Anyone shoot from the chest?

[giellaleafapmu]

Ok, I found that street photography isn't very easy. People don't seem to like getting their pictures taken. My next move was going to be my M3 across my chest and a 21 or 35mm lens. Hyperfocal and fire. I was also considering a shoe mounted spirit level. Sounds like a plan? Stu

I do this sometimes but I never got any picture I like. I find that it is difficult to make the picture look "natural" that way. Now I just take (or not take) the risk, so far only once I had problems (not nice anyway, I had to run, I had to defend myself without being sure whether using what I know of Muay and BJJ, which is never enough anyway, was a good move or whether this would trigger the unger of the guys who got so upsetted by me taking their picture even more, finally police come to help but I would not like to try that again, so be veeeeeery careful, even if you are large and/or strong and skilled for fighting and/or dangerous looking; than again, you don't live in a large Latin American city so you might be able to get away with more than I could).

Sometimes I also experimented the following trick. I point my F or F2 to something which has nothing to do with what I wanted to photograph. I fail
to take the picture pretending there is something wrong with my camera. I the take away the prism and start to "check the camera" framing directly on the groung glass. I take all the pictures I want in the process. So far I never managed to get good pictures this way either but I believe it is a technique which has a bigger potential.

Giella lea Fapmu

 

[ruben]

I am with REMRF in that the issue must be addressed by the horns.

I am writing as a beginner in this trade, and it seems to me I have learnt a lot from our master street photographer Beniliam.

From studying his images it seems that Beniliam feels comfortable with people, to start with. Secondly it seems to me that instead of sneaking his photos and run away, Beniliam takes the opposite approach: when facing a person he looks after lovably engaging this person. It is above all a state of mind, not a feature you either are born with or not.

Now when I get out to the street, my natural tendency is to sneak. But as soon as I catch myself sneaking, I shake myself and decide either not - or stopping the 'session'. Starting with being honest towards people, in the sense that if you think a person doesn't want to be photographed, it is a good starting point. Yet surprisingly, this is not the absolute state of mind of people, unless you are attracted to a ceirtain layer of embittered ones.

Obviously, some images demand to be sneaked, but at those instances I would sneak the first shot and then wait until the person becames aware of me and then take a second one.

Now Stu if you weight indeed 200 pounds I see no problem in facing people below 200 pounds. Those above 200 pounds perhaps should be avoided.

A day in which I feel relaxed and smiling is a day for street photography. A day in which I feel nervous and unfriendly, is a day for RFF 🙂

But as I said, I am a beginer, and wish Beniliam catches this thread.

All the best,
Ruben

PS
Nevertheless I forgot to mention that my basic starting point for Photography as for life is that there are not fixed rules to follow, and each one is entitled to find her's/his'.
Whatever I have written here is what I consider the best.

 

[Stu W]

Shalom Ruben, (I know a couple of words in every language), I think this having to sneak pictures is a sign of the times. Forgetting the criminal element, even every day people seem to be leery of being photographed. I was sitting in the park with my son and I photographed a couple of children playing on the slide-their mom's whisked them away in a heartbeat. Did you know it is illegal to take a picture of the bridges or other infrastructure here in The City? When I grew up my parents wouldn't think twice about letting someone photograph me. Different times. Stu

 

[willie_901]

I shoot from the hip because it is less conspicuous and because I like that view point.

I plan to smile a lot more when I'm out amongst people with my camera (without looking more crazy that I already look) and if someone smiles back I'll ask them if I'll hand them a business cardand ask can photograph them.

Wish me luck,

willie

 

[ruben]

Well, here in Israel people are specially hostyle against the media, which is regarded as an ally of the Enemy. But by carrying a simple (small) camera (a Leica M6 could be as innocent as my Oly 35sp or Canonet QL) and by wearing humble clothes, I am not part of the media as I did to be once, but rather a kind of symphatetic alien.

Yet again, the main instrument is your state of mind. Be ready for the first negative reaction, look after it instead of being caught by it, talk with that mother and explain what you really are, a photo amateur and nothing else. (Of course the opportunity would be gone for sure, but you will exercise yourself in takling the negative reaction) Smile to yourself and move on. Expect the negative as a seller from door to door. Because if you let the negative reaction to conquer you, you will loose the match.

For the door to door seller, the NO is only the common starting point, not the end. What is your first reaction when a stranger rings your door or your telephone ? "NO". Does it mean you are a bad person, or you cannot listen, IF PROPPERLY ADDRESSED ?

People are not that bad. The issue is not technical, it is about human relations understanding from the angle of a street photographer, how to dialogue in fraction of seconds, by your attitude. Find your answers for the problems you face, the human answers, and I would say, in contrast to a seller, find true and sincere answers. Otherwise you will be playing in the negative field, condemned to loose.

Excuss me for arguing again.
Ruben

 

[willie_901]

ruben,

Thanks for the reply. I think being prepared for rejection is great advice.

willie

 

[back alley]

first of all, i do not sneak. just because i don't annouince myself, introduce myself and try to be someone's best new friend in 30 seconds or less, does not make me a sneak.
i walk around with my camera in my hands usually and when i want to take a photo i do. there is nothing surreptitious at all about it.
my actions are there for the quick to catch as i move rtaher quickly (considering my age and size😉).

 

[dee]

I have always taken shots with a 50 mm from all angles , long ago i had a camera with waist level finder , so i kind of got used to it , and now don't always bother looking through the camera , but guess the view .. anyway, it will not be as the finder 'cos I wear specs ..
And i take slides, so no second chances. I find this invaluable with my new-to-me Zorkis and Leica II 's /IIIc 's.
also i had to learn to guess exposure and it's SUCH a relief to take a general reading with my old Weston or budget lightweight Jessop, and not be anxious about that needle in the finder moving a tiny bit !
it's supposed to be fun , and my new ''babies'' have brought back the '' fun/OOPS, it didn't come out, never mind '' factor ... and with a Zorki , that's the ONLY route to take...
As for candid pics , the little cameras are so discrete , that I don't even worry about quietly taking, not sneaking ,a picture ...

 

[3opkuu]

I'm just blatantly out there shooting - I don't subscribe to the sneaky shot, or hiding the camera until the moment of the shot. Often I'm asked what I'm doing, and I tell them the truth - I'm shooting a series of images of people on trains, in barbers, in cafe's etc, etc. No one's ever complained, they just want to know what's up - which is their right.
Z.

 

[Didier]

...My next move was going to be my M3 across my chest and a 21 or 35mm lens. Hyperfocal and fire.

Nothing easier than that. Did it with R-D1 and 15mm Heliar past summer. But, alas, an old lady had seen through my intention, while the young one wasn't suspicious at all...

Didier