Invisibility.

[John Bragg]

Do certain cameras or ways of working confer a cloak of invisibility on the user ? Perhaps they are more discrete or less obtrusive ? I had great fun shooting street shots today with a black M6 and 28mm Elmarit and I really felt un-noticed. I know that Henri Cartier Bresson was renowned for his stealth. Does confidence help here ? I guess it helps if you are noticed but look like you have a right to be there and aren't appearing furtive.

 

[Vics]

I've found that shooting with a TLR makes you invisible. I've walked right up in front of a stranger and shot their picture, and they never saw me. It's the waist-level finder. They don't know it's a camera. Maybe they think I'm checking my messages.

 

[Bob Michaels]

I believe there is no difference in visibility between holding a medium format RF up to your face and doing same with the tiniest of cameras. Nor, does the sound of the shutter make any difference.

Your attitude makes all the difference. Act totally confident and you will be almost invisible.

 

[kbg32]

A smile never hurts as well.

 

[bgb]

A TLR for sure, folks just think I'm some silly old man with his fuddy duddy camera and completely harmless ... if they even notice it's a camera which most don't.
For a little while I shot only with a Box Brownie, no one even look twice at me to see if I was doing something suspect, a few happily posed and a couple stopped to chat.

 

[John Bragg]

I believe there is no difference in visibility between holding a medium format RF up to your face and doing same with the tiniest of cameras. Nor, does the sound of the shutter make any difference.

Your attitude makes all the difference. Act totally confident and you will be almost invisible.

That's what I thought Bob. Behave confidently and folks ignore you. Skulk around and you will be noticed.

 

[cz23]

I've found that shooting with a TLR makes you invisible. I've walked right up in front of a stranger and shot their picture, and they never saw me. It's the waist-level finder. They don't know it's a camera. Maybe they think I'm checking my messages.

I find the same with my Nex 7 and its flip LCD. Shooting 28mm at waist level is one of the best street techniques I've ever found. The lower angle is also nice for its greater sense of being at people's level. Sometimes I'll sit down right next to a person and include him/her in the foreground and something else in the background. They never notice. I only wish the LCD would also flip for vertical shooting.

John

 

[nikon_sam]

I believe there is no difference in visibility between holding a medium format RF up to your face and doing same with the tiniest of cameras. Nor, does the sound of the shutter make any difference.

Your attitude makes all the difference. Act totally confident and you will be almost invisible.

That's what I thought Bob. Behave confidently and folks ignore you. Skulk around and you will be noticed.

I've always said "Look like you belong there and most people will not question you..."
It's amazing the places I've gotten into just because I looked like I belonged...not saying that you should get yourself in trouble but have a look of confidence that says..."It's all right, I know what I'm doing..."

 

[segedi]

My best advice, in addition to what others have already said, is try staying in a spot for a while. This is something I learned from a recent Leica Academy workshop in street photography. And something that I tried and had work for me. I found 4 spots that I stayed in for about 30 minutes each. You become part of the landscape and the opportunities come to you!

 

[thegman]

On one hand, I like my TLR because it's not obvious that you're taking a photo, on the other hand, they look funky and I've had it attract attention.

If you really want to blend in, you hide in plain sight, and that means looking like everyone else, which probably means using a cameraphone, little compact, or perhaps a DSLR. Unfortunately that's not as much fun as using lovely cameras.

 

[nikon_sam]

My thought on using a Waist Level finder is that most people today don't associate looking down into something as someone taking a picture...it's a foreign stance for most people.
I also like what segedi said about staying in one place and blending into the background...

 

[charjohncarter]

I understand that some cellular phones now have cameras as a feature, that is stealth.

 

[John Bragg]

The wierdest thing I saw today was a woman shooting with an ipad from above her head. Now she looked about as conspicuous as t*ts on a bull !

 

[css9450]

The wierdest thing I saw today was a woman shooting with an ipad from above her head. Now she looked about as conspicuous as t*ts on a bull !

What cracks me up, are the people using DSLRs on Live View, held two feet out in front of their faces. That's the opposite of being invisible!

 

[user237428934]

What cracks me up, are the people using DSLRs on Live View, held two feet out in front of their faces. That's the opposite of being invisible!

You look like a fool this way. I assume that's the best disguise you can have.

 

[kbg32]

_A050015 by keithbgoldstein, on Flickr

 

[rogue_designer]

Waist level viewfinder has much to do with it. Keeping your eyes down gets you much closer into a persons personal space than meeting their gaze usually allows. See Apollo Robbins appearance on the Today show, for an eyeopening demonstration.

 

[noisycheese]

Do certain cameras or ways of working confer a cloak of invisibility on the user ? Perhaps they are more discrete or less obtrusive ? I had great fun shooting street shots today with a black M6 and 28mm Elmarit and I really felt un-noticed. I know that Henri Cartier Bresson was renowned for his stealth. Does confidence help here ? I guess it helps if you are noticed but look like you have a right to be there and aren't appearing furtive.

I don't think there is any magical cloak of invisibility. No camera can give you that.

Cameras such as the Leica M, Leica CL, Rollei 35, Minox or Olympus Trip 35, Nikon S series and Bessa rangefinders are small and for some reason less "threatening" or intimidating to others. I can't quite grasp why that is, but it seems to be the case. So for street photography, smaller - and quieter - is better.

The way you work is very important. If you project an attitude of relaxed professionalism people around you are put at ease. They assume you are not anyone to worry about and take it for granted that what you are doing is legitimate. If a street photographer is nervous or jumpy, he/she will make others nervous or jumpy.

When you make your photograph is important too - the timing of the shot is everything. I have had many instances where people notice me with my camera and then go about their business. It is this point in time when they have stopped watching you that is the time to make your photograph. They have returned to their world and have let their guard down, so to speak. This is when you can capture the decisive moment that Henri Cartier-Bresson spoke of.

Some people will just not stop watching you, though. They will continue to shoot furtive glances your way or watch you out of the corner of their eye. When that happens, I simply give up on them and find another subject. A photograph of a rigid, tense subject who is watching the camera with an accusatory expression is not a good street photograph anyway. It's just a waste of time and film (or memory card space) in my experience. Photos of wary people almost never turn out to be good images.

These are my thoughts and experiences regarding street photography.

Hope this helps...

 

[mdarnton]

I worked doing teacher training slide shows, then as a newspaper photog. No one ever saw me. Teachers who'd expected chaos were surprised the kids didn't notice I was there crawling around taking their pictures, with light stands, umbrellas and strobes, and once my own editor commented that I'd missed an important city council meeting when I'd been sitting on the floor ten feet away right in front of him, facing him taking pictures.

The trick, in my opinion, is to never look people in they eye. If they feel you are not looking at them, they soon lose interest in you. I always figured my composition first, without actually looking at it directly, then put the camera up to my eye for the photo, without making eye contact except through the finder. Push the button, look away, then take down the camera. If you're not looking at someone he has no reason to think you're "seeing" him.

The comment about TLRs being invisible is the same idea: always looking down, not at the subject.

 

[Rodchenko]

I've found that small, quiet or old cameras have the best response. If I'm shooting with my 35SP or my Nettar, I'm a harmless crank to be ignored. With my Minox, people don't feel threatened, possibly because they can see much of my face even when the camera is to my eye.

I've had worst reactions when using an SLR (even a classic one) or a digital.

My best tactic is to try to remember to smile.