peter_n
Veteran
Great shot dmr! Mine is more a "middle of the tummy" shot as distinct from a hip shot, but I have a tiny waist-level viewer that really helps with hitting the target. Shot with a Canonet.
Street Photography Ninjas
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StuartR
Guest
stet said:
Stet -- it was one handed, but the camera was around my neck. I had my thumb on the shutter release sort of looking like I was resting my hand in the loop of the strap. Middle finger set focus and forefinger set aperture. Then I just moved it so I thought they were in the frame, waited until they were about 2-3 meters away and pressed my thumb on the release. Hopefully I will get better at judging distance some day...
mkyy
Established
This is my first time posting picture here. It's one of my hip shot takens in darkside of Vancouver, pretty creepy experience. Camera draws too much attention at eye level and I decided to shoot the roll at hip.
FrankS
Registered User
Fantastic photo, mkyy !
Jarvis
in quest of "the light"
Whatever one says, I still think a Hassleblad shot from the waist is the best street-shooter you can find, hyperfocal focussing, clear finder, 6x6 format and a lot less obvious than pointing "the red dot" in somebodies face, however silent it is.
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nwcanonman
Guest
I keep an Olympus Trip 35mm in the glove box. For a $3 epay buy it takes very good pics. Unfortunatly there's no way to turn off the flash (it's auto everything), so in dim light it'll always POP in their eyes.
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nwcanonman
Guest
mkyy,
I agree, it's a very nice shot.
Just a word about posting photos, size-web-wise. If you make the longest side around 750 pixels, the photo will look great on a moniter but won't take 5 minutes to load (for us dial-ups) LOL.
Welocme to the RFF and please post MORE!
I agree, it's a very nice shot.
Just a word about posting photos, size-web-wise. If you make the longest side around 750 pixels, the photo will look great on a moniter but won't take 5 minutes to load (for us dial-ups) LOL.
Welocme to the RFF and please post MORE!
FrankS
Registered User
Jarvis said:
It would be if not for the sound of the mirror/shutter. A (Rollei) TLR with its leaf shutter is much quieter and still gives the waist level finder and 6x6 neg. The only thing you have to give up is lens interchangeability. The Mamiyaflex will give you that but at the cost of much size and weight. I therefore propose the Rolleiflex/cord as one of the best street-shooter cameras.
reagan
hey, they're only Zorkis
There's some great shots on this thread! My "profession" places me in a position daily where I talk to strangers in many different environments. I enjoy it. So when I'm out to get some shots, just hobbying - not working, and I see an interesting face, (though not always) I often strike up a conversation... "how's it goin'?" or "nice day, huh?" or whatever the moment promotes. People will let their walls down a little when they realize you're friendly/accepting/passive... when they begin to think the conversation is more important to you than a picture... when they realize you see them as a person, not a "subject."
Sometimes I shoot/talk ... sometimes I talk/shoot ... sometimes I shoot during the conversation ... take a shot, talk a little, focus across the street, talk... take a shot. People's expressions change during conversation. One of those expressions might be a keeper. Even if it's not, I've had a good conversation.
Attached is shot taken (though not with an RF) before walking in and buying a coke and chatting with the gentleman - "shoot/talk." After we talked a little, I asked for a picture, but could tell that he would rather I didn't. I respected his wishes. A few days later, I passed the man on a different street and he greeted with a wave; integrity retained for both of us.
Karen Nakamura is one of my favorite photographers. Her site Photoethnography, in my opinion, is definitely worth devouring for anyone interested in capturing and knowing everyday people going about their everyday lives.
Sometimes I shoot/talk ... sometimes I talk/shoot ... sometimes I shoot during the conversation ... take a shot, talk a little, focus across the street, talk... take a shot. People's expressions change during conversation. One of those expressions might be a keeper. Even if it's not, I've had a good conversation.
Attached is shot taken (though not with an RF) before walking in and buying a coke and chatting with the gentleman - "shoot/talk." After we talked a little, I asked for a picture, but could tell that he would rather I didn't. I respected his wishes. A few days later, I passed the man on a different street and he greeted with a wave; integrity retained for both of us.
Karen Nakamura is one of my favorite photographers. Her site Photoethnography, in my opinion, is definitely worth devouring for anyone interested in capturing and knowing everyday people going about their everyday lives.
Alex Shishin
Member
I use to use SLRs for street photography. My favorirte was my LX with the waist-level finder. I even used Bronica 6x6 on trains for a while. I can't believe it.
Turning into an RF user almost exclusively was a fairly short revolution. It just happened I liked the feel of RF cameras and then everything else came into place. They are quieter and lighter and easier to shoot at slow speeds. It was the relative quiet that did it for me, I think. I shoot much of my stuff at waist level or otherwise "blind." The relative quiet is probably more of a psychological benefit than anything else.
I've worked with a Konica AF for a while and will eventually work with it again. I've found that it is better when subjects are stationary. When they are moving, espeically toward you, the AF tends to get confused. Best to prefocus a regular RF camera.
I look for epiphanies in street photography. That is a term stolen from James Joyce that meanssuddenly finding something profound in the commonplace and fleeting moment.
I'd like to upload some of my street photography but have no idea how it is done on this forum.
Turning into an RF user almost exclusively was a fairly short revolution. It just happened I liked the feel of RF cameras and then everything else came into place. They are quieter and lighter and easier to shoot at slow speeds. It was the relative quiet that did it for me, I think. I shoot much of my stuff at waist level or otherwise "blind." The relative quiet is probably more of a psychological benefit than anything else.
I've worked with a Konica AF for a while and will eventually work with it again. I've found that it is better when subjects are stationary. When they are moving, espeically toward you, the AF tends to get confused. Best to prefocus a regular RF camera.
I look for epiphanies in street photography. That is a term stolen from James Joyce that meanssuddenly finding something profound in the commonplace and fleeting moment.
I'd like to upload some of my street photography but have no idea how it is done on this forum.
peter_n
Veteran
Alex I know your name from the Leica forum on photo.net. I am Peter N over there. Welcome to RFF! 🙂 With respect to uploading, just click on the "My Gallery" link in your signature and look for the upload link. Its pretty simple. 🙂
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Roman
Guest
FrankS said:
I totally agrre - when it comes to street pics, I'm a bit shy, but I have been using a 'cord Va a lot recently, and took shots I would not have dared otherwise - on the one hand, sneaky shots are done easily (like shooting sideways, pretending to look ahead), but on the other hand also shooting people very obviously, where not putting a camera between your and a subjects eyes allow better making contact (just squinting down to check focus & composition and then facing the subject agin while taking the pic).
Roman
hoot
green behind the ears
I've been using the Olympus XA and Mamiya 6 for street photography. The $30 XA's light meter is more accurate than the $600 Mamiya's (less underexposed shots in auto exposure), and the XA's exposure compensation switch is a lot faster to operate. Shooting street presupposes auto exposure to me, except on overcast days when light is constant at all angles.
As unlikely as it may sound, the huge Mamiya rangefinder is not more noticable than the XA. When I hold a camera up to my eye, people realize I'm taking a picture, regardless of how big the camera is. The only difference is that I can make the XA disappear into a pocket faster than I can tuck the Mamiya into a bag - but at that point you've either been noticed, or you won't be, so it doesn't really matter as far as that's concerned.
Roman has loaned me a YashicaMat TLR. Now that's stealthy. I sent three rolls through it photographing two old ladies in conversation on a tramway. Even though the tram car was empty except for the three of us, I stood at arm's length from them throughout the entire ride, shooting away from different angles, winding, changing film, etc., and they never noticed a thing. The downsides are: 1) harder to focus quickly than a rangefinder; 2) left-to-right reversal makes quick framing a hurdle I've yet to get over, and 3) the lack of a light meter (let alone auto exposure) means losing some shots, plain and simple. I can meter and pre-set everything, but as soon as I pass under a bridge, the pre-settings become useless.
It would be nice if someone invented a waist-level viewfinder that had the reversal corrected. That and auto exposure would probably make a TLR the perfect street camera.
As unlikely as it may sound, the huge Mamiya rangefinder is not more noticable than the XA. When I hold a camera up to my eye, people realize I'm taking a picture, regardless of how big the camera is. The only difference is that I can make the XA disappear into a pocket faster than I can tuck the Mamiya into a bag - but at that point you've either been noticed, or you won't be, so it doesn't really matter as far as that's concerned.
Roman has loaned me a YashicaMat TLR. Now that's stealthy. I sent three rolls through it photographing two old ladies in conversation on a tramway. Even though the tram car was empty except for the three of us, I stood at arm's length from them throughout the entire ride, shooting away from different angles, winding, changing film, etc., and they never noticed a thing. The downsides are: 1) harder to focus quickly than a rangefinder; 2) left-to-right reversal makes quick framing a hurdle I've yet to get over, and 3) the lack of a light meter (let alone auto exposure) means losing some shots, plain and simple. I can meter and pre-set everything, but as soon as I pass under a bridge, the pre-settings become useless.
It would be nice if someone invented a waist-level viewfinder that had the reversal corrected. That and auto exposure would probably make a TLR the perfect street camera.
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nwcanonman
Guest
Shot an easy roll of 36 today at the Kid's Fun Fair!
We had crafts for kids to make necklace/bracelets and bright stickers. I just pre-set the exposure (indoors) and distance (3-4ft), had the Bessa on the table in front of me for fast easy pics.
Looking forward to seeing the results back from the lab.
BTW- Had no objections from kids or parents ~ ; - )
We had crafts for kids to make necklace/bracelets and bright stickers. I just pre-set the exposure (indoors) and distance (3-4ft), had the Bessa on the table in front of me for fast easy pics.
Looking forward to seeing the results back from the lab.
BTW- Had no objections from kids or parents ~ ; - )
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nwcanonman
Guest
Oh - and I even had one young girl ask me how much my camera cost. Hey, at least SOME interest in photography is something ~ ; - )
hoot
green behind the ears
Good for you! I shoot a lot of kids for a current project of mine, and have never gotten negative reactions, either. I usually do the "behave like you belong there" skit; that and the professional-looking Mamiya 6 do wonders.nwcanonman said:
In fact, the only two times I've been accosted for taking someone's photo, I was using the Olympus XA. The first time was in Brno, CZ, when I photographed a middle-aged man and woman eating at a diner (the photo turned out blurry, so I'm not posting it). The man came up to me and asked me, in English, what I thought I was doing. I told him I was a photography student and that it was part of my assignment. He immediately backed off.
The second time (also with XA) was a few days ago in my native city, Vienna. An African woman wearing what I suppose is her traditional garb (a bright green silk scarf wrapped like a turban around her head, and a bright gold dress) was sitting on a bench at a tram stop. I framed, but waited for her to turn her head to look at me. She did, I snapped a shot, and she freaked out and tried to beat me with her handbag, cursing after me as I fled. It was a pretty surreal experience, and I attribute the reaction to her, not me, because I don't think I was behaving any differently than usual. 🙂
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street-fighter
Newbie
hi everyone i am a brand new member and would like to say that if you see with your eyes and its happening right infront of you shoot it. and if you don't have your camera around your neck you wont use it. i look foward to seeing everyones work.
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StuartR
Guest
Well, I went for a stroll on the beach last night and decided to be a bit more bold than usual. I saw a girl working on something in the sand. I saw that she had a camera, so I walked up to her and started talking to her. She was a photo student (there are many in my town) working on an assignment. I asked her if she minded if took some shots, and she said of course not. So I took four photos during the course of the conversation. They all came out, but one was rather boring. Here are the other three. It was a nice reminder for me that sometimes if you overcome your shyness you can meet interesting people. I got much better photos than I would have if I just slyly shot as I walked by...
All shots Leica MP 50mm summilux ASPH on velvia 50.
All shots Leica MP 50mm summilux ASPH on velvia 50.
back alley
IMAGES
stuart, yes you got the pics but more importantly did you get her number?
joe
joe
Matthew
Established
Just to second (or third, I've lost count...) some of the sentiments here: I've always found that the best approach to street photography is to act like you belong. You're a photographer, photographers take pictures, it's what you do. Smiling and being polite go a long way. Dressing well but not obtrusively for the location is important. If you're in a business district dress like you belong. If you're going to the beach, look like it. Leave the photo vest and bag at home. Dressing like a tourist is wrong both for photography and for good fashion sense.
Being in at least a moderately crowded place helps. More often than not I find that people try to get out of my photo not because they don't want to be photographed but because they think they are ruining my photograph by being in it, not realizing that they are the photograph. This is especially true when there are fewer people around.
Being patient is also very important, finding a backdrop with good light and waiting for the right combination of events to happen.
Be very quick but never sneaky. I find hip shots to sometimes be interesting but also a somewhat distasteful method of making an image.
If you're not going to engage with a subject never take more than say three or four images without moving on or at least fading into the background and waiting for another moment with the same background.
The only times in my life I've been refused a photograph were when I saw two twin elderly ladies walking down the street and I asked if could take their photograph. They acted like I was crazy for wanting to do so and refused me. The other time was when there was a seemingly endless line of children being led by their caregiver (who probably couldn't give very good care given how many of them there were), and I was waved off with a wagging finger. It wasn't really a good photograph anyway, just something bizarre that I wanted to remember.
And finally, to pass on the advise that David Alan Harvey once gave me, "stop thinking and just take the f--king picture."
Being in at least a moderately crowded place helps. More often than not I find that people try to get out of my photo not because they don't want to be photographed but because they think they are ruining my photograph by being in it, not realizing that they are the photograph. This is especially true when there are fewer people around.
Being patient is also very important, finding a backdrop with good light and waiting for the right combination of events to happen.
Be very quick but never sneaky. I find hip shots to sometimes be interesting but also a somewhat distasteful method of making an image.
If you're not going to engage with a subject never take more than say three or four images without moving on or at least fading into the background and waiting for another moment with the same background.
The only times in my life I've been refused a photograph were when I saw two twin elderly ladies walking down the street and I asked if could take their photograph. They acted like I was crazy for wanting to do so and refused me. The other time was when there was a seemingly endless line of children being led by their caregiver (who probably couldn't give very good care given how many of them there were), and I was waved off with a wagging finger. It wasn't really a good photograph anyway, just something bizarre that I wanted to remember.
And finally, to pass on the advise that David Alan Harvey once gave me, "stop thinking and just take the f--king picture."
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