Tell me about your stealth street shooting technique

[ashrafazlan]

Mine involves being really really fast, so that means I have to anticipate what might happen before I even lift the camera up to my face. Focus and metering is usually pre-set and tweaked if needed so all that's left is releasing the shutter. The downside to this is sometimes my composition can be slightly wonky but after a while it gets better.

 

[Arjay]

...
On a personal note, I really think the sneaky stuff is counter-productive to the big picture of "street shooting." As of late, I'm working this one corner and I'm starting to see some of the same faces. Before, they were rather standoffish. Now, I'm getting nods and smiles. Very cool.

While I'm not above shooting from the hip, I think there is an honesty to working in close and being up front when shooting. Don't get me wrong, I want spontaneous unstaged photos. I'm just more "open" and far more approachable than I used to be.

After three afternoons/evenings of photographing on the Oktoberfest, I concur with you.

It appears the subject of getting close and achieving completely unstaged pictures is indeed also a psychological problem.

After several hundred shots in my stealth method, I am realizing that most people are so preoccupied with themselves that most of them won't notice me anyway. Thus, an important factor is the intensity of distraction in the location where I am watching people (fairs a easy!).

As for the rest, you're right, If I just shoot my pictures without making any fuss about it nor wathing for others who might object, photographing is just cool. OTOH, I realize that getting close to other people (as required for really dynamic shots) isn't very easy if I'm not hiding what I do - because I feel that I am intruding onto others' 'zone of comfort'.

Incidentally, this zone of comfort is a culture-related phenomenon: In Germany, that zone normally has a diameter of 5 to 9 feet, in some mediterranean countries, this diameter is a lot smaller, right down to 4 feet.

I'm still learning ...


BTW, your second and third shots are gorgeous. Congratulations!

 

[KenR]

In some locations (Grand Central Terminal or streetfairs for example) everyone is too busy doing their own thing to notice me, and so I just shoot. But recently I've found that someone who is oddly dressed is really just crying out for attention. I engage them in conversation for a minute and then politely ask if I can take their picture. Most are more than willing and will even take gentle direction. Seems better than my older stealth method which led to several confrontations over the years.

 

[ebino]

Personal space is determined by density of people in certain a place. For example in an elevator personal space is inches, in a park its many yards or more. So, whether its Germany or China, people will relax their personal space rules if its crowded and especially if its a festive atmosphere.

Maybe its your own idea of what should be personal space and how close a photograph could get that is stopping you from getting close. most of the time its our own hang ups that becomes a limitation to our photography and we project it on people, gear or something else... in my case i can never bring myself to ask someone if i can take their photo. I just feel it makes them an accomplice and if they refuse, i have lost the shot. While there is another amateur who i know and he would never take a photo unless he has taken permission from people or has made it clear from a distance that his taking their picture so they better pose for him.

I know this did not answer your question, but our personality decides our street photography technique, thats what i think.

 

[Nikkor AIS]

Thanks Jay.


























35 Summilux 1.4 Leica M7 with Motor-Drive.

I really love these types of threads as they challenge my mind set. I always try to stay open to infinite possibilities™.
Right now I'm on an anti-stealth fixation. I have actually been waiting for my subjects to look at me.

 

[ebino]

here is Mark Cohen with his technique, of course later on copied by Bruce Gilden.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOr5MHlJQUA&feature=related

 

[Bingley]

The advice to take photos of people when they're not looking at you, while sounding obvious, is on point. Other than that, here's what I do:

1) Shoot at f.8 or smaller if I can

2) Use zone focusing or hyperfocal focusing

3) Use a camera with a quiet shutter (see comment below)

4) Work fast

5) Avoid eye contact with the subject (unless you get busted, in which case smile)

If you're successful, you can take a photo like this w/out getting punched in the chops:

I'm serious about the quiet shutter thing. I was doing some "street photography" at a local baseball game last month, using my Leica IIIc (which does not have a seriously quiet shutter). A guy heard the sound of the shutter, and confronted me about taking his picture. The situation got fairly ugly. He called security, I was detained, and it wasn't until some police officers explained that it was not illegal to take pictures of people in California that he relented and I was allowed to go. I wonder if this confrontation would have been avoided if I'd been using an M2 or Canon P, which are very quiet.

 

[Steve M.]

A small, black camera like a Leica CL is wonderful for the street. No one even notices it. The other thing that helps is to have a camera w/ a WLF. That will get you great shots because, again, no one notices it. A camera that isn't held up to your eye may as well be invisible.

 

[ampguy]

possibly

possibly

but I haven't found this the case, with a Nikon F3, and DW3 WLF. Looking intently down, with both hands holding a gadget of some type draws peoples eyes down to the camera, and then where it is aimed.

A small, black camera like a Leica CL is wonderful for the street. No one even notices it. The other thing that helps is to have a camera w/ a WLF. That will get you great shots because, again, no one notices it. A camera that isn't held up to your eye may as well be invisible.

 

[Spyro]

Wow good stuff Nikkor, got more?

 

[israel_alanis]

Arjay, Do you remember WNYC? with Bruce Gliden, Jamel Shabazz, Joe Wigfall, and many more... there are many kind of street photography techniques, all techniques are valid and each one work for one and do not for others.

I think this threat is very nice because we can read about techniques of street photography and learn about it, but I test one and I think it does not work for me... so let go for other one. and Street photography for purist is great Arjay.

Gregory your street photography is awesome, congratz.

And ampguy you show us some pics of your street photography, and they are fine, but about your comment maybe the goal is that no one talk to the police to arrest you and the most you can get is a piss bath on you, the goal is take that picture and everybody out think it is awesome or real.

Greetings.

 

[israel_alanis]

here is Mark Cohen with his technique, of course later on copied by Bruce Gilden.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOr5MHlJQUA&feature=related

I had forgotten Mark Cohen, thanks Elbin.

 

[ironhorse]

I must say that I find the techniques of Mark Cohen and Bruce Gilden highly objectionable. They show a blatant disrespect for their subjects (or perhaps better described as objects) and wind up with uninteresting photos. I just don't get the point of it.

 

[atlcruiser]

I have some basic issues to deal with.....

I am 6' 2" and weigh about 260. Short hair, goatee, earings and big tattoos on the backs of my hands. I stand out in the crowd! Think tattooed yeti! I stand out dressed in a suit or with a few M bodies slung around my neck.

I do not go for the stealth approach much at all and the more I shoot the more comfortable I am. I am out there just doing my thing; as are the people I photograph.

I will look over some situations and not shoot if I dont feel right about it or if there is some sort of drama going on that i dont want to be a part of....does not happen too often.

When I see a static person or small group not moving/walking i do hesitate to just "jump in" and invade their space. Often, I make eye contact prior to shooting to judge the situation or to at least convey that i see them as people and not as subjects. Has worked well.

No idea why but when I am moving and the other people are moving as well I have no difficulty in jsut taking pictures of them...the static aspect changes things for me.

 

[BillBingham2]

David,

Yes stealth may not be a word used to describe you too often but it sounds like you have an approach that works. Using an XPan hung around the neck with a remote release (not sure if she takes a cable or not) is an approach that you might try. You need to develop a feeling of where your frame is, but with the large negative it might work well. I've done this sort of thing in places where I could not take pictures and it's worked well (with a Bessa L rather than an XPan, never had the pleasure of owning or using one of those beauties).

Everyone has their own approach, I have several depending upon where I am and what I am shooting with.

B2 (;->

 

[atlcruiser]

For some reason I feel guilty if I "hide" the fact i am taking the picture. That, to me, seems unfair. Almost as if I am robbing the subject .....

 

[dogberryjr]

I must say that I find the techniques of Mark Cohen and Bruce Gilden highly objectionable. They show a blatant disrespect for their subjects (or perhaps better described as objects) and wind up with uninteresting photos. I just don't get the point of it.

Amen to that.

 

[glenerrolrd]

Not sure if this already in the thread. One of the best techniques I ve seen is setting up the photograph by "setting the stage". I look for the background first...then I look at the flow through the light ...then I prefocus on likely spot and wait until the action comes to me. I can shot at any height from my foot to over my head (useful for crowd depth) but I also find if I hold the camera close to my eye and wait ..I can make a small movement to frame and shoot.

When people are walking they pick up on movement .. most think I am waiting to get a clear photograph of say a building.

But setting the stage really works to help create layers and depth in the image.

I find working with a RF much easier than a DSLR and I ve tried both on alternatives days. A DSLR and you can t take a wide angle shot without someone assuming you are zooming in on them.

 

[JohnnyT]

In SLR or Rangefinder, I put my focus to about 5 meter to prepare...

A. In RF, when I'm ready I quickly take the camera to my eye, look throught the VF finish the focus and this is it... I usually try to have a mininum of 1/60... But this is not that important, you just need enought speed for what you want. I the subject is moving, maybe a bigger F-Stop would help.

I also look at my camera of somewhere else after the shot just to be more "invisible"...

B. In SLR, I do something similar with DSLR, still with manual focus lens. I put the focus to about 5 meter, take a look at what I want and quickly bring the camera to my eye and finish the focus. I usually put my camera in single shooting and aperture priority. More easy with the SLR, so I can go at the F-Stop I want... And, I really don't care about stealth with that kind of camera, I'm more intruisive... which is not very polite, but is really fun 🙂

 

[raytoei@gmail.com]

been reading this thread and practicing some of the tips mentioned here.

in the first picture, i sort of guesstimated the distance.
in the second picture, i pre-focused on the glass and the subjects were somewhat not sharp.

I find that the choice of camera to be important, especially the size and shutter-sound. I am currently practicing scale and zone focusing on the XA and Rollei 35.

cheers!

raytoei