Approaching strangers

MP Guy

MP Guy

Just another face in the crowd
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It looks like we all like to take street shots on a regular basis. Although each subject is a different personality I would like to know your best know method for approaching a stranger and taking his or her photograph. I would guess some people would be very deffensive and not want their photo taken.
 
firstly, i don't always ask permission or approach them.
if i do ask it's often a non verbal request, as in, i show my camera, smile and put the question on my face. i rarely get turned down with this method and it usually is a complete non verbal exchange.
this past weekend the local tourist area had a bunch of local artists painting scenes on electrical boxes as part of our city's 100 year anniversary. i did approach them and chat and then ask if it would be ok to take a couple of shots. all said yes and one thanked me for asking as several people had taken shots and the only way he had known was because of a flash going off.
i find street artists and musicians usually ok with it.
a friendly smiling face goes a long way.

joe
 
That sounds like a very good approach, Joe! I pretty much do the same. There are some street shooters who feel that the subject's awareness of the photograph being made results in an "unnatural" picture, which then merely records the subject reacting to the camera.

I suppose that's a valid concern for some in some circumstances, but it's ok by me! I think I still capture something about the person beyond the reaction, which of course is also particular to that person.

This guy just loves working on shoes... 🙂
 
I use mostly the same approach as Joe described - sometimes that approach is ofcourse not possible if you intend to capture a truly candid moment.

I have however noticed that my approach to street photography has changed.

Now, the city of San Francisco has a LOT of homeless and some very poor/run down areas (6th street at Market, the Tenderloin, part of Hunter's Point - the list is long) - so the oportunities to take 'homeless photos are always there.

Just the other day I was out with the camera and noticed this man going through some garbage and eating some stuff out of a box he found. In the background there was a very beautiful woman getting out of a luxury car. Now, would this be a good shot? Showing the social class differences, etc?

Honestly - my answer is no. First of all it has been 'done' to death - taking photos of homeless set in an environment that also contains element of luxury is like shooting fish in a barrel.

But apart from that my attitude to street photography has changed in that I don't ever feel like taking a photo that in any way will 'exploit' the subject or take a photo that if he/she ever saw it it would make them feel embarassed or stupid (i.e. photos of overweight people eating ice-cream passing by a Jenny Craig sign for instance). These are just images I am sick and tired of seeing and something I won't even raise the camera to my eye for when I notice something like that.

I'm not saying these are morals/standards other should adhere to - it's just something that I've noticed with myself lately after I'm slowly starting to do a bit of street photography again.

Would be interested in others opinions on where you 'draw the line'.
 
i agree with you richard.
it has never been my intention to embarass anyone with my camera. i do this for enjoyment and because my creativity needs an outlet (and i can't draw worth a damn).
i look for shots that might hold someone's eye for a moment or two or better yet, to have them look at something in a new way. i like that the lens forces ME to look at things in a new way.

i read somewhere that the photograph says more about the photographer than the subject - i agree.

joe
 
I would try to shoot the subjects without their knowledge, in their most relaxed or natural state. After the shot is taken and when they realise that I am taking their pictures, I would smile and give them an appreciative nod. So far I have not encountered any protest when I am doing street work. But a friend of mine was very nearly beaten up by some street punks when he took their pictures!
 
With my posture, I nearly impossible to do a 'stealth photography' to get natural gestures of the people (I'm about 100kg weight!) All I can do is just hang around a place and start to talk with the people there, it can be about weather, football games, etc., then after they are used to my presence I'll start taking pictures. But it takes quite a while, and often ends up second visit to take the pictures.
 
I've never met real hostility, but ocasionally people will show discomfort if they see you with the camera - I will not insist, in this case. Otherwise, I cannot really say, because I live near Paris, and before that near Barcelona, the two most visited cities in Europe, where you're just another turist with a small camera...but in any case, letting people move into your "picture zone" gradually is always a lot easier than trying to approach them too openly. I also tend to capture people peripherically - you normally don't want them dead center anyway - and that makes people less aware of the attention.

Marcelo
 
In a previous life I was part of the Goth-Punk sub culture (late seventies through to early nineties). We were photographed often and being jeered at was just a part of stepping out the front door.

I usually took this in my stride but still consider most of the human race disgustingly ignorant. There were/are those that would take these encounters a lot further, displaying their own short-comings, becoming quite aggressive, and mishandling these situations.

Holding a negative view of the world is part and parcel of life for many people, I don't want to put a downer of this thread, my point is: for some people an approach represents an opportunity to lash-out. Like a simple cause and effect equation.

The key to approaching a Bohemian crowd is the same as most human interaction - respect and gradual acceptance. Being the approacher, you need to understand there's certain people that are just plain crazy, and there's nothing you can do about it. For this person - No really means No - and if you step over the line, you're fair game. Suddenly "capturing a moment" turns to a bad dream.

To go off on a tangent: is behaviour altered as soon as it's observed, whether the observation was noticed or not.


PS. Down Under there was a rough merge of Punk and Goth, and the occasional Krusty, due to a simple lack of numbers. Very different scene to Europe and the U.S.
 
Marcelo, did you live in one of the cities surrounding Barcelona ? That's my case, while I work and study in the city I live in Sant Boi, a small city around 10 Km from Bcn and well known for its mental hospitals (we have 3) 🙂

I'm with you in Bcn being a city full of opportunities for street photography, however, and as always, once you get out of the usual touristic zones, walking around with a camera attracts some unwanted attention...

But you can walk up and down la Rambla 100 times taking pictures and most people will keep ignoring you as if you were not there 🙂
 
Taffer, yes, we lived in Castelldefels Platja, 15 km south of Sant Boi by the C245 (or whatever they call it today, I never learned the new road designations). I used to work near Sabadell, so I would drive by Sant Boi daily on my way to the A2, but I don't think I have ever actually visited the town, except once to look at one of the older nice buildings downtown - a church, or maybe one of the hospices, don't remember very well. But yes, that's the area where we lived, the Baix Llobregat - Sant Boi, Villadecans, Gava, Castelldefels and Sitges.

We used to go to BCN on the weekends mostly, so we have always felt a little bit like tourists, I suppose, even after six years. And yes, there are some areas in the old town where you don't want to look too much like a tourist, though I have never felt insecure in Barcelona...maybe because we are originally from Sao Paulo, Brazil, and the worst you can find in Europe is kindergarden stuff compared to my home town!

Saludos, Marcelo
 
I'm approached fairly often, and I notice 'street' photographers sneaking pictures of me fairly often as well. By and large the people who ask make some pleasant comment about the way I look (I am, and always have been since the early seventies, a bit unusual in the way I look) or my wacky shoes, or my dress or whatever. The other story goes something like "I'm doing a book on ... and I'd like to take your picture for it." It really doesn't matter if they don't mean it, or if some of the guys have other motives. What does matter is that the approach is made pleasantly, and it appears to have friendly intent. (By the way, I do also get some bad reactions from the way I look, and the occasional tourist takes what feels like a 'hostile' picture - though it may be nervous curiosity.)

My overall comment about the picture taking itself is that the photographer is rarely relaxed enough - as if she or he has to rush through it in order to take as little of my time as possible. I do say things like 'take your time', but still they hurry. Maybe it is nerves. So relax. Hey, I want your picture of me to look good, even though I will never see it - and that leads to another tip - whether or not the picture is good, at least say it is when you thank your subject afterwards.

When I lived in the Chelsea Hotel I used to dislike the tourists who came in to take sneaky pictures, as if we were some kind of alien life-form rather than approachable, friendly, helpful human beings (well, some ...).

Best,
Helen.
New York City
 
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Two years ago I went to the Taste of Chicago and took what I now consider very cheap shots of people eating. I was so entertained by them that when I posted them in photo.net I expected something like accolades.

Boy, was I wrong...

From the comments of one person there and our further discussion, I decided never to photograph people (homeless or otherwise) unless it was for a shot I could give to them as a gift. I adopted this as a policy for my photographic endeavors, and it's saved me a lot of grief.

Now... when it comes to the question here, I, like Joe and Doug, try to be as stealth as possible, making always kind of obvious that I'm taking a photograph. Sometimes I've been asked what the photograph is for, and I always reply it's for my personal collection (not a lie). I've already sent a print to a person who asked for his, which is something I do when I'm asked about the purpose of my shots; however, when I'm trying to get a portrait like Doug's above, I do ask for permission and I usually get it.

However, I'm working on my hipshot techniques and hyperfocusing, and the results aren't too bad... 🙂
 
I have done some street photography, but it is not a major emphasis in my picture taking. Most of my shots of people involve individuals I know or have good rapport with. When photographing unknown people in public places I try to be discreet and I don't invade their space by trying to take closeups. If a person appears disturbed by my camera I simply back off and don't take a picture of them.
 
marceloporto said:
Taffer, yes, we lived in Castelldefels Platja, 15 km south of Sant Boi by the C245 (or whatever they call it today, I never learned the new road designations). I used to work near Sabadell, so I would drive by Sant Boi daily on my way to the A2, but I don't think I have ever actually visited the town, except once to look at one of the older nice buildings downtown - a church, or maybe one of the hospices, don't remember very well. But yes, that's the area where we lived, the Baix Llobregat - Sant Boi, Villadecans, Gava, Castelldefels and Sitges.
Click to expand...

Marcelo, I used to do the same trip in the opposite direction, from Sant Boi to Gava to take the commuter train to Vilanova, where I studied years ago (loved that town).

About the Sant Boi church downtown, may it be this one:

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showphoto.php/photo/1027/password//sort/1/cat/500/page/1

Curious that we were 15km away from each other and we've met in the Rangefinderforum ! Oh, and about 'dangerous' places in Bcn, well I didn't meant exactly that, but the non-tourist 'normal' zones and quarters where people must think what the hell do you find that interesting to take a picture of 🙂

BTW, returning to the thread, today I've had a stange episode while in the bus, it was maybe a good photo, but I've arrived to this conclusion: 'how do you think that person would feel if he could see him/herself in that picture', if the answer is he/she would be hurt in any way, then you're not doing any good taking it.

And later I've had the opportunity to meet again the living statue in the Ramblas, I've taken some more shots of him and left a coin in his hat, which he has happily accepted.

So, IMO, first be a person, and then a photographer.

Un saludo !

Oscar
 
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I've enjoyed this thread. Some great advice and thoughtful opinions.

Still, I doubt if I will ever be a street photographer other than grabbing an occasional image. I enjoy shooting informal portraits of family and friends, and family activities, but the rest of my photography tends to be on the introspective side. Not everyone is wired right to be a natural street photographer 🙂

Gene
 
there is always hope gene!

actually, it's not imperative for you to 'shoot' people and i must say i really enjoy the shots you post here. i wish i could have that same 'introspection' when i walk around town. mostly i think i tend to see things like most other people see them, but you have a very nice 'eye' for the cityscape.

joe
 
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