First time street photography

[andrew_viny]

What are some tips you can offer me as a first time street photographer so that I avoid getting mugged, beaten, or getting my camera stolen

and or damaged? Thanks.

 

~Andrew

[mike dixon]

Don't wander around, oblivious to your surroundings, in high-crime areas. Do you frequently get mugged, beaten, or ripped off in public when you're not taking photos?

[georg_s1]

Don't point a long lens at playing children. Maybe don't even a short lens. Getting beaten up by a bunch of angry mommies

might not be a good start into street-photography.

[Brad_]

In addition to what Mike D above says, go about SP being direct, rather than sneaking around.

[andrew_viny]

SP?

[georg_s1]

SP = street-photography

[andrew_viny]

Oops! That was a bit silly.

[j_y1]

Don't hide the fact that you're taking photos... you're not photographing highly classified government establishments :) From my experience, you'll be better received this way than sneaking around (as Brad had already mentioned). If people see that you're out taking photos, then they'll soon ignore you....

Go about your photography like you're not doing anything wrong (because in reality there isn't). Carry yourself with confidence, but respect the subject... they'll let you know if they don't want their photo taken.

Your approach to sp might be dependent on your geographical location. It may be a little more challenging to get in close to your subjects in a small town compared to the tourist mecca, nyc. So be mindful of where you are...(even perhaps in certain parts of your city).

[akochanowski]

Stay home. If you insist on doing this, formulate some idea what you want to shoot before you shoot it. If you survive, and still

have possession of your camera , whatever you do, don't post the results here looking for advice. It will surely scar you for

the rest of your photographic career.

[orvillerobertson]

I'll be honest, Andrew, it makes no sense why you would phrase your question that way. No one can protect you from your

fears but yourself. You can be a perfectly splendid photographer and never do street photography. Street photography does

not expose you unduly to the despots and criminals. Life does that on its own. Plus you can't do any decent work out there if

you're worried about losing your equipment or life. However, if you still insist on getting out there and mixing it up, you can do

a number of things. You can stick to crowded areas. Peaceful protests, fairs, and performances are some of the best

places, in fact, to do some fanciful street photography. You can photograph most people up close without feeling like some

just-got-into-town-Jasper. You can shoot discreetly or engage people at ease. Street corners are also ideal since the crowd

comes to you rather than you constantly being on the hunt. However, the most imporatant thing to do if you want to be

successful rather than become a statistic is to learn your cameras and technique so you will be confident and look confident

like you belong. Know the areas you go to shoot. I'm a guy who takes pictures while hanging out. My primary goal is to see

interesting things. If I catch them on film, that's a bonus.

[andrew_viny]

I do understand that risk is a part of photography and that not everyone is a mugger but as I am new to this I want to begin

with safe practices that will allow me to avoid these situations on the off chance they should present themselves. I do appreciate all the advice.

[ray .]

Just go out and do it and find out for yourself. If you enjoy it I'm pretty sure you'll do well.

[Damon DAmato]

Andrew, you might consider going out the first few times with a friend. You can concentrate on shooting, and your friend can watch your back. It doesn't have to be a thug-- just someone that's keeping an eye out for you. A female friend might help keep the pervert-obsessed from accusing you of doing something untoward.

 

Good luck. Don't listen to Andy K. Hope to see you post something soon.

[bob_dixon3]

Hey...

 

Best advice I could give is to enjoy yourself and look like your enjoying it as this is easier for people to warm to someone with a camera. Ive done a million weddings and ive found that the best approach is to be cool and enjoy and the rest will come in time...

 

BoB<div></div>

[stephen_asprey2]

Pick a spot that is busy with people coming and going. Like the entrance to a subway, or in the middle of a Mall. Go there every day

at the same time. Let people get used to seeing you there. Don't make eye contact and look through or past the people you want to

photograph. Then quickly frame and shoot. Get your camera settings pre set and know where your depth of field is. That way you

can quickly take your shots. Don't start off with a wide lens. You have to be too close. Us a 50mm and don't invade peoples space.

Use a camera that is small and blends into your hands and clothes. I wear black and shoot with a black FE2. I don't use a hood to

make the camera profile as small as possible. I even put black tape over the NIKON letters on the prism. In the half light and in the

dark., I am almost invisible. The FE2 has a slightly softer shutter sound to the FM2n...that helps. I have both. Aperture priority just

makes it faster too.

[rapyke]

"Street Photography" is what you define it to be, in my humble opinion.

 

Personally, I have a set of rules that I follow when I take pictures on the street. They are simple and clear and they have been developed over many, many years. They can also cause me so much pain it is hard to describe :-) They are:

 

1. Never take unfair advantage of anyone. If I take a photo and feel like I have to run away from someone - I have broken my rule.

 

2. I do not show faces (without express permission) of any of my subjects. It might be legal, but you never, ever know where your pictures are going to get to... I don't want to get anyone in trouble. I will print and exhibit street portraits, but in that situation the 'audience' is limited to the people who walk through or who buy prints. No one has offered me a book deal, so I have not yet had to deal with that little problem...

 

3. If someone asks me to refrain from taking a photo -- I do. If someone asks me to get rid of an image from my digital -- I do. If someone asks for a copy -- I send it to them.

 

4. If I think a photo is good and I process it and discover it is GREAT... but I have a doubt in the back of my head about putting it up on the net... I do not put it online... That is the one that hurts the most...

 

It might be my 'vision' or my 'eye' that makes the image, but it is the people in the image that make it possible -- Without them I get nothing. If people abuse their 'right' to take pictures of people, we may end up with a law like France has that essentially makes street photography illegal.

 

In the mean time, have fun!

[michael j hoffman]

Oh for God's sake, just go shoot!

 

Do you worry about getting mugged or getting your wallet stolen when you're not photographing? Honestly, if this is going to be your first time out from under your rock, then its probably best to work up to street shooting. If, like most people, you've been to the big city (wherever you may be photographing) before, then just take the same precautions you did then. If there's a neighborhood you wouldn't walk through without a camera, then it makes sense to avoid that neighborhood with a camera, too.

 

Stay in your comfort zone. Relax. Smile. Have fun!

 

Michael J Hoffman

[orvillerobertson]

I think all of us more experienced street photographers are too quick to forget or don't want to admit how death-defying it

seemed to head out into the streets with our expensive cameras and lenses. We all started somewhere, Andrew. Take it at

your own pace and never be afraid to ask questions and learn, even after you think you're experienced enough. I'm an old

mule, but I still have much to learn about street shooting.

[j_sevigny]

No, no. It was never scary for me. Scary to stick a camera in a stranger's face, yes. Fear of losing equipment, never. You can't just lock your cameras in a safe deposit box for God's sake. They're meant to be used. There are photojournalists in war zones all over the world with cameras far more expensive than mine and they're not getting robbed. I have never had a camera stolen and I have worked in some seriously bad neighborhoods. Yes, you could get robbed. It's not likely though.

[ferensen]

Some good advice right here, especially from contributors.

http://www.photo.net/learn/street/intro.adp

[applesanity]

<p>Start with an 85mm lens. While long lenses mean you don't have to stand so close, the perspective makes the

viewer feel more like an observer, almost voyeur-ish. Get comfortable with that, then go to 50mm and step a few feet

closer to the subject. Then 35mm and closer, and 28mm, the length with which I'm happy. There are some who are

real brave and go to 24mm, but then I feel that perspective gets comical at that point. The wider the angle, the more

you feel like you are "in the moment."</p>

 

<p>Get an old metal-body, film manual camera. They go for cheap nowadays. One that you can drop onto the

sidewalk

and totally not worry too much. One that if you bump into other pedestrians, you're not fretting. If suddenly it rains,

you won't cry. Nikon FA, FM2, FE, FA, or Canon AE-1 and its varients, or even Pentax K1000 if you are real

hardcore. Avoid the FM10 If you're loaded with $$$, then obviously a Leica M6 or M7. Use Tri-X or Neopan 1600. </

p>

<ol>

<li>Nobody wants to steal a film camera made in the 80s. Or the 70s.

<li>Grab the neckstrap and swing the camera like a sling. Whack the mugger in the head. Then take pictures of

the

mugger as he lies unconscious on the pavement.

<li>Appreciate hyperfocal distance. Appreciate film grain.

</ol>

 

<p>Get an <a href="http://www.blackrapid.com/">R-Strap</a> or <a href="http://figitalrevolution.com/y-strap/">Y-

Strap</a>. Or better yet, spend like 10 bucks at the craft store and make your own DIY R-Strap.</p>

 

<p>Start by going into the most touristy place nearby. All the tourists will be walking around and taking snapshots.

Security is usually good in tourist areas, and you won't stick out. Once you get comfortable, then start moving

downtown.</p>

 

<p>Most importantly, ditch the zoom lens. You'll get lazy in the way you take your pictures; your results will

definitely

show your laziness. Quality zoom lenses also tend to be huge and thus will attract too much attention. If at some

point, you become intimately aware and conscious of the relation between perspective and focal length, then maybe

a 17-35mm lens, if you got that kind of money.</p>

 

<p>If you insist on going digital, leave the 1DSMKIII or D3 at home. Get something smaller. Then get some duct

tape

and cover up your LCD screen. Every second you spend checking your screen to see if you got the shot is another

moment wasted when you weren't ready to get the perfect shot.</p>

 

<p>At some point, when you're brave, just follow the number one rule (courtesy Robert Capa) by which I always

abide: "You're standing too far away."</p>

[ulric_dahlgren]

<p>I think this is a great question! It's a question I asked myself the first time I hit the streets with a camera in my hand. Don't think a cheap camera will deter a thief, people will break a car window to steal a nickel out of the ashtray. Also, in certain neighborhoods a persons appearance or unusual behavior can make them stand out, so it's much harder to blend in. My suggestion would be avoid dangerous areas of the city. In most areas of a major city however, people on the street will not bother you. </p>

<p>I'd start out photographing in places with a lot of people and tourists that are considered relatively safe, then branch out. Just remember there are certain areas in a city that are not safe whether you're carrying a camera or not. Anyplace you're comfortable walking around by yourself is probably a place where you can take pictures without your camera being stolen.</p>