Discreet street photography with RF?

[kmack]

I try to be as conspicuous as possible. Messenger style camera bag, khaki linen jacket, centerville hat, tripod slung over my shoulder. I will use a 50 or 35-mm lens and get as close as my subjects will let me. If they ask, I just tell them I am a "freelance" photographer.

Two examples (not good ones though):
1. The local public library, shot with a J-8 on a Kiev. I just walked up to the guy and
asked if I could take a picture of his dog.
2. I do not know what the occasion was but I just walked into the middle of it and started shooting. No one paid any attention to me. I must have spent about 15 min wandering around and shooting. I may have well been invisible. Again the Kiev with the J-8.

 

[back alley]

I like your approach, vladhed! Rather similar to mine. 🙂 I do have people ask me why I'm want to take pics, or, pretty much the same question in the form of "who ARE you??" Like I might be a National Geographic staff photog on neighborhood safari or something. Or maybe I work for the newspaper...

I usually say that this is just for fun, no commercial element, I'm taking snaps of people doing their jobs, or people doing interesting things, or just recording the neighborhood or whatever. I like your compliment, but I'd have be be careful that it doesn't sound phony.

I too like the interaction, and also look at it as a way to fight my own shyness over disturbing others. (Which I think is related to self-assurance) But a friendly word and a smile does wonders, and I'm finding it easier. I need to work more quickly, no fiddling with the gear...

doug, you said 2 really good things here.

the first one is a great line that i have never thought of myself...i'm recording the neighborhood.
i love that line and plan on stealing it and i'm sure using it plenty.

the second...to work more quickly, no fiddling with the gear...

this is key!
if you look like someone who has no idea what they are doing or just fumbling away with your camera you WILL look really conspicuous and out of place.

well said doug!

joe

 

[Biggles]

I used to shoot quite a bit of street.

I got away with a lot by doing what others have written about here; varying combinations of being the Grey Man, playing the Naive Tourist, smiling and raising the eyebrows questioningly to get the pretty girl's permission; just walking straight in as if I'd organized the mob. I also used a tiny Olympus Stylus most of the time. Very unobtrusive.

It all works. Just have to tailor the approach and body language to the situation.

One thing, though, that's universal: Never hide. Never look like you're hiding. Look like you're standing still, or trying to get your telephone to work, or like you're trying to get something out of your bag, or like you're changing the batteries in your M2. (It takes CR123s. Five of them.) But never hide.

When in doubt, just remember the tale of the two lads who escaped from a Stalag in WWII and surveyed their way through Germany and into the arms of the resistance with clipboard and surveyor's chain. While wearing boiler suits. Or so the story goes.

They never hid.

(And the next time I see some bloke dialing his M4-P or muttering frustrated imprecations into his Sixtomat, I'll know he's a fellow forumner.)

 

[jdos2]

Any TLR is immediately (and almost completely) disarming. RB, even for its size, is an amazing street camera for shots people aren't expecting (from personal experience) and I'd imagine the Hassy to be the same.

 

[Allen Gilman]

You could always just dive in swinging like William Klein. A friend saw a film clip of him shooting on the streets in N.Y. saying, "I'm searching, searching, searching for my prey." Of course, this is William Klein we're speaking of...with all that black humor running through his veins.

 

[solane]

personally, as a fellow camera-girl-about-town, i think people feel more comfortable yelling at a woman who is shooting than a man. we're usually smaller and (potentially) easier to intimidate. i've turned tail and run many times. alternately, we have the advantage of being able to wink and smile and charm our way to a picture too!

my favorite lie is to say "i'm a student" or that i'm doing a project for a photo class. i can't help that i look like i'm in my 20s to most people so they just ASSUME i'm a student. it started because always asked if i was a student when they saw my camera. i just started saying yes. now, its a full-blown white lie.

often, a good place to practice talking to strangers and making contact so that the subject it comfortable with you taking a photograph is at a fair or large outdoor activity like a block party, antique market or festival. you might get asked if you are with the press but most people who are working booths or performing at these events are expecting to be photographed so they're a bit easier to approach.

good luck!

 

[Shadesofgrey]

I too like the interaction, and also look at it as a way to fight my own shyness over disturbing others.


Excellent point Doug. When I first started making ‘Street’ photos I spent ages walking up and down waiting for my nerve (bottle) to appear: Now; I just shoot. I’m still very conscious of invading personal space; but, so far, no ones been objectionable. The shyness never goes away though; you just hide/control it better with each roll of film you expose.

B

 

[kmack]

For the really shy -- How to Disappear Completely

"City Hideout," from Dutch design studio OOOMS, is a portable temporary dwelling made to fit one seated adult. The collapsable metal box resembles the kind of streetside sheds that commonly house electrical devices such as streetlight controls, new-age parking meters, and small generators.

 

[the sloth]

what ever happened to asking someone if you can take their picture? Or how about just give the people the respect of at least acknowledging youre taking their picture, sometimes people will get mad, but most of the time you can walk right up to people within a couple feet and snap away. All this secretive, hiding BS is what makes people leary of photographers. Just man up to it and ignore those who get offended.

 

[bmattock]

what ever happened to asking someone if you can take their picture? Or how about just give the people the respect of at least acknowledging youre taking their picture, sometimes people will get mad, but most of the time you can walk right up to people within a couple feet and snap away. All this secretive, hiding BS is what makes people leary of photographers. Just man up to it and ignore those who get offended.

I don't advocate skulking. I stand and fire. However, I also do not ask for permission to take a photo. It has nothing to do with 'manning up'. If you do not get permission, you do not get the shot. If you do get permission, you do not get the shot - you get a pose. And there certainly is a time for skulking - I just find I don't need to do it. I'm 5-10 and 275 - I don't 'hide' well.

Asking permission is BS. Art is art, I don't need anyone's permission to make it. Don't want your photo taken, don't go out in public.

That said, if someone objects, I'll generally tell them that I will not use the photo I just took. That will have to be enough for them.

I was at an art festival recently - I saw an artist who had a booth set up, selling her paintings. I noticed that she was sitting next to a mirror - the mirror gave a perfect profile of her face. I was going for a shot that had her face next to the mirror that showed a profile of her face - it would have been great.

However, she shot up out of her chair and raced out to stand in front of me.

"I don't allow photographs," she said.

"I'm sorry, you're in public. I can take photographs if I want to," I replied.

"Well, you should at least ask people for their permission before you take their photographs."

"Well, I don't. Do you ask before you paint a picture?"

"That's different."

"Ah."

If it is not the government telling me I can't take photographs of bridges, it's fellow artists telling me how I can do my art. This to that.

Best Regards,

Bill "I don't need no steenking badgers" Mattocks

 

[back alley]

interesting point bill. never looked at it that way before.

joe

 

[bmattock]

interesting point bill. never looked at it that way before.

joe

Of course, I could have stated it without coming off sounding like a complete prat. Sorry folks. I am leaving that post as-is so you can see that I made a mistake. Man, I need some sleep. Anyway, sorry for sounding so...emphatic or something. What an idiot I can be sometimes.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[peter_n]

No Bill, you're a good bloke.

 

[vladhed]

my favorite lie is to say "i'm a student" or that i'm doing a project for a photo class. i can't help that i look like i'm in my 20s to most people so they just ASSUME i'm a student. it started because always asked if i was a student when they saw my camera. i just started saying yes. now, its a full-blown white lie.

Man, I used to get away with (photographic) murder when I was a student. I remember helping a friend who was a communications student to a slide show - they just had to pick a theme and she chose "feet". I spent the day photographic people feet: construction worker, kid in stroller's rubber boots, old lady church boots, sandels, said friend's bare feet in the shower!!

Now I got too much grey hair (salt-and-pepper) to get away with that.

 

[Doug]

Anyway, sorry for sounding so...emphatic or something. What an idiot I can be sometimes.

Not at all, Bill! I think we can have strongly-held opinions. 🙂

 

[Doug]

I spent the day photographic people feet... Now I got too much grey hair (salt-and-pepper) to get away with that.

Now, now, even aged feet can enjoy a bit of warmth and exposure. And just consider a foot-shooting project avoids eye contact...

 

[ErnestoJL]

I think that some people don´t want to be photographed, because what I´ll get is a picture of them without being posed, it is what they do not want us is to expose them the way they really are, not what they want to show from themselves. Of course, that´s theirs problem if they are unable to be what they really want . Some other people just don´t care about: they are what they are and nothing can change it. That´s why I allways try to be as unconspicuous as possible. I don´t know even if taking pictures is like destroying their privacy. As they are in a public place, I think anyone can take pictures of anything as long as no legal restrictions apply.

 

[back alley]

bill i was sincere no jab intended.

i tend to stay away from thinking about the 'artist' 'art' part of what i do, for fear, i think, of looking/sounding pretentious to others.
but thinking of myself 'as an artist' it's true i do not need nor do i need to ask for, someone's permission to create.

joe

 

[Doug]

I think that some people don´t want to be photographed, because what I´ll get is a picture of them without being posed, it is what they do not want us is to expose them the way they really are, not what they want to show from themselves.

A very good point, Ernesto! This reminds me that I have a certain kind of trouble photographing women... Often they will be a little embarrassed at the thought of being photographed. If they are young and pretty, they may be concerned with being exploited somehow. If they are more mature, they are self-conscious about their appearance. I reassure the young ones that I'm mostly interested in what they're DOing. And for the not-so-young I reassure them the same way and add if necessary that resembling a super-model is not what it's about; it's the glow of personality! Men are not so concerned about their appearance.

 

[Pherdinand]

I don't think there's a valid general explanation why some people don't like their photo taken. I don't even think there's a reason in most cases - they only act from reflex and from the thinks they are used to from the news, from the movies, associated with a lens pointed to someone.
And the girls you know (even some unknown ones) always say "no because i look terrible right now", moment when you have to tell them how great they look today (or maybe you should do it even before they object) and that's most of the cases enough to convince them🙂

The 'privacy' argument and that of not wanting to show how they really are, is not valid - they are out on the street and I can see them directly.