Street Shooters: Polling Your Style

Street Shooters: Polling Your Style

  • Expressionistic In-Your-Face Gonzo— I'm Taking Your Picture!

    Votes: 43 8.0%

  • Humanistic— May I Press the Shutter?

    Votes: 38 7.1%

  • Unobtrusive and Stealthy— It's the essence of a Moment. You will never know I was here.

    Votes: 410 76.5%

  • I'm way too shy for this stuff.

    Votes: 45 8.4%
  • Total voters
    536
Funny, I'm stealthy when further away from people. But, when I hit a very crowded corner say on Broadway or somewhere similar I bring the camera way up. I'm shielded by others and can snap as people come into view from behind other people. In that instant, folks are moving to fast and paying too much attention too not bumping into others.

Very busy/crowded corners rock!
 
Blake Werts said:
So I'm wondering if this isn't a better approach? Speaking from my own experience, when I see a photographer loaded down with their gear, I just accept that they are a professional on a "shoot" working a job assignment. I just give them enough of a glance to see if I can quickly identify their gear and just keep walking. The photographer is essentially wearing their intentions on their chest, really... "I'm a photographer and I'm snapping pictures..."

The "stealth" bobbing and weaving... I think that it may send a message to some that you are trying to "snatch" something without their knowledge. And for many, just knowing that gets a reaction that we'd rather not have to deal with.

Just a thought.
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Thank you, this is good news for new visitors.
 
I always try to be stealthy and just blend in the crowd/people :)

But when I do get caught or people realize I'm shooting them-- I turn into a Expressionist or Humanist depending on the reaction of the person i'm shooting :)
 
blackwave said:
I typically shoot first and apologize with a smile afterwords. It does the trick most of the time!

What I find most curious about my personal style is that I have to actively walk around with my camera for quite a while before I hit my groove and really start shooting (and seeing.) Even in a crowded place, I'll shoot maybe three to five frames in 30-45 minutes. After that all of the sudden I'll start popping of a roll in the next 30 mintues. Confidence maybe, or possibly it's just a matter of settling into the environment.
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Agree with all of this, I'd rather get the shot then deal with any consequences afterwards. So far I haven't had any adverse reactions to my style, so this may change if/when somebody gets really annoyed with me for taking their photo. It also takes me a while to settle into the groove. I have to be alone with no distractions, I can't listen to music while shooting and often turn my mobile phone off. There are days when I'll walk around for 3 hours and only get a handful of shots, and others when I'll finish a roll in an hour or two. Some days I just can't get into the mood.

As for my style, definitely C. If the subject notices me then I feel defeated and usually don't take the shot. I recently bought a right angle finder (Wintu) to help me become even more stealthy when I need to.
 
andredossantos said:
Here in NYC, espeially in midtown, downtown Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn there is no need to be stealthy. Most People just don't care and/or assume you are a tourist. Of course, if you fashion yourself a ninja and want to snap shots of a paricular person you can be sneaky. In any case, generally people are just in a rush and don't pay attention.

I spend most of my time shooting in neighborhoods that are not so nice. Granted, I only photograph people probably 10-15% of the time, But I've found that being sneaky in these types of areas is NOT a good idea. It actually can be dangerous because you will be assumed to be an authority figure, or someone who may be trying to catch someone in the act of some real or imagined illicit activity. Anyway, I've found it's almost always better to be obvious and thus, you are pretty much telegraphing that you are not a threat. What I do is I find an interesting spot and I stand there for a while then begin taking photos once a comfor level is achieved. If I get bad vibes i move on. Using old cameras, like my mamiya c330 or hasselblad also helps as they are more obtrusive. Anyway just my personal experience :)
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I'm in NYC also, share the same experience, and shoot in a similar manor, as I also venture into desolate areas and take a bit of risk.

When I venture into the fringe, I often leave the Leica at home, but I then use a Nikon F3 non HP equipted with a motor drive and a AH-4 hand strap.

It is kinda in your face that it is an old film camera, gives me a bit of authority like I belong, because it is a big rig.

I doubt that anyone would bother me for my camera, because it is obvious that it could be easily used as a weapon.

Cal
 
Stealthy but shy. If it appears I am being noticed, I just stop and take something else. At an art fair I was shooting some passers by when an artist exhibitor approached me and said he was sorry, but he didn't permit photographs of his art work. I bit my tongue and did not say "Who would want to photograph that stuff?" I did say that I had no intention of shooting art work, but was interested in the people. He thanked me and scurried off. I stayed and shot some more of the crowd.
 
I think it's very interesting that there is ONE major style of shooting on the street, and that all of the minority styles have about the same number of adherents.
 
I cannot buy into the shove it in their face and click the button school of street photography. People have personal spaces - invade that space at your peril. I much prefer to stand back and use a slightly longer lens to take the shot without their knowing. (This is one reason why I am now much more often using a digital SLR rather than a rangefinder and my favourite lens is now around 85mm. I will also crop more tightly if needed for the composition.) Invariably I am respectful - after all I want an image of someone looking and doing something meaningful and interesting, not picking their nose or scratching their bum. But I want to get the shot with out upsetting them and if pssible without their knowledge. Mostly I am not interested in taking a photo of someone staring at the camera like a frightened bunny. I need that moment in time when they are absorbed in what they are doing to make it work.

Here are some of mine.....tell me if I am wrong.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/80702381@N00/
 
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Peter, I sure wouldn't tell you that you are wrong. You get great results using your own methods, and that's what counts. I've enjoyed your Life in the Shadows series. Standing off with an 85mm obviously gives results that look different from closing in with a 28mm, even if the framing of the main subject(s) is the same. Some like the sense of immediacy and involvement the latter tends to bring, while others prefer the sense of a detatched observer of the passing scene... some like both depending on the mood or circumstances and some prefer an in-between approach with a normal lens. It can all lead to great photos with a personal stamp and wide appeal.
 
In your face??

In your face??

Al Kaplan said:
As for style, sometimes I'm in your face, sometimes stealthy, but I act at ease and and will often get involved in a friendly chat with my subjects while continuing to shoot a few more frames.

http://thepriceofsilver.blogspot.com
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I'm with you Al. I may be 'in your face' but I've met more nice folks and struck up more interesting conversations shooting on the street than I would ever make living my otherwise mundane life. Why the hell does one shoot on the street if not for that? The only criteria for success shooting on the street?: The photographer must genuinely like people.
 
Strange debate, "in your face etc........."

You can do "in your face" or "long focal" and be respectfull imho (or not respectfull, even with a long focal lenght )

You just feel if it is okay with the people in front when you shoot

If you feel it is not, don't shoot, that's all
 
I try to possess a little of each of these qualities, I think the best photographers (not that I'm one of them) know when to use each. I lean more towards observational though, for the record.
 
I agree with nonot. The style probably depends on the culture you are in too. In Hong Kong doing photography "in your face" is a quick way to get in trouble (at least from my experience there). I used my GRDI with an external finder set at "snap" focus and was able to get some okay shots unobtrusively.
 
If the decisive moment brings surprises, edit, edit, edit!

Before
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After
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I voted for the stealth option preferring to capture the moment, if people know that they are having their picture taken, either with or without their permission, something changes and it never looks natural to me.
One exception is the elderly, I quite often find that they are more approachable, love a bit of a chat, are agreeable to having their picture taken, enjoying the fact that someone is showing an interest in them.
I would never photograph children without the parents knowledge or consent hence I never photograph children because just asking can be a mistake .
 
They all work...sometimes

They all work...sometimes

There is no hard and fast technique that one can apply. I've used all of the above. The key to successful street shooting is to quickly recognize the shot and capture it the best way possible. Sometimes in-your-face works and other times it can get you in deep doo-doo. In NYC, I've found that most folks are too busy to make a fuss about it. But in NJ, I sometimes get "that look" from an annoyed suburbanite.
 
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