Candid photos of young women

[mfunnell]

Having thought a little on my own "vaguely creeped out" reaction to the original post on this thread:

My gut reaction is that this is pretty darn creepy. I wouldn't appreciate my wife being photographed in that manner. If I see some guy trying to sneak shot of my wife from the back when she's wearing her swimsuit at the beach, I'd go up to him and have a word or two. I imagine a lot of people with daughters in college would not want their kids being photographed and put up on the internet like that either.

...I'm trying to think how to phrase this so it doesn't come over as accusatory in itself, but...

Would you think similarly about:

"...some guy [or girl] trying to sneak shot of my brother from the back when he's wearing his swimsuit at the beach..."

"I imagine a lot of people with sons in college would not want their kids being photographed and put up on the internet like that either."

While I acknowledge, to an extent, differences in reaction when males and females are involved in similar circumstances, I also detect a certain, um, proprietary interest being asserted over images of women. "My" wife. "My" daughters. That gives off a certain creepiness of its own or, at least, hints at a somewhat antedeluvian attidude towards women.

Just a thought.

...Mike

 

[mackigator]

Hmm, probably creepy but i see some that pull off good work in this "beautiful people" category.

Without looking at the images involved - If this guy is using normal focal lengths, has shots of faces and eye contact, then more power to him.

I think that images of random women on the street shot from behind say more about the photographer than the photographed.

 

[Pappy]

how can we discuss this without seeing the pics? let's have a link to the site, please

 

[panda81]

Snip

My perspective was just coming from a straight male, as is also the original photographer I was referring to. I didn't really bother about writing out all the different permutations which could occur, but in the end, I really meant to just refer to the right combination of the person taking the picture, their sexual orientation, and their subjects, and what their intentions look like when picture after picture has a certain theme to it.

I am more on the traditional, conservative, and protective side than some others, so I admit that's where I'm coming from too. But, at the same time, I am trying to keep an open mind and hear what others have to say. I'm trying not to point out "why I'm right" to other people who disagree with me, although I do want to explain my feelings.

 

[payasam]

I photograph no young women who haven't called me "Uncle": and for a fellow my age, "young" goes up to around 45.

 

[Tuolumne]

I'm confused. Exactly what is objectionable about taking candids of attractive women on the street? Aren't those some of the most popular photos in the gallery?

/T

 

[yanidel]

Aren't those some of the most popular photos in the gallery?

/T

ah ah ah, you got a good point. The puritarian hypocrisy ...
Though I would be really concerned if this guy only took pictures of old women or dog ****s ...
More seriously, shooting only young women probably means is main center of interest is not photography. But for one that has the balls to publish these pictures openly on his website and face criticism, how many take them secretly and keep them on their computers ? I see many freaks with mega zooms out there ... these are more concerning IMO.

Ok, here is one ... http://blog.yanidel.com/2009/06/13/60mm-hexanon-12-stealing-beauty/ 🙂

The second after she saw me and I said "beautiful hat" and she had a huge smile on her face.

 

[aizan]

what kind of perv likes taking photos of young, beautiful women? oh, right, every straight male on the planet. and lesbians. 🙂

 

[SolaresLarrave]

I wish I could photograph more beautiful young women. They make life worth living! 🙂

 

[SolaresLarrave]

And, BTW, my wife is very much worth photographing. 🙂

 

[javimm]

I don't see it as "questionable". I find this kind of pictures boring.

I usually photograph with a group of people. One of them has all Canon line of L lenses. I mean, ALL of them. He usually uses a 70-200 f2.8 or a huge 300 or whatever long prime or zoom he brings for the day. 90% of the pictures he takes are portraits of young woman shot from long distance. This pictures aren't sexual explicit or anything. They're just portraits of women walking in the street. He has thousands of pictures, all the same, just faces of unknown girls walking. I find it extremely boring. I mean, who'd like to see an exhibition of 500 pictures of woman faces?.

So the question for me is not the morality, it's the purpose. I try to photograph people interacting, actually doing something that tells a story. If it's a girl who's doing something interesting I'll photograph her, but just having a collection of girls faces doesn't say anything to me.

Anyway, if this is the style someone likes, I don't see anything wrong with it.

EDITED to fix some typos. Sorry

 

[historicist]

One of my self portraits on flickr got favorited by someone whose photostream was entirely pictures of big muscular gay dudes (not sure where I fit into that) and funfairs (go figure).

A female friend had a completely everyday picture of her wearing a scarf favorited by a person whose favorites were literally thousands of pictures of girls wearing some sort of neckwear.

The world is full of people who are doing slightly unsavoury things like this, but I would suggest there's more important things to worry about than this.

 

[Parker51]

@ Maelswarm
By the way , your 3 last pictures are wonderful color pictures
Cheers
Claude

 

[peterm1]

My favourite form of photography at the moment - check out the first page of my Flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/80702381@N00/

And here is one to get you going ----------------

 

[dmr]

Let me give you some thoughts from a different perspective ...

In this day and age, when we're very uptight about stalkers, perverts, and the like, yes, it seems creepy. However, 40 years ago it was far more acceptable.

Sorry if I ramble on and on about this, but I still feel more or less the same as I did back then.

I know I've mentioned this here. My brother had what he called his "beach lens", which was a huge el-cheapo Spiratone 400mm telephoto. He and his bud would take the train out to Rockaway and they would hang out on the beach, smoke, drink (uh?) soda 🙂 (yeah, right!), and take casual shots of the young ladies. "Boys will be boys" was my mom's attitude.

I remember that Spiratone had a kind of right-angle mirror adapter which they sold for just such things.

Nobody at all thought these guys were in any way stalkers or pervs! They weren't.

I saw through this as they very badly wanted to approach some of the girls, get to know them, and develop a relationship, but they were just too shy about it. I tried explaining this to him, but ...

My interpretation is still more or less the same. My guess is that the photographers in question here would LOVE to have a relationship with some of the young ladies they are shooting, but for some reason are reluctant to pursue such a thing.

That's my not so humble opinion, anyway ...

 

[mfunnell]

He usually uses a 70-200 f2.8 or a huge 300 or whatever long prime or zoom he brings for the day. 90% of the pictures he takes are portraits of young woman shot from long distance. This pictures aren't sexual explicit or anything. They're just portraits of women walking in the street. He has thousands of pictures, all the same, just faces of unknown girls walking. I find it extremely boring. I mean, who'd like to see an exhibition of 500 pictures of woman faces?

I don't know: people's faces are interesting. And I can certainly appreciate a pretty face:


[click for photo by calzinger at dA]

Still, I expect that many people would find "character" as interesting as "pretty":


[click for photo by Heide Smith at flickr]

...Mike

 

[Larky]

Let me give you some thoughts from a different perspective ...

In this day and age, when we're very uptight about stalkers, perverts, and the like, yes, it seems creepy. However, 40 years ago it was far more acceptable.

Sorry if I ramble on and on about this, but I still feel more or less the same as I did back then.

I know I've mentioned this here. My brother had what he called his "beach lens", which was a huge el-cheapo Spiratone 400mm telephoto. He and his bud would take the train out to Rockaway and they would hang out on the beach, smoke, drink (uh?) soda 🙂 (yeah, right!), and take casual shots of the young ladies. "Boys will be boys" was my mom's attitude.

I remember that Spiratone had a kind of right-angle mirror adapter which they sold for just such things.

Nobody at all thought these guys were in any way stalkers or pervs! They weren't.

I saw through this as they very badly wanted to approach some of the girls, get to know them, and develop a relationship, but they were just too shy about it. I tried explaining this to him, but ...

My interpretation is still more or less the same. My guess is that the photographers in question here would LOVE to have a relationship with some of the young ladies they are shooting, but for some reason are reluctant to pursue such a thing.

That's my not so humble opinion, anyway ...

That makes it all seem more creepy to me. 🙂 People walking around craving something they are scared of, so they decide to shoot pictures secretly so they can do what with them later? You've filled my mind with really nasty images I'm struggling to remove. 🙂

 

[Chris101]

That makes it all seem more creepy to me. 🙂 People walking around craving something they are scared of, so they decide to shoot pictures secretly so they can do what with them later? You've filled my mind with really nasty images I'm struggling to remove. 🙂

Life itself is creepy and dark Andrew. Go with it.

 

[yanidel]

Let me give you some thoughts from a different perspective ...

In this day and age, when we're very uptight about stalkers, perverts, and the like, yes, it seems creepy. However, 40 years ago it was far more acceptable.

I don't think it is less acceptable nowadays, young people take trillions of pictures.
But if I understood correctly, your brother had basically the same age as the girls photographed. He could have indeed gotten in a relationship with any of them I guess. Now, let say it was a family 60 years old buddy that had taken these pictures, would have this seen as normal too ? Or just shyness to start a relationship. Probably not.

Seriously, I take pictures of women (all ages) in the street but only when I feel there is a reason for it (colors, environment, situation, personality ...). One day on Les Champs-Elysées and you can come back with 100 pictures of beautiful young women, but that would be boring. Now what I don't like is the mega-zoom idiots that stand back 30 feet and do act like perverts. It is these very ones that make everybody become suspicious. Better be frank about it, use your 50mm lens, try to get the candid without worrying too much about being spotted. And if you are, smile, say something nice. There is much more chance to get a smile, funny comment or even discussion than be chased after being told "pervert pervert" Never happened to me at least.

Were I not single, I am sure this would be a wonderful first "approach" technique. 😀

 

[dmr]

so they can do what with them later?

Well, uh {blush} I do know what you mean, and I really wasn't thinking of that when I wrote that, but the principle is still the same.

Whether they take photos of young ladies and/or {insert euphemism here}, it's still the same, they are substituting one or the other for a more meaningful relationship.