Why I may never be a good people photographer….

[vrgard]

I'm not sure I like that pop photo article. While the advice to talk and be friendly seems sensible I don't like how they talk about tricking people into signing model releases, so he can sell their images so stock agencies...It is this kind of stuff that has everyones hair up these days, no one wants to unknowingly end up in the next genital itch ad.

Yeah, I kinda had the same reaction. The guy is characterized as a real friendly sort but then basically tricks them into signing a release that's characterized as merely a "so I don't get sued for merely taking your picture" but that is instead a release for any use by the photographer of the resulting image. Gotta question the legality of a release that was never even seen much less read, particularly when the terms are significantly greater than those verbally communicated.

 

[emraphoto]

"I know that I'm a good photographer in my comfort zones. One of the main reasons I'm pursuing this avenue is to spend time outside of those zones"

you hit it on the head there my friend... it will remain a daunting task trying to photograph people in a "street/improvised/documentary" style. i've been working at it for many years and still get a little nervous. but then again i think that's part of the fun... again, some folk prefer to ninja it... i like to get right on in there and say "hello". in the words of a great... "if your photo's aren't good, it's because your not close enough"

(or something like that)

maybe you'll make it up to the big canadian meet in montreal. may long weekend, and a great place to hit the streets...
john

 

[dadsm3]

Good thread.
But is it really shyness? I'm not a shy guy.....I mix readily with strangers and after the GTA meetings I can attest that most of us do. But put me on the street with my camera and I'm paralysed.
I think it's more of a desire to not be impolite....I don't like rude people, and don't want to be one.

 

[dazedgonebye]

I'd kill for a weekend in Montreal! Unfortunately that's the only way my wife would ever let me that far off leash! 😱

"I know that I'm a good photographer in my comfort zones. One of the main reasons I'm pursuing this avenue is to spend time outside of those zones"

you hit it on the head there my friend... it will remain a daunting task trying to photograph people in a "street/improvised/documentary" style. i've been working at it for many years and still get a little nervous. but then again i think that's part of the fun... again, some folk prefer to ninja it... i like to get right on in there and say "hello". in the words of a great... "if your photo's aren't good, it's because your not close enough"

(or something like that)

maybe you'll make it up to the big canadian meet in montreal. may long weekend, and a great place to hit the streets...
john

 

[back alley]

I don't like rude people, and don't want to be one...

what's rude about taking a photo with people in it?
what are we hurting when we do it?

i am not the least bit friendly when i'm shooting on the street. i don't smile or pretend to be doing something else, i just walk around and shoot. if someones objects i stop because i'm a nice guy but not because i have to stop. most times i walk down the street at a slow pace and some times i stop and stay put for awhile and let people walk into my planned shot.
street shooting may not be for everyone but i don't think i'm being rude when i do it.

joe

 

[dadsm3]

Not a fair argument Joe. "Taking a pic with people in it" is not the same as "taking someone's picture"....one is incidental, the other is invasive (or that's how the public perceives it.) I can stand by landmark and shoot away too....
Just don't get me in a compromising shot in Montreal, you papparazzi you...

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

some times i stop and stay put for awhile and let people walk into my planned shot

Me too. Plan the scene and wait for the people.

 

[reagan]

Comfort zone for me...
I preset everything. I like using 35mm or 28mm for people shots and prefer around 1.5-2.5m range (which is about normal "conversating distance" for me) so I preset focus and while walking around say, a Farmer's Market, I look for a conversation with an interesting face. There really are plenty of friendly folks out there, so there's no reason to bother the grumps. Who needs their portrait?

I'm actually a little more comfortable taking a shot while I'm doing the talking, maybe in mid-sentence, continuing to talk after the shot. I try to do this quickly, though not jerky, and sometimes not even raising the camera all the way to my eye; momentarily against my cheek, a glance over the top of the camera and fire... and keep talkin', put the camera down and continue the conversation.

Tell yourself that your real hobby is meeting friendly people. I like people and to me anyway, the conversation is more fun than taking the picture. The photo later is just a very satisfying reminder of a brief conversation with a friendly person I met that day.

..

..

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[Avotius]

the only way I got over taking photos of people is one day I bought a canon 17-40, stuck it on my 30v and used that to take street photos for a year, it really forced me to get in there, and im glad I did it, although my wallet isnt glad since my wide angle obsession began there

 

[Pherdinand]

Cacti are much worse for hugging, fondling, making love to, than people.

 

[Nachkebia]

ooH! I am chichen in everything but taking pictures of people in the street! I might get my bud kicked, someone might through stone at me, someone might swear at me! someone might lough! but I will take a picture! no metter what! I think it all has to do with body langauage, strangly I find best to feel very detached with camera, I always hold my camera in my hand and not neck 🙂 with rangefinders it is even easy 😀 I got used to all this with my huge SLR with Huge pro looking lenses 😀

 

[Turtle]

Dont give up! There is one word and it has nothing to do with photography:

Rapport

Focus not on pictures but the rapport and eventually you will get to the point where the camera is not longer a problem for either you or the subject as the rapport has been developed. It is a skill, which if developed gets better. If you are not someone blessed wih the gift of the gab and supreme confidence, just keep plugging at it and dont be worried f you dont tke any pictures. The practice you are getting is in developing rapport, but you will get to the point where you can bring the camer into it. I virtually never take a shot after, "can I take a picture please' as the results are generally rubbish even if the person is willing. The tiem spent on rapport not only makes the process natural but makes the pictures a whole heap better too. I have to practice or I get rusty and frequently walk away when I realise that I am not going to make progress. Thats fine!

 

[telenous]

ooH! I am chichen in everything but taking pictures of people in the street! I might get my bud kicked, someone might through stone at me, someone might swear at me! someone might lough! but I will take a picture! no metter what! I think it all has to do with body langauage, strangly I find best to feel very detached with camera, I always hold my camera in my hand and not neck 🙂 with rangefinders it is even easy 😀 I got used to all this with my huge SLR with Huge pro looking lenses 😀

You 're a young lad Vladimer, being a little 'crazy' is taken as normal. Not so when you get a little older.

I am gradually changing my tune from neck-strap to wrist-strap too. I don't know why, it makes a difference to the way I feel about street-shooting.

 

[Nachkebia]

Well, with wrist strap they see you with camera only when you take picture and not when you walk 🙂 btw I don`t have wrist-strap I just use neck-strap on my wrist 😀

 

[x-ray]

I really love meeting people and talking to them. I work daily in the commercial photography business and virtually every day have to photograph people that I don't know. I'm naturally very curious about people and what they do and how they do it. I find it helps put people at ease if you find common ground for discussion. I show a genuine interest in them and what they are doing. Most people are flattered that you would want to photograph them and most of the time have no objection. This past weekend my wife and I went to a little diner near our house. I've lived in this area for fifty years and never been in there. It was built in the early 50's and has been the same since that time. There were a few customers and I asked the lady who owned it if I could make a few images. She had no objections and I explained why I shoot this type of image and that started the conversation with everyone in the place. I learned their life stories and made photographs of them. I learned some history of the restaurant and some of the area from the old timers. It turned out to be quite a good experience and I walked away with two exposed rolls and a couple of very fine images. Now I'll make some prints and take them to the owner and will be welcomed to come back anytime with my camera.

This is something that takes time to develope. You have to be a people kind of person. When you spoke to the construction worker you learned he was into photography. You had common ground at that time. Use it and make great images when the opportunity comes.

 

[like2fiddle]

This is all very helpful to me too, as street shooting has never been my forte (actually, I'm lacking in all aspects of photo-taking). Many good points made. I've been encouraged by comments made on another thread recently that pointed out that, at least of those contributing to the discussion, if one gets a couple of satisfactory shots out of a roll of film, then that is about average. If this is true of most photographers on RFF, then I guess I'm doing OK, and you probably are doing better than you give yourself credit for Steve.

Roger

 

[wintoid]

I'm shy and not very good at this but there are 2 things which have helped me so far.

1) Go somewhere with lots of tourists. If you're surrounded by people taking pictures you feel much more natural about taking pictures yourself
2) Breaking the ice is the problem for me. I'll sometimes do things like going to a market and buying a bag of nuts from a stall and then asking the vendor if I can take a shot of him at his stall. Always works (so far) because the relationship is started from a position where my subject is at an advantage (me buying his nuts).

As yet I've not worked up the courage to get much beyond this, but I have many shots of nut vendors 😀 Hey maybe I should start a theme.

 

[back alley]

Not a fair argument Joe. "Taking a pic with people in it" is not the same as "taking someone's picture"....one is incidental, the other is invasive (or that's how the public perceives it.) I can stand by landmark and shoot away too....
Just don't get me in a compromising shot in Montreal, you papparazzi you...

i meant the same thing...people pics.
we just disagree on this because i don't feel like or believe myself to be an invader.
in montreal, i will take a few shots of you and maybe you won't even notice 😉

joe

 

[dazedgonebye]

Cacti are much worse for hugging, fondling, making love to, than people.

You know, it's funny...I've been warned off by rattlesnakes more times than I can say. I've pissed off javelina, and surprised coyotes eating lunch. I've had the back of my hand covered with cholla spines (takes about a month before they work their way out of your skin), and I've nearly stroked out from the heat. Even so, nothing in the desert scares me. I take care, I respect the danger, but it doesn't scare me.

It's silly that any little old lady on the street can get the best of me with a sideways glance that says "what are you doing with that camera?"

This has been a great thread. The advice is well given...and it's nice to know I'm not the only one with the same challenges.
I've only just got geared up for this type of work, so I'm a long way from giving up.
I'm bribing myself with the thought that, if I'm happy with how I'm doing at the time, I'll buy myself a R4A as a reward for my efforts.

 

[iml]

Maybe I'm fortunate and don't stick out in crowds, but I photograph strangers on the street all the time and they hardly ever notice me at all, let alone react.

Ian