Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
Some interesting body language there Stewart ... definitely not staged IMO! 
Pherdinand
the snow must go on
agree with what Frank said.
What's the point??
What's the point??
NathanJD
Well-known
i agree with keith, it definitely doesn't look staged - for starters the guy on the left is making no attempt to suck his gut in and also the direction of attention seems right. gonna be interesting to find out
and also the direction of attention seems right. gonna be interesting to find out
Pherdinand
the snow must go on
good lord, sparrow)
are you trying to compete in the drama aspect?
)are you trying to compete in the drama aspect?
Krosya
Konicaze
Staged or not - this is a great photo!
rxmd
May contain traces of nut
Sparrow
Veteran
no, not staged ... and I've always wondered what was happening, I only noticed the body language when going through the drafts
PS mine that is, not that ^ one
PS mine that is, not that ^ one
Sparrow
Veteran
Quite dramatic pictures in this thread.
How about this?
Not staged, you would have moved the bottles had it been
tomalophicon
Well-known
This is shaping up to be a hilarious thread.
rxmd
May contain traces of nut
The decisive moment!
johannielscom
Snorting silver salts
Funny. I don't like it at all. too much 'visual debris' in it, tables blocking subjects etc. Don't like the background too much either and the grain is too heavy.
the band aid around the right mans wrist is interesting though, I would like to use that aspect in a shot.
Maybe B&W would improve it for me
Regarding the OP shot: if it was staged, it was meant to look like candid, or should have had some better lighting!
Staged or not?
Staged or not?
antiquark
Derek Ross
filmfan
Well-known
lol.
The worst thread imaginable.
The worst thread imaginable.
erik
Established
staged or candid?:
LOC image
LOC image
antiquark
Derek Ross
staged or candid?:
LOC image
Staged, it's just a picture of a big statue somewhere:
Washington DC USMC Iwo Jima War Memorial by mbell1975, on Flickr
FrankS
Registered User
coelacanth
Ride, dive, shoot.
russelljtdyer
Writer
Back to the Point and How to Point Effectively
Back to the Point and How to Point Effectively
I think the real point of this thread is regarding taking photos of people we don't know without their permission, or with their permission and counting on their acting abilities.
Most people, just about all people I have encountered on the streets, are terrible actors. If I ask their permission first, they almost always tell me I may not take their picture. For the few that have allowed me to do so, they will either pose for the camera in standard ways (e.g., facing the camera and smiling, possibly reluctantly) or they will look away and freeze for the camera, watching me with their peripheral vision (like the woman in the shot of the original post). Incidentally, I've found that the trick for dealing with this is to have the camera set to continuos shooting--which is not generally possible with a rangefinder film camera--and snap rapidly three shots. When they hear the first shot, they relax their muscles. The second one might come out well, but they might be shifting too much after holding their tableau moment for so long. By the third shot, though, they're generally at the end of an exhale and have stopped again, unsure of what I'm doing--but they haven't yet resumed an artificial look. Of course, they sometimes just look confused at that point.
No, the best pose is the natural one. Unfortunately, people don't value generally good photos for their own sake--especially ones contained in a stranger's camera. Not do they seem to know why they don't want their picture taken. If a friend were to ask them why they refused, they would probably say something like, "I don't know. I just don't like the idea of someone I don't know taking my picture." It's a shame that we're not free to capture great poses. I find most people, actually I find everyone to be extraordinarily beautiful. Everyone has moments that are so rich in beauty, moments when they're thinking or doing something irrespective of a photographer. When we capture them in such moments, they should look up and say, "Oh, I didn't see you there. How did I look? Was it a good shot? Please send me a copy." No, instead they're irritated and sometimes respond angrily. Think about it: people will go to a photography studio and pay to get their picture taken under controlled conditions, which can be admittedly flattering lighting. However, the best shots of them are natural ones and these could be taken for free by a photographer they don't know. And yet they're upset when it's done.
There are a few documentaries that I've seen about photographers. In these documentaries, a video camera photographer follows the photographer while the subject of the documentary takes photos of people on the street. It's interesting to watch them work and to see how they handle themselves with the public. I've noticed that these professional photojournalists never ask for permission. They take pictures of people in a crowd while a politician is speaking, only a couple of feet from their subjects. They stand in front of police and demonstrators and photograph them close up. They walk up to people in street markets who are selling their wares and snap away without asking permission or even smiling when they're finished to acknowledge what they've done. They're so smooth and calm about the whole process. To these photojournalists, taking someone's picture on the street seems as natural as walking by someone and just turning and looking at them for a moment. We're free to look at anyone who's out and about. There's no reason we can't capture the image of them in more than just our minds. There's something about the way that photojournalists conduct themselves. They don't act like I tend to do: they don't ask permission generally, they don't operate timidly, they don't apologize for their actions. As a result, people seem to accept their role and allow they free access.
I wish I could learn to have the demeanor of these professionals. What's the key to doing this? Is it just lots of practicing forcing myself to be daring? Should I walk around with a bunch of other photographers and wear a press badge so that people accept me and don't pay attention to me while I'm shooting with the rest of the press corp?
Back to the Point and How to Point Effectively
I think the real point of this thread is regarding taking photos of people we don't know without their permission, or with their permission and counting on their acting abilities.
Most people, just about all people I have encountered on the streets, are terrible actors. If I ask their permission first, they almost always tell me I may not take their picture. For the few that have allowed me to do so, they will either pose for the camera in standard ways (e.g., facing the camera and smiling, possibly reluctantly) or they will look away and freeze for the camera, watching me with their peripheral vision (like the woman in the shot of the original post). Incidentally, I've found that the trick for dealing with this is to have the camera set to continuos shooting--which is not generally possible with a rangefinder film camera--and snap rapidly three shots. When they hear the first shot, they relax their muscles. The second one might come out well, but they might be shifting too much after holding their tableau moment for so long. By the third shot, though, they're generally at the end of an exhale and have stopped again, unsure of what I'm doing--but they haven't yet resumed an artificial look. Of course, they sometimes just look confused at that point.
No, the best pose is the natural one. Unfortunately, people don't value generally good photos for their own sake--especially ones contained in a stranger's camera. Not do they seem to know why they don't want their picture taken. If a friend were to ask them why they refused, they would probably say something like, "I don't know. I just don't like the idea of someone I don't know taking my picture." It's a shame that we're not free to capture great poses. I find most people, actually I find everyone to be extraordinarily beautiful. Everyone has moments that are so rich in beauty, moments when they're thinking or doing something irrespective of a photographer. When we capture them in such moments, they should look up and say, "Oh, I didn't see you there. How did I look? Was it a good shot? Please send me a copy." No, instead they're irritated and sometimes respond angrily. Think about it: people will go to a photography studio and pay to get their picture taken under controlled conditions, which can be admittedly flattering lighting. However, the best shots of them are natural ones and these could be taken for free by a photographer they don't know. And yet they're upset when it's done.
There are a few documentaries that I've seen about photographers. In these documentaries, a video camera photographer follows the photographer while the subject of the documentary takes photos of people on the street. It's interesting to watch them work and to see how they handle themselves with the public. I've noticed that these professional photojournalists never ask for permission. They take pictures of people in a crowd while a politician is speaking, only a couple of feet from their subjects. They stand in front of police and demonstrators and photograph them close up. They walk up to people in street markets who are selling their wares and snap away without asking permission or even smiling when they're finished to acknowledge what they've done. They're so smooth and calm about the whole process. To these photojournalists, taking someone's picture on the street seems as natural as walking by someone and just turning and looking at them for a moment. We're free to look at anyone who's out and about. There's no reason we can't capture the image of them in more than just our minds. There's something about the way that photojournalists conduct themselves. They don't act like I tend to do: they don't ask permission generally, they don't operate timidly, they don't apologize for their actions. As a result, people seem to accept their role and allow they free access.
I wish I could learn to have the demeanor of these professionals. What's the key to doing this? Is it just lots of practicing forcing myself to be daring? Should I walk around with a bunch of other photographers and wear a press badge so that people accept me and don't pay attention to me while I'm shooting with the rest of the press corp?