raftman
Established
One thing I do is try to do is compose pictures in such a way that no one person in a crowd feels like they're being single-out. I guess it sort of stems from that "golden rule" in that I know that if I were in a crowd, and noticed a photographer singled me out and snapped away, it would make me a little ill-at-ease, but if I was just one person in the picture among many, it really wouldn't be such a big deal.
Even when I've shot inside of a crowded train, I've never actually had anyone object. A couple of people asked what kind of camera I was using, asked me if photography was a hobby or profession, why I still prefer film, etc. Occasionally I get an odd stare, but I get those even when I don't have a camera with me at all.
Even when I've shot inside of a crowded train, I've never actually had anyone object. A couple of people asked what kind of camera I was using, asked me if photography was a hobby or profession, why I still prefer film, etc. Occasionally I get an odd stare, but I get those even when I don't have a camera with me at all.
thafred
silver addict
raftman´s advice is very good! Thats why I feel that my wideangels give me a easyer time on the streets! You compose in a way the people just don´t notice they´re on the film.
I started out with street a few months ago and was basicaly feeling the same about beeing nervous and feeling guilty for taking a shot but after a steep learning curve (it´s not over by far!) I feel better now up to the point that I shoot entire rolls woth nothing else than people!! (If I get 2 good shots out of 36 I´m very lucky thou)
It´s great fun when ure used to it a little and usualy I don´t get any objections or reactions at all! even when shooting direct infront of a face....ignorance is bliss!
Good advice to go to places with huge crowds of people..the chance of getting noticed is null! Last thing: don´t shoot without looking through the VF!!! yea you get a shot but it´s usualy very crappy so don´t do it!!
Feel free to browse my street section: http://www.flickr.com/photos/57493810@N00/sets/72157594333317210/
I started out with street a few months ago and was basicaly feeling the same about beeing nervous and feeling guilty for taking a shot but after a steep learning curve (it´s not over by far!) I feel better now up to the point that I shoot entire rolls woth nothing else than people!! (If I get 2 good shots out of 36 I´m very lucky thou)
It´s great fun when ure used to it a little and usualy I don´t get any objections or reactions at all! even when shooting direct infront of a face....ignorance is bliss!
Good advice to go to places with huge crowds of people..the chance of getting noticed is null! Last thing: don´t shoot without looking through the VF!!! yea you get a shot but it´s usualy very crappy so don´t do it!!
Feel free to browse my street section: http://www.flickr.com/photos/57493810@N00/sets/72157594333317210/
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mike goldberg
The Peaceful Pacific
Fascinating Thread here! I'm with raftman & Dougg... first of all, NOT to be sneaky. If I resort to being sneaky, I don't feel good. And, framing my pix in such a way, that a particular person does not feel singled out, often helps. The first shot or two of the gal on the bus, were actually aimed at the couple behind her.
Yes, it is different strokes for different folks, yet we seem to have some consensus here, as to what works.
mike
Yes, it is different strokes for different folks, yet we seem to have some consensus here, as to what works.
mike
sf
Veteran
Leica Geek said:
Street photography really isn't my best suit, but I can say something about this.
Got to keep this simple...I like to be verbose with abstract topics.
The most important thing to keep in mind when admiring the human element of the landscape or cityscape, is that you aren't there to create but only to observe. You shouldn't follow people to get a shot you imagine they might make real at any moment. You should approach a walk down the street as if it were a slow, contemplative journey from one end of an art gallery to the other, trying to perceive as much as you can without making a scene, trying not to interfere with anyone else's enjoyment of the work. If you add anything to the scene, it stops being street photography and starts being some kind of interactive portraiture.
Asking permission is a kind of interference in the balance of things in the scene as well, so I never do that. I simply never make myself into someone with a target in his sights. I don't use tripods or flashes. I don't stare at my subjects or make eye contact with them (ever). I try to communicate through my movements, the direction of my attention, that I am there to soak it all in, and that no single aspect or person in the universe is the intended subject of my work.
sleepyhead
Well-known
Shooting From The Hip
Shooting From The Hip
I lived in Jerusalem for a year (1983-84). It was the best place I've ever been for street photography. First of all, there is so much diversity of people and religions. Second, the way of life there, with all "the troubles", as well as all the turists about, make people pretty much indifferent to a harmless camera. Perhaps they're just happy you're not SHOOTING with something with live amunition!
Regarding shooting from the hip, I used to do it more than I do now. It's a good way to begin, but I found the low perspective quite un-natural looking. These days, if the camera is not at my eye, it's at chest or belly-level. This is a much better perspective, and sometimes you can even use the self timer and just let the camera hang off you and look somewhere else while the shutter snaps.
Regarding focal length, I think 35mm is best for me. Anything wider and things look too distorted.
ANYWAY, as has been stated above, shooting people pretty much comes down to feeling relaxed, not acting weird, being able to gab your way out of any trouble with some friendly chat, and PRACTICE. Definately learn how to zone focus, and work fast. Good luck.
Shooting From The Hip
mike goldberg said:
I lived in Jerusalem for a year (1983-84). It was the best place I've ever been for street photography. First of all, there is so much diversity of people and religions. Second, the way of life there, with all "the troubles", as well as all the turists about, make people pretty much indifferent to a harmless camera. Perhaps they're just happy you're not SHOOTING with something with live amunition!
Regarding shooting from the hip, I used to do it more than I do now. It's a good way to begin, but I found the low perspective quite un-natural looking. These days, if the camera is not at my eye, it's at chest or belly-level. This is a much better perspective, and sometimes you can even use the self timer and just let the camera hang off you and look somewhere else while the shutter snaps.
Regarding focal length, I think 35mm is best for me. Anything wider and things look too distorted.
ANYWAY, as has been stated above, shooting people pretty much comes down to feeling relaxed, not acting weird, being able to gab your way out of any trouble with some friendly chat, and PRACTICE. Definately learn how to zone focus, and work fast. Good luck.
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J. Borger
Well-known
There is so much photography under the name "street" it is difficult to give advise. Lenses wider than 35-50mm and shots from the hip might work for others but sure do not work for me. It might be easier to get a shot ... but i get very few pictures i like this way .... so i prefer a slower more controlled way of shooting: this means normal lenses, carefull composing and focussing and overall taking relatively few pictures.
I act as much as a tourist as possible ..... and do not like to do streetphotography in my home-town either.
I agree very much with Frank says .. the harder you try to be unnoticed .. the more people will notice you and wil question what you are doing ..... so i prefer to work in the open .... if they notice me it's fine, if not it's mostly better but i do not try to hide what i am doing or sneak up on people ....
I act as much as a tourist as possible ..... and do not like to do streetphotography in my home-town either.
I agree very much with Frank says .. the harder you try to be unnoticed .. the more people will notice you and wil question what you are doing ..... so i prefer to work in the open .... if they notice me it's fine, if not it's mostly better but i do not try to hide what i am doing or sneak up on people ....
lubitel
Well-known
I've been trying to shoot street for about a year, and find it really hard. Most (if not all) of my street shots are garbage.
I live and work in a small city and that is one of the reasons that makes it hard. You bump into the same people all the time. There are also not that many different places left to "discover"
I try not to hide anymore, because it makes no sense. You will be noticed and the click of your camera will most likely be heard even if its a leica. Black camera will also not make it invisible
Its easiest to shoot when there is an event like street fair, or when the street is really busy. Thats the only time I really feel comfortable photographing people closer. Also being in a new to me or a big city helps me somewhat to be more comfortable.
By the way the category "street" I interpret not only as photographing people on the street, but anything I find interesting on the streets. May be thats also a good way to start: photographing objects on the street or people from far away.
just my 2 cents
I live and work in a small city and that is one of the reasons that makes it hard. You bump into the same people all the time. There are also not that many different places left to "discover"
I try not to hide anymore, because it makes no sense. You will be noticed and the click of your camera will most likely be heard even if its a leica. Black camera will also not make it invisible
Its easiest to shoot when there is an event like street fair, or when the street is really busy. Thats the only time I really feel comfortable photographing people closer. Also being in a new to me or a big city helps me somewhat to be more comfortable.
By the way the category "street" I interpret not only as photographing people on the street, but anything I find interesting on the streets. May be thats also a good way to start: photographing objects on the street or people from far away.
just my 2 cents
ChrisN
Striving
A recurrent theme above is being open, confident and obvious. In this vein, why is a "discrete" rangefinder better for this than a big SLR?
rolleistef
Well-known
because people feel agressed with a big SLR. I once tried to do street photography with my pentax SP1000, and each time I wanted to take a photo of someone, the person would have a furious stare, or say no with the head. But with a rf, people don't really care because it's so small. And also, "shklac" is not as pretty a sound as "clic"
What you can do for practiscing, is taking some photos with many people, and then you'll grow confident enough to take one person at a time, because you'll quickly find out that they don't notice you. Just avoid taking photographs of children as it might bring you some troubles. Have fun!
What you can do for practiscing, is taking some photos with many people, and then you'll grow confident enough to take one person at a time, because you'll quickly find out that they don't notice you. Just avoid taking photographs of children as it might bring you some troubles. Have fun!
V
varjag
Guest
Because with SLR you look like a real photographer
R
ruben
Guest
It seems that at the streets there are lots of situations, quite different one from the other. Not every shot is to be one to one, vis a vis a muscular mafioso.
There are plenty of tricks, and in many situations you cannot but use them accordingly. Therefore I find no reason why Stu couldn't include shooting from the chest within his arsenal.
Nevertheless, I have my basic approach, without which I don't believe I could go far. I am not going to the streets to spy or to sneak images ridiculizing people. I go for the contrary, because I have a kind of attraction towards socializing with people, because I identify with my subjects. A camera can be also an excuse for socializing, without loosing our former goal.
Once in the past, I happened to know a bit Larry Towel, a Magnum photographer, touring conflict areas around the world. When I saw his images of Gaza Strip, I went highly dissapointed. The images had a tremendous aesthetical depht, but there was no reason at all why they had to be made in Gaza, unless he was in need of a scenario, a "curious" background. And what about the people, their life, their plight, their attitudes ?
This is the opposite approach of my master street photographer Beniliam. His human sensitivity towards people and life is of the highest calibre in Photography.
Therefore I am ready to engage ('confront') my subjects whenever necessary with good humour and symphaty. In case they show a sign of discomfort towards me taking their image, I don't. A sign of discomfort can origin either from a particular good reason not to be photographed (for example a foreign worker without permission), OR by the inner feeling of the photographer's discomfort, being catched by the subject.
Not every day I am in a glorious state of mind for the Street. A day I am not, better I stay at home.
I am only a beginner at the Street trade. But in my opinion it is not about streets, it is about humans first of all. Each of us in RFF is a human too, not just artists, let's dig there and find our common grounds and meeting grounds with people at the streets.
Cheers,
Ruben
PS
Although I may sound above like the good Sammaritan, I am convinced that the skneaky attitude, becoming the main one, is a self defeating tactic as well, for "installing" you into an adversary attitude towards your subject.
There are plenty of tricks, and in many situations you cannot but use them accordingly. Therefore I find no reason why Stu couldn't include shooting from the chest within his arsenal.
Nevertheless, I have my basic approach, without which I don't believe I could go far. I am not going to the streets to spy or to sneak images ridiculizing people. I go for the contrary, because I have a kind of attraction towards socializing with people, because I identify with my subjects. A camera can be also an excuse for socializing, without loosing our former goal.
Once in the past, I happened to know a bit Larry Towel, a Magnum photographer, touring conflict areas around the world. When I saw his images of Gaza Strip, I went highly dissapointed. The images had a tremendous aesthetical depht, but there was no reason at all why they had to be made in Gaza, unless he was in need of a scenario, a "curious" background. And what about the people, their life, their plight, their attitudes ?
This is the opposite approach of my master street photographer Beniliam. His human sensitivity towards people and life is of the highest calibre in Photography.
Therefore I am ready to engage ('confront') my subjects whenever necessary with good humour and symphaty. In case they show a sign of discomfort towards me taking their image, I don't. A sign of discomfort can origin either from a particular good reason not to be photographed (for example a foreign worker without permission), OR by the inner feeling of the photographer's discomfort, being catched by the subject.
Not every day I am in a glorious state of mind for the Street. A day I am not, better I stay at home.
I am only a beginner at the Street trade. But in my opinion it is not about streets, it is about humans first of all. Each of us in RFF is a human too, not just artists, let's dig there and find our common grounds and meeting grounds with people at the streets.
Cheers,
Ruben
PS
Although I may sound above like the good Sammaritan, I am convinced that the skneaky attitude, becoming the main one, is a self defeating tactic as well, for "installing" you into an adversary attitude towards your subject.
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DMG
waiting for friday
there is no quick solution, the more you do it the more you get used to it. The main lesson is to learn when not to take the photograph rather than when to take it (sorry was that too zen)
JohnL
Very confused
I'm with Allan on this one. Use a lens one shorter for hip shooting than you would for a carefully composed shot and be prepared to crop a bit. I generally use 35mm from the hip, sometimes even 28mm. You need to practise. It soon gets easy to guess the vertical framing (i.e. the width of your FOV). I have a tendency to shoot a bit higher than I want, sometimes cutting off feet and so on, but I'm getting there. I hang the camera round my neck just above waist level, adjust for level horizon, and steady it with my right hand only, with my thumb on the release. No-one has ever yet noticed me taking a shot this way. Don't expect to get 100% keepers. There'll be lots of shots that don't work out quite right, but some of them will ... good luck!kaiyen said:
BTW, I don't think this is sneaky at all. I have a personal rule never to shoot degrading pictures, like drunks in gutters etc. That's already been done too much, IMHO.
Pherdinand
the snow must go on
if you feel weird about it, just don't do it. There are many more, equally beautiful and rewarding subjects to shoot.
V
varjag
Guest
Quite. The world is full of great street photographers, now if only there were half as many people doing good still lifes..Pherdinand said:
Bike Tourist
Well-known
Overcoming your fear of people photography can lead to some nice encounters with interesting persons. I never ask permission but I do talk to them with a "hello" or "good morning" when we are close and it's obvious what I'm doing. On the very rare occassions when someone objects, I move on and don't argue. As others have said, respect for people goes a long way toward smoothing the way.
Surprisingly, I have gotten more attitude from people about photographing things — particularly from paranoid shop owners wanting to know why the hell I was photgraphing their building or show window, Usually, they can be calmed, too, with no harm to anyone,
So, when you force yourself to get out there among them, your life gets more interesting, right?
Surprisingly, I have gotten more attitude from people about photographing things — particularly from paranoid shop owners wanting to know why the hell I was photgraphing their building or show window, Usually, they can be calmed, too, with no harm to anyone,
So, when you force yourself to get out there among them, your life gets more interesting, right?
nightfly
Well-known
Yeah, you really shouldn't shoot from the hip.
FrankS
Registered User
ChrisN said:
Yes, be open but do not fumble with the camera to your eye focusing and setting exposure. Spend as little time with the camera to your eye as possible. Pre-focus (or zone focus) and have the exposure already set.
A smaller RF camera is less intimidating. It looks less serious, less professional.
kaiyen
local man of mystery
Though there are many that find a larger SLR more effective for street photography - you are _more_ obvious because of the larger camera, and people aren't surprised by your actions. And there is never the thought that you are sneaking around.
allan
allan
kbg32
neo-romanticist
One advice I can give, is to frequent the neighborhood(s) you want to photograph in. Let people see you, with and without the camera walking arounding on the street. I tend to look right at people, in the eye if I can, when photographing them. Even if it is from the hip. If you look at your subject making some kind of visual contact, they usually don't even see the camera. Sure, at first it is scary, but what is the worst that can happen? I've had people yell and call me names or call out the fact that there is someone around with a camera. After a while you will begin to become atuned to your surroundings and situations, knowing when it's okay or not to photograph.
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