picture 'works'. You have to

look for the very best you are capable of...not try and salvage the least bad! That may

sound obvious but I'm sure it isn't -- at least, it wasn't to me. But beginning to understand

why some pictures -- even those I have sometimes felt most proud of -- ultimately fail, is

the lesson I return to again and again.

 

The only real issue is whether the pictures work...

 

Have fun photographing on the streets. And when you don't feel like doing it, don't.

 

cheers,

alun

[tclarkps]

I went to the Mexican Independence Festival this weekend on Olvera Street in Los Angeles. I did get a few shots. I did ask some folks and several said no and a few said yes. I did have difficulty getting in tight to the subject. I need to practice on that one. This was a tough shoot for several reasons. One I was one of a handful of white people amongst the hispanic community. I stuck out like a sore thumb, especially with all the border patrol press. Here is one of my favorite shots I got that day. I really like it because of the subject...not necessarily for the compostion. I'm not going to give up. There will be more festivals.

Thank you again,

Tony<div></div>