Super-busy streets for lazy portraits

I'll bring a 35 a 50 and a 90 (which came with a Hexar set and is otherwise unused).
I will stand facing the crowd and gaze meaningfully into horizon ogling a beautiful Amsterdam landmark that "I'm about to shoot". Of course in the meantime my vision will be surveying the crowd moving towards me, selecting interesting characters. I will raise the camera to my eye, focus, compose and shoot. Then look dissatisfied that someone got in between the camera and that beautiful landmark 🙂 Sounds like a plan.
And yes, if I find it interesting I will shoot from the hip, and not to hide the fact but to get a different angle. I don't care what people say about off-the-hip. I shot the whole Red Light District like that and that's the only way it can be shot.
 
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Phantomas said:
I'll bring a 35 a 50 and a 90 (which came with a Hexar set and is otherwise unused).
I will stand facing the crowd and gaze meaningfully into horizon ogling a beautiful Amsterdam landmark that "I'm about to shoot". Of course in the meantime my vision will be surveying the crowd moving towards me, selecting interesting characters. I will raise the camera to my eye, focus, compose and shoot. Then look dissatisfied that someone got in between the camera and that beautiful landmark 🙂 Sounds like a plan.
And yes, if I find it interesting I will shoot from the hip, and not to hide the fact but to get a different angle. I don't care what people say about off-the-hip. I shot the whole Red Light District like that and that's the only way it can be shot.
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Just as long as you realise that your hip deserves all the credit,not your not your eye,unless you have your brains in your ass like gm13 🙂
 
Might I suggest you start in crowded public event... a fair or a festival, where there will be a profusion of cameras. You will feel less stand-outish (Is that a word? It is now.)

And if it's really crowded, I'd opt for the 35mm lens.
 
It's certainly a technique that will provide photographs but to me the essence of a street shot is not the random photos of strangers - it's those which tell me something more about an event, an occurrence, the photographer etc. so the people become ciphers or bit-part players. I like to see humour, wit and intelligence which the best street photos have. I see people walking down the street every day and it doesn't interest me a great deal - there has to be that special extra something, which is what makes it hard work.

Same principle applies to a lot of photographic subjects, not just street.
 
On a busy street, I find an interesting place/light and use a camera with a wlf. I frame the photo then wait until people fill the frame in an interesting way. You have to be quick an it helps to prefous then change on the fly. Large depth of fiel helps too. You can get very close without being noticed. Also, people just aren't as threatened by cameras with wlf's. I've been meaning to get a wlf for my canon f1 and seeing if people react diffrerently.
 
Here are a few, though w/ little merit. (all taken w/ a 35) What I think the 1st and last of them illustrates is a slight invasion of personal space. Those two taken in a small "village" of 2000 where the personal boundary is greater. The other NYC. Yes it does take a bit of nerve, a smile goes a long way and rarely isn't returned. Point being I think heading to a very busy center where the personal boundary is decreased is an excellent idea.

I thoroughly enjoy the challenge of TRYING to compose something from the street with a touch of elegance in it's structure. Perhaps if I succeeded once in a while it would cease to be so appealing. Maybe I'll find out someday. As it stands, w/o practice no one would pay me for the crap I typically turn out.


Just as long as you realise that your hip deserves all the credit,not your not your eye,unless you have your brains in your ass like gm13 🙂
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Nice brother, real nice.
 

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Austerby said:
It's certainly a technique that will provide photographs but to me the essence of a street shot is not the random photos of strangers - it's those which tell me something more about an event, an occurrence, the photographer etc. so the people become ciphers or bit-part players. I like to see humour, wit and intelligence which the best street photos have. I see people walking down the street every day and it doesn't interest me a great deal - there has to be that special extra something, which is what makes it hard work.

Same principle applies to a lot of photographic subjects, not just street.
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Very good point and certainly something I've been putting under a question mark with my idea of trying an afternoon, even just a roll of film, of such photography. This made me question the essence of street portrait photography. Of course it is commonly believed that engagement with your subject and personal involvement with them will provide much better photos. Not arguing with that. But isn't it also about successfully capturing a random scene that doesn't hide its randomness and that's the whole appeal? Hard work pays off, but does one always have to work for their shots? Yes, I see crowds every day, yes mostly grey masses, but sometimes I can look and focus with my eyes and i wish I was snapping away with them. No, I don't know those people, I will see them for maybe 10 seconds in my life, but their expression speaks and I'm certain it would speak on a photograph. Unfortunately those 10 secs are not enough, nor even necessary, to take such photo in an involved and personally engaged manner.
I'm under no illusion that I will have a great success and will build comprehensive study of deep characters, but there's a chance to get something and at least to give a try to the photographic subject that I personally find interesting. I'm not even a good photographer, hell, I'm a noob and will stay so for at least next 10 years. But I don't think this a ridiculous idea or concept. At least it's not my idea to shoot careless pointless photos of a crowd, hopefully I can manage to take out what I'm visualizing out of the crowd with the camera. That's the hardest part.
 
I agree largely with Austerby.

Images simply of people's framed expressions don't do much for me. I think you need interaction, context and composition to really have a street shot that is engaging.
It is often very hard to get all of these (or even some!) in a single shot, but trying for that is favourable to taking 1000's of random shots and hoping one will work out right.
 
My favorite focal length for street shooting is 28mm or 24/25mm. Sometimes I go as wide as 15mm. I love deep shadows and getting close, as if you're standing in the midst of your subject. I find successful street photography is where the onlooker is engaged with his/her subject, bringing the "outside" in.

90mms are too "telephoto" for me.
 
Results might not be too good. If you are going to shoot in a crowd like that, you'll need at most s 28mm. I've done this but the results seem to be "passer-by" type shots. And they don't really say anything I'm interested in. People on their phones, not really doing anything out of the ordinary. When the crowd thins out is when you get people doing interesting stuff.

Try it for yourself. You might like it!
 
Results might not be too good. If you are going to shoot in a crowd like that, you'll need at most s 28mm. I've done this but the results seem to be "passer-by" type shots. And they don't really say anything I'm interested in. People on their phones, not really doing anything out of the ordinary. When the crowd thins out is when you get people doing interesting stuff.

Try it for yourself. You might like it!

Here's an example of one that I like.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gumanow/2273989046/in/set-72157622077600802/
 
I can't profess to have the answers; but a few things I do is familiarise myself with the location, spot things that may work in the wider context.

Then I'll stick around a bit, if it's in a communal place (e.g. park, market etc.) people will get used to you milling around. Interact, I sometimes natter to people or maybe grab a drink from a market stall holder and sit down.

Then I'll wander and shoot, sometimes I'll hang about and wait. The biggest mistake I made when starting to street shoot (and sometimes still make) is to keep moving, sometimes stop and then wait, watch. If you just pull the trigger on anything to keep moving in an attempt to 'evade' being caught as such, you'll tend to get garbage.

This combined with the observation period is this advice: See something that works as a scene but needs life, stop and wait. Have in mind what you want. E.g. I was using my Autocord this Tuesday in Midsummer Place, Milton Keynes -- it's a shopping centre. There's this huge atrium which is open at both ends by glass which allows incredible light. There was a stall holder with balloons and flowers, colour, this alone through the lens worked. But I thought, what if a child comes along and starts playing with the balloons with mother in tow -- that would work. It would symbolise something, not sure exactly what, some kind of childhood hope perhaps. So I waited, and waited. Eventually it happened, and I took the picture and moved on. Be prepared to linger, and if necessary come back again and again until it works.

Of course this doesn't cover the spontaneous things that happen so be ready, and make life easier by concentrating on a couple of locations to start with and wait for the unusual to occur, if nothing happens, move on.

My final advice apart from what others has said is this: If you feel shy about this, or feel like you're trying to evade people's attention due to being shy -- don't start thinking a new camera or a new lens will sort this. E.g. it'll be easier with a wide angle, easier with a rangefinder, easier with a telephoto etc. -- invariably it won't be because the real problem is in yourself and not being assertive enough; address this and you'll likely make it work with any camera.

I find anywhere between 28mm and 50mm works, 50mm (or MF equivalent) works for me just fine.

Oh and of course:

Get close. Then get even closer still.



Mind you, I'm not exactly a crack pro at this stuff, just keep trying to do better next time and learn.

Vicky
 
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uhligfd said:
28mm preferred on 35 mm film or full size sensor, zone focused at around 1-2-3m; f/11 and GO shoot random pics on Amsterdam streets, some will be nice.

But a Zebra could do this. So where is your human mind's input? Your composition skill, your art impact then?

And is it not a good sign that you realize you are not ready to shoot street, except evasively from the back ... So find the inner strength for it or get off the street.

My 3 cents worth ...
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He is right... I was always shy about doing street, so strayed away from it until I bought the E-P2.. I'm still uneasy about throwing a big slr in someones face, but with the m4/3 it is awesome.. I walk around see someone I want to shoot compose, take the shot.. If I "Get Caught" I smile, but don't try to pretend I'm not shooting them... 35 to 50mm on a FF is perfect.. Actually just ordered a R3M, my first rangefinder... Can't wait to get started..
 
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