taffer
void
Ahhh that Portugal gallery of yours Vincent. I love it 🙂 I must visit Portugal someday.
Street Photography Ninjas
- Thread starter martyr
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rovnguy
Guest
I've been using my XA's for this type of photography. They are light, unobtrusive and very flexible. I've found that the XA-4 is a bit easier to use because of its focusing scale. I miss not being able to set the aperture as on the original XA and having some control of DOF, but the wider lens (28mm vice 35mm) is worth it. And since they are both light and difficult for the average street person to identify, I can carry one of each. The only annoying thing for me is that these little gems have a shutter clunk that can be heard a long way off in a quiet place. I have been working on modifying a Minox right angle finder to fit over the VF on my XA's. If this works out I'll share the details with you. Attached is a scanned photo that I shot on Kodak Gold 200 film with an XA. I pre-adjusted the focus and set the aperture to f/8 and let the aperture priority mode do its work.
tekgypsy
TekGypsy
well... street ninjas? heh! when i was in New Orleans around the French Quater i was dissappointed at how narrow the streets were and it didn't lend itself to the pix i wanted... so i started wandering around "sniping" at people from around corners and through windows/doorways. the other thing is to try for the "hip-shot" focus to infinity, set the apperture to about mid-point, and go for it.
last thing.... i do shooting at bus stops and airports... learn to sit with the camera in your lap and take shots without moving it from that position. you will learn to judge when the camera is too high or too low or whether the subject is even close to being framed correctly
last thing.... i do shooting at bus stops and airports... learn to sit with the camera in your lap and take shots without moving it from that position. you will learn to judge when the camera is too high or too low or whether the subject is even close to being framed correctly
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rovnguy
Guest
Well tekgypsy, you are sure right about airports being good places for candids of people. For that matter, so are airplanes.
martyr
Member
Thanks for that pinkheadbug.com link, furcafe. Some really great tips and insight to be found there.
TPPhotog
Well-known
One thing I have found more useful than anything else if shooting in a street market is take time to talk to the traders. Most are kosher but some are not quite legitimate with people like the Tax and Trading Standards. Once they know your not from one of the agencies they become more relaxed and will sometimes explain your presence to their customers if they mention your taking pictures of people. Some of the traders have now even become friends on the markets I often visit.
Borghesia
Well-known
The best streetshooter from my own experience is the Yashice T4-T5 with its sneaky "Superscope" viewfinder.
No-one can see that you are taking a picture, that camera is like a secret weapon.
Oh and its lens is very sharp (Zeiss T*)
No-one can see that you are taking a picture, that camera is like a secret weapon.
Oh and its lens is very sharp (Zeiss T*)
S
StuartR
Guest
When I lived in Japan, I found that people were a bit less skittish to my Leica than they were to my Canon F1 or T90. Smaller is better, but the key really is judgement and attitude. Photograph only those people who you think would be ok with being photographed, or at least who you doubt would respond violently. If they don't want to be photographed, don't do it. It is not worth it. Be friendly, and be deferrent. You don't always have to wait for confirmation that it is ok, just make sure they are not liable to kill you and be ready to apologize or stop if they catch you and don't want a photo.
Then there are people like Steve West (posts every once in awhile on the Leica forum) who just go all out and occasionally get chased, beaten, threatened and so on. His photos are superb, but I can't offer you any advice on that type...I think he just fearlessly takes the pics...
here is an example where I shot from the hip guessing exposure, framing and focus -- no one was the wiser. Even if I had been caught, I doubt anyone would be that upset, at the same time, had I engaged them I don't think I would have gotten such a nice expression. Sure it is a bit soft, but I don't think it matters too much.
If you really want stealth though, I think you best bet is the Konica Hexar AF.
Then there are people like Steve West (posts every once in awhile on the Leica forum) who just go all out and occasionally get chased, beaten, threatened and so on. His photos are superb, but I can't offer you any advice on that type...I think he just fearlessly takes the pics...
here is an example where I shot from the hip guessing exposure, framing and focus -- no one was the wiser. Even if I had been caught, I doubt anyone would be that upset, at the same time, had I engaged them I don't think I would have gotten such a nice expression. Sure it is a bit soft, but I don't think it matters too much.
If you really want stealth though, I think you best bet is the Konica Hexar AF.
taffer
void
Nice hip shot Stuart, love how extremely different they look on their clothes and expression !
Also love the Konica-Minolta logo far there in the background 😀
I'm sick :bang:
Also love the Konica-Minolta logo far there in the background 😀
I'm sick :bang:
TPPhotog
Well-known
I agree it's a beauty Stuart, great capture..
Sometimes I get the feeling that the faster the pace of a location the less people have time to worry about photographers running around. I might be wrong as it's a while since I ventured into the big cities so I'm open to correction.
Sometimes I get the feeling that the faster the pace of a location the less people have time to worry about photographers running around. I might be wrong as it's a while since I ventured into the big cities so I'm open to correction.
P
Patrick
Guest
I find street photography really difficult sometimes im kinda shy but i still get the shots...
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TPPhotog
Well-known
Patrick I look at being shy as an asset in street shooting. My reasoning is that it makes you more perceptive and will force you to take the shots that matter to you rather than shoot anything that might be there.
S
StuartR
Guest
Taffer, that's hilarious! I never noticed that. Incidentally, the lens was the M-Hexanon 35/2, so there is the Konica connection!
TPPhotog -- I agree with you about the pace of the location. The suburbs are the worst for it. In the country, people are laid back and usually don't mind or just look at you as a curiosity, while in the city people are so used to living with so many different people that they are a bit more tolerant of "freaks" like street photographers. In the suburbs though, there is a nasty combination of anonymity and free time that I find often leads to defensiveness.
TPPhotog -- I agree with you about the pace of the location. The suburbs are the worst for it. In the country, people are laid back and usually don't mind or just look at you as a curiosity, while in the city people are so used to living with so many different people that they are a bit more tolerant of "freaks" like street photographers. In the suburbs though, there is a nasty combination of anonymity and free time that I find often leads to defensiveness.
stet
lurker.
StuartR: That is a great capture! Two-handed or one handed? I've yet to try hip shots, but when I try to "frame" one, I think it's always one-handed.
Today's story ... hotheadedness. I was framing a shot down a narrow alley btw. two office buildings, thinking about it and this overly testosteroned security guard bellows, "HEY! NO PITCHERS!" I didn't see him and was startled, I tried to placate, but quickly kicked into automatic defiant mode. I was on a sidewalk, not in the alley, which might've been private.
Today's story ... hotheadedness. I was framing a shot down a narrow alley btw. two office buildings, thinking about it and this overly testosteroned security guard bellows, "HEY! NO PITCHERS!" I didn't see him and was startled, I tried to placate, but quickly kicked into automatic defiant mode. I was on a sidewalk, not in the alley, which might've been private.
stet
lurker.
StuartR: That is a great capture! Two-handed or one handed? I've yet to try hip shots, but when I try to "frame" one, I think it's always one-handed.
Today's story ... hotheadedness. I was framing a shot down a narrow alley btw. two office buildings, thinking about it and this overly testosteroned security guard bellows, "HEY! NO PITCHERS!" I didn't see him and was startled, I tried to placate, but quickly kicked into automatic defiant mode. I was on a sidewalk, not in the alley, which might've been private. So then I had it out with this dude. A long time ago in heavy skateboarding days I learned to pack up and come back, but when the guard is a jerk, I reciprocate. Not the best for all situations, but I was pissed. And it made me madder that I didn't even really want this shot, it was nothing decent.
Anyway, I challenged him and told him to call the cops, and he walked off still muttering, just not as audibly.
Today's story ... hotheadedness. I was framing a shot down a narrow alley btw. two office buildings, thinking about it and this overly testosteroned security guard bellows, "HEY! NO PITCHERS!" I didn't see him and was startled, I tried to placate, but quickly kicked into automatic defiant mode. I was on a sidewalk, not in the alley, which might've been private. So then I had it out with this dude. A long time ago in heavy skateboarding days I learned to pack up and come back, but when the guard is a jerk, I reciprocate. Not the best for all situations, but I was pissed. And it made me madder that I didn't even really want this shot, it was nothing decent.
Anyway, I challenged him and told him to call the cops, and he walked off still muttering, just not as audibly.
tekgypsy
TekGypsy
best people shooter
best people shooter
this may be blasphemy in this group.. but i have always found Olympus Stylus Point and Shoots are good for street work...
the SLRs are way too obvious and hard to disguise. i always have an Olympus Sylus around somewhere.. currently it's an Epic 170 QD.
since i went digital a few years back i found that the Canon Powershot cameras are good too... had an S50 until i sold it (you FOOL!) and now have an S70 to make up for it.
i now have a brand spanking new Bessa R loaded up with a roll of TMAX 400 CN just waiting for the weekend... should it be Seattle Center or Pioneer Square?
best people shooter
Borghesia said:
this may be blasphemy in this group.. but i have always found Olympus Stylus Point and Shoots are good for street work...
the SLRs are way too obvious and hard to disguise. i always have an Olympus Sylus around somewhere.. currently it's an Epic 170 QD.
since i went digital a few years back i found that the Canon Powershot cameras are good too... had an S50 until i sold it (you FOOL!) and now have an S70 to make up for it.
i now have a brand spanking new Bessa R loaded up with a roll of TMAX 400 CN just waiting for the weekend... should it be Seattle Center or Pioneer Square?
dmr
Registered Abuser
I think I told this story here somewhere already, but ... the street shoot and the shot that still creeps me out when I think of it ... and view it. ... I was still in high school and just got my first real camera, a Mamiya SD. I was taking one of those social science courses in "Problems In Our Society" and had a term paper which I wrote on the problems of homelessness (actually, in those days we called it vagrancy) and I wanted to illustrate it with photos. (I actually got an A+ on the project!) 🙂
Anyway, one Saturday morning I talked my brother and his friend (who was HUGE) into going with me to a couple of the not-so-better areas and shoot some of the homeless.
As I said a while back, photos capture my feelings at the time, and whenever I look at this one, this same "this is not real and what am I doing in this area" comes back as if it happened yesterday.
To this day I wonder how I ever had the guts to do this shoot, even though I had two escorts. (No, we did not tell our parents where we were going!)
This is the only one from that shoot that I still have a good print of, but I do have lots of negatives from that vintage which I do want to go thru, so there may be others.
As far as evoking feelings, this one is probably the most powerful image I have ...
Anyway, one Saturday morning I talked my brother and his friend (who was HUGE) into going with me to a couple of the not-so-better areas and shoot some of the homeless.
As I said a while back, photos capture my feelings at the time, and whenever I look at this one, this same "this is not real and what am I doing in this area" comes back as if it happened yesterday.
To this day I wonder how I ever had the guts to do this shoot, even though I had two escorts. (No, we did not tell our parents where we were going!)
This is the only one from that shoot that I still have a good print of, but I do have lots of negatives from that vintage which I do want to go thru, so there may be others.
As far as evoking feelings, this one is probably the most powerful image I have ...
dmr
Registered Abuser
tekgypsy said:
If it's blasphemy you have company.
I carry an Olympus Stylus zoom almost everywhere I go, usually loaded with Fuji 400. It's quite inconspicuous. It's really handy for the spur of the moment shots, and even some planned things. Two of my friends have seen me pull it out on occasion and seen the photos from it, and have gone right out and got one.
In one circle of friends, it's affectionately known as "That Damn Camera." 🙂
It does vignette at small apertures, and the default is auto flash, so I have to remember to turn that off when shooting outside -- it will surprise you. It's also almost useless indoors without the very harsh red-eye-special flash, which does have quite a punch for its size.
Unfortunately in many cases I'll see something which I know will not take well with the Olympus, but I don't have the Pentax (or now the GIII) with me.
(Jeez I wish I would see the typo before I hit the "post message" button!)
That is a good one, dmr! In researching a paper, that's dedication!
dmr
Registered Abuser
Doug said:
Actually, I was really itching for an excuse to go shooting stuff that I would ordinarily never shoot.
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