New to street photography, want some advice please.

[m_.]

>>not a bad talent to have but spraying mace in their eyes is more fun.<<

 

i know we will come to this.

 

allison, don't listen to these guys. :p

[m_.]

leslie - not aiming at you personally but i just failed to see the point. to each their own, i guess, if it works for you.

[john sypal]

There is a lot of infortmation here:

 

http://2point8.whileseated.org/

 

in particular:

 

http://2point8.whileseated.org/?page_id=8

[robbquinn]

I just skimmed John's links but it looks like some great information. I need to read them when I have a little more time.

 

I think we all have a little different way of working. For me it is about respect for the subject. I work at a close "shutter click" range and asking permission depends upon what I am trying to capture. I tend to ask permission more than others because I have been doing a lot of street and environmental portraits recently.

 

One thing my wife said to me lately struck me. She said that what I do helps to restore faith in humanity because of all of the really nice people I have met while taking their photos on the street.

[leslie_cheung]

>>>leslie - not aiming at you personally but i just failed to see the point. to each their

own, i guess, if it works for you.<<<

 

M,

 

I have used a variety of techniques for SP and "class project" is only one of them. Like I

said, it is just one suggestion. I don't like explaining what sp is and why I do it to

strangers most of the time. It is a great way to chat up a conversation and meet people

but when I'm shooting, I just want to shoot. Nothing wrong with avoiding needless

chatting...perhaps not everyone is a sp diplomat like you. I was one awhile back but got

bored and missed a few good shots.

[h._p.]

"My suggestion is to not to compartmentalize approaches to photography and instead just go out and shoot. "

 

Very wise words, John.<div></div>

[awhitt99]

thank you all so much for taking the time to give some wonderful advice. I had also wondered if there were any legalities concerning SP, and many thanks to the couple people who mentioned them. I am a shy person, and thought that it was just my personality that made it difficult for me to want to go out and shoot, but to hear that this is a common fear among people who first start out gives me some relief. Very soon when I can find a break from school and work, I will be out there shooting, and will post some images on my portfolio. Thanks everyone!

[._._z]

<small><i><blockquote>

 

Some folk think that a small discreet camera, my friend Kim uses one a lot of the time

 

</blockquote> </i> </small><p>

 

I thought Kim mostly shoots with a D200 these days.

[Allen Herbert]

she is unable to take photos due to the emotional stress when using a Leica.

 

Understandable,Z,you can only deal with so much.

[cristian_desmaras]

Just don't think about it... Just as the subject should act naturally(not knowing he's being photographed), so should you. If you take the situation's consequences with such questioning, it just wont be the same. You definitely don't want to stall if you are attempting to catch a brief moment. Watch out for some areas where homeless people are. I was trying to take a shot of a jazz club once(without people) and he told me i had to pay him or else he wouldn't move out of the way.

[m_.]

>>Watch out for some areas where homeless people are.<<

 

i seem to have less problem with them than those suit-and-tie people.

 

>>he told me i had to pay him or else he wouldn't move out of the way.<<

 

do you own the club that you feel the right to ask him to move out?

[sknowles]

In response to, ">>Watch out for some areas where homeless people are.<<

I seem to have less problem with them than those suit-and-tie people", I agree. In Seattle

and Tacoma the downtown areas have laws prohibiting panhandling and other activities of

transients, and they know they'll be quickly arrested (the police don't tolerate violations). You

can actually work near the areas they congregate and not be bothered. Some may try to talk

to you and/or carry signs but they know they can't approach you or block your path. It's

different if you approach and/or talk to them and the laws don't apply unless there is a

confrontation. This isn't something you want to do anyway unless can be ready to leave or

protect yourself.

[pavel_olavich]

Paul wrote "...It is when you "shoot and run" that they become suspicious of you...".

 

I don't know about that Paul, Henri Cartier-Bresson wrote something like, and I paraphrase "...get in there, take the picture then disappear..". It worked for him, with his street, so why argue with that?

[cristian_desmaras]

He wasn't there when i got there. My point is he deliberately went out of his way to interrupt me. He was about a block and a half a way and came over to me. In fact, he claimed it was "his" alley... so no, i'm not telling anyone what to do, perhaps you should question the situation a little more before you judge me.

[lb-]

<i>It worked for him, with his street, so why argue with that?</i><p>

 

right, one guy (who was a hack imo) said something once, before I was born, about his shooting habits in a city I don't live in. <p>

 

who could argue with that gospel <p>

 

people say all kinds of stupid crap, hell yesterday you wrote.....<p>

 

<i>I held a Canon 1D Mark II with a 24-70L attached (UV filtered) under the bathroom shower, the water coming out full blast for 5 minutes, turning the kit around in all angles....no problems even 1 year later to proof that no slow forming erosion was in progress.</i><p>

 

hahahahahahahaha <p>

 

oh and I'm with james, when in doubt spay the scumbags with pepper spray. I'm carrying <a href="http://www.pepper-spray-store.com/products/bigshot-9.shtml"><b>this one</b></a> for the 20 foot range.

[matt_m__toronto_]

i agree with the one poster that it's a lot easier to shoot street or doc as a female. you guys are just less intimidating than us burly men! :)

 

i shot a series of photographs in some of the grungier bars of downtown toronto...see here:

 

http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=442591

 

and they were all taken in the presensce of a female friend of mine. not to say i was chicken to do it solo, but i just felt the vibe of having a female 'friend' around at the time, to have a calming affect on the subjects whom we interacted with and got to know.