Compact vs D/SLR: Suspicion factor

ebino

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Lets say you're looking out of your window and you see a person photographing in your neighborhood. In his hand there is a DSLR/large camera, he has a camera bag, he looks the part.

Same situation, this time you see a person with a small compact camera, a bag that does not really look like a camera bag or no bag at all. And shooting the same way.

In the first instance your mind tells you if the guy was up to no good he wouldn't be so conspicuous, he wouldn't carry a large camera (large camera usually = expensive for common people). In other words he has nothing to hide, so he must be a photographer or an amateur so let it be.

In the second instance, you wonder whats that person doing taking photos and with that small camera he really does not look like a serious photographer. He must be up to no good. A small camera conjures up the idea of a pervert or someone sneaky taking photos without people knowing.

The same way, if you're a security guard looking at your CCTV monitors, you're far more likely to become suspicious of someone with a small camera sneaking about rather than the conspicuous DSLR owner who has nothing to hide.

The same way, if you take pictures of people with a small camera on the street they might think you're not serious or at worst up to no good. But a DSLR or large camera reassures them that you're a photographer, you're not hiding what you're doing and you have a serious camera.

In this day-and-age of chronic suspicion, i think being as conspicuous as possible is far more reassuring to people and powers that be than trying to be sneaky... If you check a video of HCB on youtube where his shooting on the street and the way he acts, I mean if he were to shoot like that these days in any city in the west or even other countries people would call the cops or they will confront him.

So, the larger the camera, the more obvious what you're doing, the more obvious your photography approach the less suspicious you come across?
 
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I think the opposite

I think the opposite

with my slr gear people actively try to get out of the way. My guess is that they think you are getting paid. People often ask what "agency" I work for.
It looks like a job.


The tiny PS and film Ikin and contax, people ignore and behave more naturally. Some people , more than one annoyed pedestrian has said, "these days everyone thinks the're a photographer.

The Official gear is intimidating and seems to make people more fearful when I use it. I think it totally depends on how you look/dress/act with the equipment you have.
 
A key factor is whether or not people think you are trying to photograph them. I've found that most people are very patient and polite when they think they might walk into a shot. Point the camera -- any camera -- at them, though, and all bets are off.
 
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I might add that when I say a DSLR, I mean an average sized DSLR, something like Nikon D90 or D60 and other manufacturer equivalent. Not the large ones with big lenses.


Secondly, I'm also not so sure about this obsession of people not knowing if you photograph them and so on. To me that is all old-fashioned stuff, once again thanks to HCB and Magnum school. While I do like it if the subject is not staring at the lens, but in most cases a direct confrontation, i mean the subject looking straight at the lens, makes for a more emotional picture.
 
I notice when I use my TLR I get looks... overwhelmingly curious or positive looks. But I've just realized that I never used this to my advantage.

This may seem like a dumb question - but do any of you ask to take someone's portrait on the street? It seems so obvious for me to do this now - I don't know why I haven't before. The worst they can say is no, right?
 
I don't think the camera matters anymore... since people realize that modern cell phones are more than capable. I think it comes down to the person's personality or perceived personality (and appearance) than what type of camera you are using.
 
A camera is an extension of my personality at this point in my life, and perhaps as an artist I am a big exhibitionist.

I display a lot of cool retro gear, and that seems to be a colorful way to engage with the public in urban areas. I love when a pretty girl, who is a total stranger, engages with me to take her picture. Sometimes it is verbal asking on her part, but other times it is non verbal.

This year at the Coney Island Mermaid Parade, I made a specticle of myself by covering the event with my Rollei 3.5F and a Tele Rolleiflex. I drew a lot of attention to myself and had many people approach me. In many shots engagement went both ways.

This past weekend I was in Portland Oregon. In a public park there were two young girls posing with a life sized bronze statue of a man in a suit holding an opened umbrella taking pictures of each other. It was at night, but I was equipt with a Nikon F3 with a motor-drive and Noct-Nikkor.

When I began shooting, one girl asked what am I doing. My response was, "I'm a tourist having fun." Then the girls got more sexual with the bronze statue and assumed some lewd positions straddling and mounting the sculpture. At one point one girl backed her butt into the front of the statue and proceeded to touch her toes. It was just after dinner and the downtown park was rather crowded BTW. Although I was amused, my girlfriend wasn't. LOL.

I consider the above Nikon F3 rig to be one of the one of the loudest cameras out there, both visually and audibly, and I carry this camera all around NYC. I meet a lot of people because of my "loud" cameras. Often my cameras distinguish me from other photographers, become icebreakers, and lead to becoming conversation pieces. I meet a lot of people this way.

Even my Leica stands out because it has a TA Rapidgrip and Rapidwinder. It no longer is such a small camera.

Cal
 
A camera is an extension of my personality at this point in my life, and perhaps as an artist I am a big exhibitionist.

I display a lot of cool retro gear, and that seems to be a colorful way to engage with the public in urban areas. I love when a pretty girl, who is a total stranger, engages with me to take her picture. Sometimes it is verbal asking on her part, but other times it is non verbal.

This year at the Coney Island Mermaid Parade, I made a specticle of myself by covering the event with my Rollei 3.5F and a Tele Rolleiflex. I drew a lot of attention to myself and had many people approach me. In many shots engagement went both ways.

😀 Funny writing. For a very short moment I thought if this is meant to be taken seriously.
 
😀 Funny writing. For a very short moment I thought if this is meant to be taken seriously.

Glad you enjoyed it. My intent is to be half serious. I make fun of myself meaning no harm, I have a lot of fun, but then again I take photography very seriously.

Hopefully this all leads to interesting memorable experiances/images. LOL.

Part performance: part experiance. Life is rich.

Cal
 
A camera is an extension of my personality at this point in my life, and perhaps as an artist I am a big exhibitionist.

I display a lot of cool retro gear, and that seems to be a colorful way to engage with the public in urban areas. I love when a pretty girl, who is a total stranger, engages with me to take her picture. Sometimes it is verbal asking on her part, but other times it is non verbal.

This year at the Coney Island Mermaid Parade, I made a specticle of myself by covering the event with my Rollei 3.5F and a Tele Rolleiflex. I drew a lot of attention to myself and had many people approach me. In many shots engagement went both ways.

This past weekend I was in Portland Oregon. In a public park there were two young girls posing with a life sized bronze statue of a man in a suit holding an opened umbrella taking pictures of each other. It was at night, but I was equipt with a Nikon F3 with a motor-drive and Noct-Nikkor.

When I began shooting, one girl asked what am I doing. My response was, "I'm a tourist having fun." Then the girls got more sexual with the bronze statue and assumed some lewd positions straddling and mounting the sculpture. At one point one girl backed her butt into the front of the statue and proceeded to touch her toes. It was just after dinner and the downtown park was rather crowded BTW. Although I was amused, my girlfriend wasn't. LOL.

I consider the above Nikon F3 rig to be one of the one of the loudest cameras out there, both visually and audibly, and I carry this camera all around NYC. I meet a lot of people because of my "loud" cameras. Often my cameras distinguish me from other photographers, become icebreakers, and lead to becoming conversation pieces. I meet a lot of people this way.

Even my Leica stands out because it has a TA Rapidgrip and Rapidwinder. It no longer is such a small camera.

Cal

I know a photographer who's exactly the same as you in approach, but I don't think his conscious of it.

This photographer dresses like an artist, he looks like an artist and he carries two bags, which are of course not like the common camera bags but are older. He carries a DSLR these days, always uses a light meter and uses manual focus on the DSLR.... Anyway, wherever he shoots other photographers wish to talk to him because "he literally looks like a good photographer", girls pose for him because they wish to be "part of his art", I have not seen a single person refuse him when he asks for photograph. he could stop the most beautiful woman and take her picture, and she would oblige.

He likes me because he thinks I'm good too even though he has never seen a single photo by me or for that matter has never asked me to show him some of my work. He on the other hand shows me the picture as soon as he took it when I'm with him... But I also never shoot his subjects and I don't leech on him, I do my own thing.


I think every photographer is an exhibitionist of sorts. What camera you carry, what bag you carry, how you dress up, all of these are part of the "act".
 
Here in New York there is a photographer named Luis Mendez. He is rather famous because he shoots Polaroid protraits on the street to earn a living where you can run into him by B&H, the Stand bookstore or Rockerfella Center during Chistmas time. BTW he uses a camera like WeeGee used and always-always wears a hat.

Over the years we have become friends and I learned a lot from Luis. The last time I saw him at B&H he asked me, "Where is your camera?" Generally I almost always carry at least one camera, but this day I was stocking up with a big (huge) load of film and developer.

On my way to work in Madhattan I see some of the same people every day on the street. The guy who hands out the free newspaper at the subway stop took note that I wasn't carrying a camera, but he addressed me as "Mister Photographer" to say good morning.

Carrying a camera almost all the time does project some personality, people respond to it, and overtime a camera becomes part of you.

BTW I'm a lucky guy and all kinds of odd/weird and funny things happen to me all the time. Like my camera gear, I kinda stand out in a crowd. Sounds like you have my profile right, but it is unlikely that I am as smooth or suave as your friend. I will tell you though that more than my share of crazy/fun things happen to me.

Cal
 
I agree, carrying a camera all the time is the ultimate mark of a confident and passionate photographer, its the ultimate declaration that you're a photgrapher first and foremost and the camera is part of you. But of course some people carry a camera as fashion accessory but you can see those ones coming from a mile away.

Speaking of Weegee, I think he's someone that people should emaluate. His legacy is abused by Gilden and some others but I know there are a lot of photographers who have the highest regard for Weegee and rightfully consider him a pioneer on the same level as Atget and Walker Evans. In fact if you don't have a bit of Weegee in your heart you're not a photographer.
 
There are many factors that contribute to the likelihood you will be viewed as "suspicious". Many things affect the perceived intent for you snapping a photo.

Compact vs D/SLR is only one factor.

These elements work together to arrive at an overall "social fit" for your photography in public.

Are you wearing casual clothes, a suit or hawaiian tourist outfit, or even birkenstocks w/ socks.😱

Are you alone or with another person / group?

Day of the week.

Time of day (day vs night).

etc. etc.
 
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