flash on the street?

maddoc said:
Yeah, flash is important for "International Street Photographers" and "Workshop Organizers".... :rolleyes: Looks like an effective way for blogger to stick out of the crowd of photo-blogger. Bruce Gilden's work is a class of it's own, though. He made excellent use of the flash, IMO.
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Hihihi. True. I don't find his photos really nice either. I once saw something about him, and was kinda surprised that he used flash. Them, I found that his street work was more portraiture, anyway. Just saying that flash has it's space.
 
I think using a flash in street photography (meaning unobtrusive shooting and capturing people unnoticed) defeats the whole point of it. but thats just it in the purest sense and just my opinion

I've seen eric kim do it in a video and I dont feel comfortable with the look of these pictures.

it's another thing if you take pictures of events, parades etc where people are expecting people to take pictures and thus wont be surprised to see a flash being used.
 
maddoc said:
Yeah, flash is important for "International Street Photographers" and "Workshop Organizers".... :rolleyes: Looks like an effective way for blogger to stick out of the crowd of photo-blogger. Bruce Gilden's work is a class of it's own, though. He made excellent use of the flash, IMO.
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Took the (sarcastic) words right out of my mouth. Eric Kim isn't worthy of carrying Bruce Gilden's Tri-X.
 
Marc G. said:
I think using a flash in street photography (meaning unobtrusive shooting and capturing people unnoticed) defeats the whole point of it. but thats just it in the purest sense and just my opinion
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I tend to agree, but again this is just my own style. It's not that I *wouldn't* use a flash, it's that I don't like the look of the images. They just don't appeal to me.

Bruce Gilden's work is redeemed by the use of a very wide lens (a 21, I believe), and the very interesting subjects he chooses (I LOVE his 'Yazuka' series).

OTOH, Eric Kim tries to comp the style, but forgets that 'street photography' is not just taking a picture of any passer-by.
 
Yes, I do it occasionally, although I'm not a big fan of it. Much too often the words of Cartier-Bresson , who was comparing flash with a gunshot in a concert hall, come to my mind. HCB was unduly patronizing here, but most of the time I'm not after dramatic effects. Nevertheless, I must confess that flash adds a certain tension to the picture that cannot be dismissed. I have friends that use it constantly and very successfully, and it definitely adds to the aesthetic of their pictures. From my experience, people who tend to get confrontational will turn so, regardless of the fact you flash them or merely notice you taking a picture of them. Asking them meekly to pose, as some of Gilden's epigons do, is pure nonsense. Flash isn't suited for tame and polite street photography.
 
I think flash spoils most photos ...

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Gumby said:
perhaps... but what it also isn't suited for is a street situation where you might want a second shot!
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Not necessarily. Many times people that are not especially vindictive think you have your picture, and continue doing what they are doing, especially if you're doing a bit of acting. I pretend to look somewhere else looking for another subject, I fiddle with my camera and so on. One useful tip is not to seek eye contact, if you don't want to engage with them. Sometimes they just notice the flashlight, and not so much what you have shot, as they are preoccupied by their thing. Not even when you're less than 2m away, like here

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I'd really like to use the old light saber bulb flash with a Crown Graphic a friend gave me. I think it would be interesting to take it downtown when the partiers are out. My impression is folks respond very enthusiastically to funky cameras like that.

And it even has a rangefinder :)
 
Mark C said:
I'd really like to use the old light saber bulb flash with a Crown Graphic a friend gave me. I think it would be interesting to take it downtown when the partiers are out. My impression is folks respond very enthusiastically to funky cameras like that.

And it even has a rangefinder :)
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Yes they do.
 
Yes. Every now and then during the day. Lots of the times during the night. I mostly use a big honkin Vivitar 283. There's no way to hide using it, so might as well use that. If they drop and break, it's just another $30 for another one ;)
 
I don't like the "scaring the hell out of people" flash in the face technique... I don't like flashes... especially when shot this way.
 
Flash changes your approach to the photographing process..

When I use flash I make sure that I won't scare the person I'll shoot - most of times I even shoot after talking to them..
Of course I had some problems with this, but 90% of the times people just ignore you, and about 2% really get pissed of! At least here in Portugal, but I know that the portuguese are quite friendly :angel:

I mean, I'm not forcing anyone to use flash on the street.. I just say that sometimes is very handy, but over-using the flash or using the flash at full power and darkening all the background at this time annoys me a bit.. Use it with caution :)

About the word "fun", I didn't mean to write "fun" in that context.. My english is quite crappy, I'm sorry
 
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