Street Photography Do's and Don't's

[JeffGreene]

As a fellow GAS sufferer, I recently received my CLA'd Yashica Lynx 14e back from Mark Hama, and immediately left for Philadelphia with several roles of Provia 100. I'm an admirer of Winogrand. I love the angles in his images. Anyway, as I normally do, I was walking through Center City shooting away when I was suddenly spun around from behind and slammed into the wall of a pharmacy I was standing in front of by a beefy, younger gentleman who demanded that I give him my film. I normally always try to get images of people from the back where possible, and tried to explain this to the young man. His response was to reach for my camera's lens.

Thanks to Uncle Sam's tutelage some thirty years ago, I was able to assist the young man to a horizontal position on the sidewalk. At which point Philadelphia's finest arrived. They witnessed my assault, and apparently knew my assailant.

Rather than dwell on the particulars of the incident, I would be very interested in whether any of you have had uncomfortable or similarly scary experiences out there!

I always carry releases with me, but rarely need them as I am an amateur, and do not take many frontal shots. Are there any do's or don't's I may be missing. I look forward to your thoughts and advice. Thanks in advance..

 

[Solinar]

Wow, I've gotten looks before, but no one has gone ballastic.

I carry business cards and will offer to send a print, but this individual sounds to be the last person on Earth to give a card to.

Do you do any shots from the hip, with the camera simply hanging from its neck strap.

 

[hoot]

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6724

Business cards sound like a good idea.

 

[prosty]

Um, maybe it's just me, but I don't think this fella was in the mood for any sort of calm, well-reasoned explanation. Sounds like you did the most logical thing, which is to defend yourself during an assault & battery. I would have run screaming, perhaps dropping business cards like bread crumbs behind.

 

[Skinny McGee]

That's awesome !

That's awesome !

Did the Police give you a hard time? Was your friend escorted away?
I don't understand the fear of cameras... there is no harm being done.. Is it the fear that someone might make some money off a photo of you that cause's this fear? Did daddy beat him with a camera when he was a child?

Sorry for your hard time but great to hear that you manage to put him in his place.

 

[hoot]

Yeah, if I wasn't 65 kg (140 lbs) and asthmatic, I might've tried to do the same... 😀 As it is, though, I'd have been glad to get out of there with my body intact. (Meaning the camera body, of course!)

 

[SolaresLarrave]

I never found myself in a situation like that... and when I went to Philly last December, I simply loaded a roll of very fast film and shot from the hip (almost literally).

Now, the assailant really had no reason to attack you, and your self-defense was quite justified. In the street, and if it's not for commercial purposes, you can photograph virtually everything. Should somebody come up recognizable, they won't be able to sue you as long as you don't use their likeness for profit.

So... one of the don'ts: never go into private spaces (malls, restaurants, offices, stores).

One of the do's: set your camera lens to hiperfocal distance and do hipshots. These ones come from a roll of Scala rated at ISO 800 on a grayish day yielded the images below. BTW, it's Philly too!

 

[Allen Gilman]

Nice shots Francisco.

I've got a mesmerizing feint and fast legs.

 

[Borghesia]

As I started as a Lomograph, there are hardly any donts for me (firts rule, there are no rules). Having a Yashica T5 with its sneaky superscope viewfinder, street- and peoplephotography is a snap. Sorry to hear your experience though.

 

[FrankS]

About 10 years ago I was walking along The Danforth (street) in Toronto trying out my then new to me Leicaflex Standard with 50mm Summicron. I had been walking/photographing for about an hour and was totally in a zone when suddenly a short but stocky Greek man started shouting and running towards me. At the time I was taking a picture from the sidewalk of a deteriorating doorstep to 2nd floor apartment (of which he was likely the landlord. He was souting , Why are you taking pictures, etc. and attempted to grab my camera (which I alluded.) I was prettty much dumbstruck, startled from my zen-like trance. The best I could muster was a menacing look and then walked away slowly. Had I not been in such a trance/zone I may have been more assertive in the situation and stood up for my rights. That was the most negative thaing that has ever happened to me while photographing on the street.

 

[x-ray]

I've had a history of going uninvited into less than safe places to get the shot I wanted. Once I went into a flop house where I was greeted by a guy swinging an axe at me. I didn't know I could run that fast backward. Another time i was in an less than desirable neighborhood and had a guy empty a small calliber pistol at me. Another time I had rocks and bottles thrown at me. Other than that nothing exciting.

 

[thpook]

I have been accosted and yelled at a couple of times, mostly "Did you just take my photo? You can't do that!!!!"

My usual response "I can, but why would I take a photo of you?". Not really polite, but I don't respond well to hostility.

One of those times, I was siiting on a bench with my M2 and elmar taking photos of a mannequin that was setup in the middle of the walking street in Aarhus. A man came out of no where and started yelling "Why are you taking photos of me? Let me see the photos now!" I showed him the back of my camera and told him that first, it was impossible to show him the photos, as an M2 is definitely not digital, second, I was within my rights to take as many photos in public as I liked, and third, I certainly wasn't taking photos of him.

He started getting more irate, so I stood up, and towered over him. Apparently that was enough. Sometimes I like being a little imposing.

 

[thpook]

I've had a history of going uninvited into less than safe places to get the shot I wanted. Once I went into a flop house where I was greeted by a guy swinging an axe at me. I didn't know I could run that fast backward. Another time i was in an less than desirable neighborhood and had a guy empty a small calliber pistol at me. Another time I had rocks and bottles thrown at me. Other than that nothing exciting.

That's precisely the reason why I still have and use my Nikon F4. It's a brick on a strap, and I won't regret losing it as much as I would one of my leicas.

 

[Toby]

I've always found being obvious is better than being sneaky. Take someone's picture overtly they might be annoyed but you can smooth things over. Be sneaky they go ballistic. Although I've noticed little old ladies asking me if I like sex and travel (they told me to **** off). As for threats -for us poor pub owners it's like water off a duck's back -truly violent people don't threaten you they just hit you, so if someone berates in the street you're probably safer than you think 😀

 

[f/stopblues]

He started getting more irate, so I stood up, and towered over him. Apparently that was enough. Sometimes I like being a little imposing.

I try not to deliberately use my size as an intimidating factor when faced with circumstances like that. After all, I'm a lover, not a figher 😎 6'8" and 280lbs kind of speaks for itself sometimes 😉 It's tough to simply blend in while street shooting though!

 

[Kin Lau]

About 10 years ago I was walking along The Danforth (street) in Toronto trying out my then new to me Leicaflex Standard with 50mm Summicron. I had been walking/photographing for about an hour and was totally in a zone when suddenly a short but stocky Greek man started shouting and running towards me. At the time I was taking a picture from the sidewalk of a deteriorating doorstep to 2nd floor apartment (of which he was likely the landlord. He was souting , Why are you taking pictures, etc. and attempted to grab my camera (which I alluded.) I was prettty much dumbstruck, startled from my zen-like trance. The best I could muster was a menacing look and then walked away slowly. Had I not been in such a trance/zone I may have been more assertive in the situation and stood up for my rights. That was the most negative thaing that has ever happened to me while photographing on the street.

Must be something with the Danforth. I had some lady giving me a hard time, and all I was doing, was standing on the sidewalk trying to load film into my IIIa. She just keep walking around me, sweeping the floor in the area and saying "you can't take pictures here"... then I finally asked her "do you own the sidewalk?"... then she changed her tune to "there are secret police watching, there are hidden cameras everywhere". I wanted to say "what do you think my job is?" 🙂... but hey... stupidity is the second most common element after hydrogen.

I think that in the long run, we need to have a reply firmly in mind for those times when we _will_ be confronted.

 

[aizan]

Although I've noticed little old ladies asking me if I like sex and travel (they told me to **** off).

LOL. Ah, Little Old Ladies. They've all got something up their heinies, er, sleeves.

 

[furcafe]

I've encountered plenty of people who've objected to having their picture taken (though the *vast* majority don't mind), but have been fortunate enough to avoid any violence. Nor have I ever had anyone demand my film or anything.

I am occasionally mistaken for a law enforcement officer/gov't agent by illegal immigrants & street thugs--this causes some great subjects to avoid/flee from my camera, but on balance I think it's a good thing. I actually am a Fed in my day job, but I'm a little guy & not physically intimidating @ all, so I think it's mostly my (always) short haircut & (often) conservative dress that makes some folks think I'm a cop.

As to shooting style, I'm firmly in the "be obvious & hide in plain sight" school. In the parts of DC where I shoot , I'm often 1 of the few Asian folks on the scene, so blending in is usually not an option, anyway (though I have pretended to be a clueless Japanese tourist on occasion).

 

[thpook]

I try not to deliberately use my size as an intimidating factor when faced with circumstances like that. After all, I'm a lover, not a figher 😎 6'8" and 280lbs kind of speaks for itself sometimes 😉 It's tough to simply blend in while street shooting though!

I am also of the lover not fighter type, but there are times when being big says a bit more than "Get out of my face."

 

[Toby]

I am also of the lover not fighter type, but there are times when being big says a bit more than "Get out of my face."

From my experience it's the little guy you have to look out for -they've got something to prove