street photography confrontation

[gdi]

I agree with Roger. I can't imagine street photography consisting of only shots where the subject is made aware of the camera. There is nothing wrong (legally or morally) with shooting on the street in most places - whether the subject knows you are doing so or not. Now if you do not feel comfortable doing so for fear of getting in a fight, then that style is probably not for you.

I suggesting checking out Chris Week's article "Street Photography for the Purist" - he suggests: that environmental portraits, no matter by whom, are contrived, and real moments are not. (BTW, he also suggests studying surveillance rather than photography in oder to succeed.) Lots of good shots there too.....

http://fc05.deviantart.com/fs11/f/2006/227/e/2/street_photography_for_the_purist.pdf

 

[back alley]

if someone asks, my standard response is the truth...
yes, i did take a picture, why? i'm an amateur photographer and i have been shooting this area for over 20 years now.
i have a card (flickr moo card) with a photo on it from the area which i hand out and invite them to have a look at the flickr site and maybe leave a comment. i usually smile and make small talk, like, why did you photograph me?, i will say anything ffrom 'you're so good lookin' to 'i needed a body in the shot to make it better'.
never had a real problem.

joe

 

[Finder]

"I work for homeland security. Do you have some ID and what are you doing in this location?"

or

"I am a National Geographic photographer. I am on assignment taking pictures of unimportant people in this quaint area. Who are you?"

or

"I am Hollywood talent scout. Ever done acting before because I really am looking for an unknown with talent like yours."

or

"I'm from Reuters. Sorry, I thought you were Paris Hilton."

 

[SolaresLarrave]

One thing: dress well. Not drab, not unkempt, not starving artist. When I do this, I try to look convincingly well, like I am doing it as a hobby. In fact, in the photos of HCB posted in a thread some time ago, he was wearing a jacket while taking photographs. People won't fear anything from someone who looks confortable and, like Roger said, has a wide smile. And, as Joe said above, if confronted, it's better to tell the truth. I have never been "confronted" but simply asked "why are you taking pictures of this place?"

My reply: "Because I like it, I find it interesting and I want to take some photos to remember it."

In the end, there's always the hipshot. 🙂

 

[gns]

Roger, GDI,

By working openly, I do not mean deliberately making subjects aware they are being photographed. I never ask permission to shoot in public or try to show someone that I am taking their photo. I often work fast or try in other ways not to broadcast to the subject what I am doing. I was talking more about a general attitude that minimizes the subject's or other's concerns with what I am doing.

Gary

 

[tmfabian]

With Leicas having such a quiet shutter I would hope you could merely offer assurances that no photo has been taken with Mr or Mrs Angry included in the frame. This could be another example of where film holds an advantage over digital!

Peter

This I have done and it does indeed work....that combined with the mystery of film these days if they can't hear the camera or see a picture on the back of an lcd screen it doesn't exist any longer.

 

[rich815]

The couple times this has happened to me I simply pointed at the building, statue, clouds, etc. behind them and say "I wasn't taking a picture of you I was shooting that building, statue, etc.. You weren't even in the frame." and then walk away. Rarely do they have any reply to that...

 

[Krosya]

"Ma'am/sir, I'm glad that you asked. I'm just testing out this antique, funny looking, obscure, foreign camera, that I just attempted to repair myself with a butterknife and duct tape, it probably won't work anyway, because I process my own film in my bathroom. Nothing to worry about, I'm not a freak. Trust me". (smile, and slip away)

I love this one - I'll have to use it next time this comes up.

 

[Krosya]

"I work for homeland security. Do you have some ID and what are you doing in this location?"

or

"I am a National Geographic photographer. I am on assignment taking pictures of unimportant people in this quaint area. Who are you?"

or

"I am Hollywood talent scout. Ever done acting before because I really am looking for an unknown with talent like yours."

or

"I'm from Reuters. Sorry, I thought you were Paris Hilton."

And yet more great ideas lol

 

[marke]

Only hurting yourself

Only hurting yourself

The couple times this has happened to me I simply pointed at the building, statue, clouds, etc. behind them and say "I wasn't taking a picture of you I was shooting that building, statue, etc.. You weren't even in the frame." and then walk away. Rarely do they have any reply to that...

The only problem with this response (other than it just being an outright lie), is that you'll never have an opportunity to promote your work with these people. Sure, maybe that one or two a year won't matter, but you'd be surpised at the relationships that can be built with this kind of person, someone who actually has the nerve to ask you rather than the timid ones who just don't care. Besides, if you offer that kind of answer to someone in security, you lose the chance of that person becoming your allie. Actually, that can be applied to ANY person on the street. And it will possibly leave you even more paranoid every time this person sees you photographing in their vicinity again.

The person asking the question is providing us with the opportunity to build a bridge. Don't ruin that chance before you even find out whether or not they want to build it with you.

 

[marke]

The big bad male syndrome

The big bad male syndrome

Part of it is a fear response. My friend Susan is a little lady, 5' 4" at best, very chipper and somewhat motherly and I've seen her invasively photograph people in Manhattan all day without anyone remarking negatively. If anything, most seem to think what she's doing is cute. Me, I'm close to 6' 5" and somewhat intimidating in that big Irish lug sense....anyway, I get a different reaction altogether. MUCH different.

Yeah, that's an unfortunate thing about us being big and being male. I'm 6'2" and have often thought about this. I know that when my fiancee is with me, the risk factor of photographing children is down. But on the other hand, being a tall male can help us when photographing a rougher segment of the population, as we probably have less of a chance to be confronted by some tough guy. I try to keep these things in mind and adjust my subject matter (somewhat) on these terms.

Someone mentioned Millenium Park in Chicago. It's a great place to people photograph, particularly children.

A couple more from a similar park in Racine, WI. One of the girls in this group walked up behind me asking to see her picture. I explained that it was a film camera, upon which she just walked away with a confused look on her face. 😕

 

[Ororaro]

The only problem with this response (other than it just being an outright lie), is that you'll never have an opportunity to promote your work with these people. Sure, maybe that one or two a year won't matter, but you'd be surpised at the relationships that can be built with this kind of person, someone who actually has the nerve to ask you rather than the timid ones who just don't care. Besides, if you offer that kind of answer to someone in security, you lose the chance of that person becoming your allie. Actually, that can be applied to ANY person on the street. And it will possibly leave you even more paranoid every time this person sees you photographing in their vicinity again.

The person asking the question is providing us with the opportunity to build a bridge. Don't ruin that chance before you even find out whether or not they want to build it with you.

Mark, I noticed you're always giving importance to the relationship one can build with people on the streets prior to shoot them. Relationship with nobodies. I'm not sure you're taking the right route.

I think this reasoning is flawed and it has nothing to do with good photography at all. Maybe it has more to do with bad photography or psychology, who knows.

It's all about the instant, the eye, the composition. Nothing to do with unknown street people being allies. The best photographs ever taken we're exactly the opposite of what you are explaining.

Anyhow, here are some of my pictures where I couldn't care less about being friendly with the subjects. As a matter ofact, I like to see their faces when they notice me.

"Talk too much"

I don't see how tihs image, or any other, for instance, would have been improved if I walked up to the people and said "hi!". No way, just doesn't work that way.

 

[Finder]

If someone asks me what I am doing, I tell them. I am not defensive nor embarrassed, or any way suspicious. Sometimes I work without engaging the people, sometimes I do. I don't think being the fly on the wall is better than directly engaging the person for a photograph. Both approaches can lead to good and bad images. We would never had the images by Smith in his Minamata series if he did not engage his subjects. In fact, Smith for the most part did engage his subjects. Except for his work from his apartment window.

 

[Finder]

I don't see how tihs image, or any other, for instance, would have been improved if I walked up to the people and said "hi!". No way, just doesn't work that way.

How do you know? You never tried it.

 

[vincentbenoit]

"What are you doing?"
Exposing film.

"Why are you taking a picture of me?
You have rather nice tones and you fit very well in the composition.

"What are you going to do with my picture?"
If it comes out okay I might make a print.

Just the truth, only the truth. It's lying that'll get you in trouble.

Vincent

 

[Steve Bellayr]

This happened to me last week for the first time. I was in a bar and I took a flash picture of an associate. Someone who was not even in the frame approached me angrily and wanted to know why I had taken her picture. I advised her that it was not her picture that I had taken and that she was welcome to the roll of film. Oddly, enough her beau was not offended. She didn't take the film. I guess people over react when imbibing alcohol. Several others were photographing in the bar and everyone was calm after that.

 

[Ororaro]

How do you know? You never tried it.

If you're asking a genuine question, believe me, I know.

But since you are generally sarcastic, I won't lose time proving this to you. But I know.

 

[FrankS]

Just the truth, only the truth. It's lying that'll get you in trouble.

Vincent

I agree, but how to word it so it is plain?

Inappropriate answer: "I'm a photographic artist attempting to illuminate the human condition by capturing the sublime in the banal in a slice of life street scene that you happen to be an integral part of. If I get something good, I'll post it on the internet to share with my friends at RFF."

 

[Ororaro]

I agree, but how to word it so it is plain?

Inappropriate answer: "I'm a photographic artist attempting to illuminate the human condition by capturing the sublime in the banal in a slice of life street scene that you happen to be an integral part of. If I get something good, I'll post it on the internet to share with my friends at RFF."

Frank,

One day I decided to wink every girl on the street with whom I would have eye contact for more then a millisecond. I learned a lot. 90% of those girls would just get shy and leave the scene as fast as they could and the other 10 would smile generously.

Lesson 2: apparently if you'd go and ask bluntly, to 10 random girls on the streets, "let's make love", 3 would say "ok".

No jokes.

You have to admit your photography just got better. I know mine did after I got those 2 lessons.

 

[Finder]

If you're asking a genuine question, believe me, I know.

But since you are generally sarcastic, I won't lose time proving this to you. But I know.

It is a genuine question. It was asked once to me when I "knew."

I am sorry, but have we met before? On what do you base your opinion that I am "generally sarcastic"?