Tell me about your stealth street shooting technique

Thanks Arjay for signposting us Fuji X Forum guys and gals to this thread. It also reminded me that I was still a member here though my last visit was back in 2008. Unbelievable! Great thread though. I gave up my Contax G2 for Canon's FF and spent at least ten years using them. Back to street photography again with an X100 Limited Edition now and enjoying the genre once again at the grand young age of 70. Got fed up with the weight of the other stuff.

My technique for street - if you can call it a technique - is to just keep my eyes peeled and be ready when I see a shot developing. I then move in, take the shot, and then move on without looking back. If I'm noticed, I smile and say thank you, but rarely stop for a chat. It works for me! Some good chat in this thread though. Regards...KeithT
 
Somewhat on topic - interesting article on Satoki Nagata's street shooting at night in Chicago, in the December 2013 issue of Popular Photography. I don't think the story is on their website (yet?), but it's about his "Lights in Chicago" series. Shot at night using a Canon Speedlight 580EXII on a stand, positioned so that people walk in front of it. Then he shoots with a slow shutter to give a ghostly "halo" of the person in front of the background (the article suggests typical settings of 1/8th sec, f/5.6, ISO ~200, one-quarter power on the flash). He uses M8, M9 and M cameras (lenses not reported).

This is the series on his website - http://www.satoki.com/blog/archives/portfolio/lights-in-chicago

Very different look and feel from "classic" (say what?) street photography, but I thought well worth mentioning. I love the photo on the opening page of that gallery.


EDIT - er, the OP asked for "stealth"... well, in the PopPhoto article, although this gentleman is shooting flash on a stand at night, it notes that very few people even paid attention and out of hundreds of photos, only a very few even stopped to ask what he was doing. Hiding in plain sight I guess!
 
Is there such as thing as stealth street photo if you use digital? I mean...you can take a billion pictures so can just shoot from the hip all one wants and take the one shot out of 500 or so that works...is that a stealth technique?
 
lmans66 said:
Is there such as thing as stealth street photo if you use digital? I mean...you can take a billion pictures so can just shoot from the hip all one wants and take the one shot out of 500 or so that works...is that a stealth technique?
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I'd say so —*a bit like stealth videography I guess.
 
I'm very good-looking, I mean models get whiplash rubbernecking when I pass. So I have to spend many hours applying my ugly fake nose, wig with bald patch, chubby suit, and other prosthetics. It takes so long to put on, that except for Saturday night with the wife, I leave it on. Who has time? Anyway, this helps me blend in. Of course when one is in a busy environment it is easier to go unnoticed. And when possible if I see a shot up ahead I pre-focus, and adjust my settings so I can shoot quickly and then just walk on. I sometimes wear a plain baseball cap, and when I'm looking down through my TLR viewfinder my face is hidden. Mostly I'm not stealthy. Last week a Tea Party member protesting in public with a huge sign threatened to attack me -- so I energized my Clingon cloaking device and it was a real hoot to seem him kicking and punching the air -- I also crossed to the sane side of the street.
 
Shooting from the hip compromises horizon and precision a lot. Shooting with the camera hanging from your neck, on the other hand, can be sufficiently precise, as long as you know your lens. And camera height can be adjusted to taste with the strap.
Some pics on flickr shot from the waist with ~38mm equivalent

Something I didn't see mentioned in the thread is that the chest/waist level camera can result in a more cinematic viewpoint with the audience looking up at the subjects. This is not easy to replicate by simply crouching or bending knees as both of these easily attract eyes in public.
 
Obviously it takes a bit of practice..... Looks like I know what I will be doing in my spare time.... But would like to practice using digital first...
 
I normally shoot street with my GR and I can't remember the last time I was noticed. Lately I've been out a lot with my X-Pro1 and I get noticed frequently. There's just something about raising a camera to the eye that draws attention. I'd say that small, high-quality, responsive cameras like the GR, that are designed for one-handed shooting, are one of the great contributions to street photography.

John
 
Several techniques, best with the Monochrom Leica with 1/1000s shutter speed. 1/250 is my preferred street shutter speed with film, but it's 1/500s with digital. Holding camera above hip height in front works for some shots; or in my right hand with thumb on the shutter button, same end of the camera applied to my abdomen for stability. If that leaves the vantage too low, even unanchored I've got shots that are sharp enough. FL of 28 seems best for this, but 35 is fine. 50 is harder to bring off but that works too. And often (usually) I have no interest in stealth.
 
My photos improved once I stopped bringing it to my eye (level). I shoot from chest level, extended arm and overhead. Any way to gain a different perspective. This shooting style does not make people as defensive as if I brought the camera to eye level. I use the camera as a tool to be used creatively -- no requirement all photos be shot through the viewfinder.

zone focus M9 with 24mm.
 
In my opinion 'stealth street photography' is not so much an issue of 'technique' but much more one of mental preparation. When you go out to take pictures of strangers adopt an open and inviting mindset. Get in close and push the button. On youtube you'll find Martin Parr doing that .
 
Stealth does not really work when you're carrying a camera. And trying to be stealthy makes me feel unclean. I just shoot, smile and say 'thank you' if it feels like more is required. Sometimes I'll even ask, in sign language : smiley question face, pointing to camera. Trying to hide that you're taking pictures is conspicuous, not stealthy at all.

A hasselblad or a rollei is quite good for shooting from the hip, you can frame looking down. That in itself must help to make these beasts less 'in your face' : the photographer is looking down at the camera, not straight at you, and his face isn't hidden by the camera - the subject cannot help being at least slightly curious about what the photographer is looking at, distracting some of his attention away from the camera, while keeping the eyes pointed in the right direction. This is probably twaddle, but I felt that people shot with hasselblad had a more open look, whereas with the nikons, I think I saw more frowns.

Cheers
 
Nice old thread with fresh comments on it.

More pictures I take on the street, less stealthy I want to be.
It was very helpful at beginning to have XA in one hand and just point it to the subject.
Long legged ladies, eating people, hobos, what else...

But after couple of years I wanted something different. Composition, light, pattern, interesting moment, motion... I have to use viewfinder for it. Plus, at some point you'll discover what if people into something interesting they wouldn't notice or they wouldn't pay attention for you. Film Leica M is just right for it, for many reasons.

And if you really want this person on the street photo, the best way is not to hide. With time, more less accurately you'll start to feel if you could take person picture straight or by fooling around like "tourist".

Instead of trying to be stealthy just be honest, it feels much more comfortably.

For the street it is actually works better if people see you as photographer, it changes their initial judgement. Not like - this guy is holding his camera near his bolts and taking pictures of me, but - this guy is photog and I will be just part of his pictures.
 
Ko.Fe. said:
And if you really want this person on the street photo, the best way is not to hide. With time, more less accurately you'll start to feel if you could take person picture straight or by fooling around like "tourist".
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The "tourist" act usually works really well, especially if you also have a linguistic advantage.

Unfortunately, in Paris, it also tends to attract a lot of scammers. Swings and roundabouts.
 
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