I suffer from severe Public Photo-Phobia...do you?

[Uhooru]

Here's my rant, errr take. Whether you suppress the feelings or overcompensate for them no matter what,if you want to take candid photographs of people on the street, than in fact you/we are voyeurs intruding on others personal lives and prying into their private moments. We feel guilty and scared, and we should. The reason you feel shy about taking strangers photos is that you know you are intruding, unasked and you don't know how they would react when you get caught. You should feel scared, you should feel guilty. What we do is immoral, perverse presumptuous and demeaning, but someones got to do it.

 

Its hard for people to realize that although they are the subject of a photo, and it is intrusive, they are not really the subject, its really the photographer that's the subject, but its hard explaining that to an irate subject. For all that, though, there's really not often any major confrontations, much of that is in our heads.

[cenelsonfoto]

For me, people are buildings are landscapes are still-lifes. Subject by any other name is?

 

So I feel no guilt. No remorse. I don't worry about hairy palms when I touch my F4S People-Stalker anymore than I do when I... well, that's another forum, another thread...

 

But seriously, I'm not intruding on them anyway, I'm only recording the light bouncing off their little heads. People get sore at me; let 'em. I've been against the grain most of my life, so folks not cottoning to what I think/say/do is nothing new.

 

C.

[john falkenstine]

Too many words here. When you take pictures on the street, you have to work at it. This fellow kept getting in the way, so I delivered a brief and rapid message. As you can see, the message was received correctly. He got out of the way.<div></div>

[clive1]

But John, according to your posted picture, he didn't get out of the way. He became THE subject!

 

I say to the original poster, keep at it and you'll wonder how you ever felt this way. And, as others have mentioned, if you can afford it, get a good (and quiet) rangefinder with a wide lens.

[cenelsonfoto]

Oh poop on "if you can afford it" rangefinders. Nobody needs a rangefinder to shoot street, and putting a wide-angle lens... 35mm or shorter... on any body is going to require you work that work that much closer. Using WA sorta negates any benefits of a quiet RF, in my opinion, unless one uses the WA and frames very loosely, cropping later to gain that "intimacy", suggesting proxmity to subject, as short focal lengths mean closer working distance.<p>

 

I prefer 24mm which means I'm already up somebody's skirt by the time I get my frame filled, but believe me it matters not whether I'm using an F4 or an M6.<p>

 

Just shoot. Use a Brownie if you must in order to provide some levity and help you relax; but nothing will solve your problem like the simple act of repetition. It ain't a "camera issue", so don't throw good money after bad.<p>

 

C.<p>

<i>We don't need no steenking rangefinders.... Nikon F4S, 35mm f1.4, TMZ in Diafine.</i><p>

<img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/156/418777455_ad791d690f_o.jpg">

[cenelsonfoto]

My other point: nothing wrong with rangefinders either. But the "if you can afford it" sounds like a suggestion to buy some hi-money CV/Bessa or Leica unit when a $20 FED or other FSU RF will work just fine and not cost you an arm and a leg; and IF somebody trashes/smashes/steals the latter, you won't be out big bucks for it.

[clive1]

I would also suggest, Federico, that once you've purchased an astronomically expensive rangefinder, you buy yourself a nice street, preferably one that is peopled. That is, if you can afford it...

[loomix]

WOW!!! I am amazed at the broad range of ideas thrown at me on this subject. I have been working at it and last week I took about 25 shots in public and it felt GOOOOOOOOOOOOD!

PS: I did not use a rangefinder or wideangle. Just my Lumix Fz7 set to easy mode.

I took some shots of bikers with my camera at the hip and they came out okay.

I do need to find a better street though, NY is the best place for these type of pics if you ask me, but I haven't lived there in over 30 years.

[john falkenstine]

If this doesn't work for a couple of bucks, then you can forget about street photography.<div></div>

[cenelsonfoto]

Aw, what a cute Oly... wicked little lens in that thing. I love mine, along with my XA and a mju. My kid thinks the Oly's are "rad", likes to shoot one now and again.

[cenelsonfoto]

<i>I would also suggest, Federico, that once you've purchased an astronomically expensive rangefinder, you buy yourself a nice street, preferably one that is peopled. That is, if you can afford it...</i><p>

And don't forget the private security force to hold people down while you take their pictures and to protect you from the plebs.

[loomix]

ha!ha!ha! I like your humor Nelson ;)

[vverna83]

"Olympus for those who don't need new stuff all of the time"

 

WOW i have that exact camera sitting on the shelf in my closet! An old friend that doesen't

get nearly the attention it should (20D and camera RAW nearly instant gratification always

seems to win out over either the olympus or my Rebel Ti Film body)

 

To the OP, I've been doing street photography when the mood suits me for the last 3 years

or so and I had never had a problem until yesterday. The short story is the police decided

that taking pictures of children in a public park warrented their attention. My camera and

digital media was confinscated and a detective gave me a tounge lashing which basically

amounted to him calling me a pervert. My camera was returned, my memory card hasn't

been.... yet.

 

I've had a good number of times where a police officer took notice of my photography and

i attribute it to natural curiosity and I'd never had a problem until yesterday. As long as

you use common sense you'll be fine.

 

Am I frustrated and pissed off about the events YES Is it going to stop me from engaging

in my perfectly legal and for the most part enjoyable hobby? No

[stephen_w.]

Just do it.

 

http://www.photo.net/photo/497609