Street etiquette

[Åmund]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

As a new owner of the M9 (which I am falling more and more in love with) I would like some advice. I realize this may not be the right forum to ask this, but hopefully the moderator will remove it to a more suitable forum.

 

The M9 is, they say, a street machine and as a novice in this I would like to know how the experienced photographer behave on the street when shooting strangers. Do you ask permission first? After? Not at all?

 

Åmund

[Advertisement]

The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[Guest Kaleun]

Hi Amund,

 

although I would certainly not call myself experienced, I passionately shoot street. I do not ask for permission at all. Asking before would totally change the the look of the pictures as your subjects would most likely pose in some way or another. Additionally, moments that interest me would be gone if I would ask before shooting. I rather prefer to not being noticed taking pictures at all. For asking afterwards I dont see a point at all.

 

Cheers,

Torsten

[budrichard]

As an experienced news photographer, if other than 'Spot' news or a situation that will not repeat itself, I always ask permission, explain what i am doing and the use of the picture.

I don't know where the current prohibition against posing pictures came from among amature photographers but I can tell that Professionals frequently pose the news photos you view.

Case in point was a picture of a truck - van crash recently where children were killed. The wire photograph showed a doll among the wreakage but no bodies. The picture was almost certainly posed.

The world has changed, we live closer together and the Internet has made pictures accessable to anyone that decades ago would never see the light of day. Individuals sense this and there is increasing resistance to invasion of privacy even in a public place. Try taking pictures of children to day with a group of mothers watching and you will quickly find out.

As a last point, think about how you would want to be treated by a photographer and use that as a guideline.

Freedom is not license to do whatever you want.-Dick

[yanidel]

Hardly ever ask. As pointed above, this would change the subject attitude and the pictures would no longer be "candids".

[earleygallery]

Massive topic - there's a ton of stuff already written on the forum about street photography and photographers rights.

 

There's no 'right' answer. Do what you feel comfortable with, what is appropriate for the situation. Generally I don't ask especially if it's a general scene with several people in, or if the person isn't the only point of interest, but sometimes I'll ask, say if it's a person working outside, or some interesting character - it's good to engage with people as well as remaining anonymous.

[Guest maddoc2003jp]

Use your sixth sense and develop some "feeling" for what is OK and what not. A good starting point are festivals where everybody cares a camera and takes snaps of everything. You won't stick out much in the crowd using your camera and taking pictures of strangers.

[dkCambridgeshire]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I was taking photos at Piccadilly Circus. A German sounding man who seemed rather drunk objected in very certain and abusive terms to me taking his photograph - As I waved my M6 in his direction I exclaimed to him, using my phoney German accent,"I'm with Der Spiegel! ... Der Spiegel! Ja!!

 

"Oh! ... Der Spiegel!" he retorted ... and he beamed a big smile ... folded his arms across his chest ... raised his head ... and started posing as I took a number of photos.

 

And I have used the phrase, "No spik Ingleesh!" when other people have objected ... and been called a b----- foreigner by my own countrymen.

 

dunk

[alun]

If you can find Joel Meyerowitz's little book in the Phaidon 55 series, I heartily recommend the short, subtle descriptions he gives of the circumstances in which some of his early street work was shot. These comments offer a wealth of experience to ruminate on -- and matchless photographs too, of course.

[Peter H]

I only ask permission if the subject sees me and looks concerned or interested. So far only one person out of many hundreds has actually said he didn't want his photo taken.

 

More often than this they just don't notice, or even if they do, a nice friendly smile is usually sufficient for them to acknowledge in similar fashion and get on with whatever they were doing.

 

I think the key is to always allow them to feel you respect them and are not hostile. A good way to achieve this is to forget about your rights, concentrate on theirs and behave accordingly. Most people don't care that much, but it helps with those that do.

 

Of course children are a different matter now, and parents' consent is always needed. I never stealth-shoot children unless I know them and their parents very well indeed.

 

Peter H

[DTD]

I'd suggest starting by going to parades and touristy places and taking some pictures there – people expect to be photographed and you get some good experience.

 

If you're not self-concious you become much more invisible.

 

Later on you do develop a sense of when or when not to take a photo.

 

In the UK, saying you were from 'The Sun' would not go down too well – or they'd want paying.

 

Don't take photos of down and outs or people with disabilities – that doesn't make you a photojournalist ;-)

[hendriphile]

At a public event, you may take pictures and display them at your local camera club or its website...as long as you're not planning on making a profit from them. If you are, you need to ask for a release. [i wonder if Eisie asked for a release from that sailor & the nurse in Times Square.]

 

A lot of it is using Golden Rule-type common sense.

[bill]

At a public event, you may take pictures and display them at your local camera club or its website...as long as you're not planning on making a profit from them. If you are, you need to ask for a release.

 

That may be the rules in the US but not in the Free World...

 

Regards,

 

Bill

[sanyasi]

Here are several responses:

 

You can get tacit permission without asking under certain circumstances. One approach that works for me is to walk into a group setting, make my camera known, and sit or stand around for five or ten minutes. It may be in my head, but I think people get a little more comfortable with you and they forget about you. It also helps to point the camera away from people and focus and either take or pretend to take some shots. Then you slowly move toward the crowd or individuals. This is good for candids.

 

With street performers, it helps to listen to the first song or performance, say something about the music at the break, and throw a dollar in the basket.

 

Last weekend, I stumbled across of verbally aggressive group of evangelists. The leader was baiting the crowd and I was having a great time. One kid kept raising his "You are going to hell" sign to cover his face every time I aimed the camera at him. I palmed a few photos of him. I found nothing unethcial with that because these folks were staging a public event. They exercised their free speech rights and so did I. Even though I am not a journalist, I viewed this as photo journalism because a real story was developing in front of my eyes. A brief fight eventually broke out with blood.

 

On the other hand, if a parent signals they don't want you photographing their kid, I respect that. You will see the verbal signs.

 

I also have implemented a new technique. I had business cards made with my web site and e-mail on them. I was at a street performance several weeks ago. I gave the leader my card and said I planned to post photos of the performance on my website. I told him if anyone wanted copies, I would be happy to email jpegs. He then gave me his card and said he would keep me notified of other events he stages.

 

What is amazing to me is the number of people who approach me and ask me to take their photo. These people are usually pretty tricked out so they are good subjects even though the photo is staged.

 

And of course you can always ask. I get an 80% yes rate. The first shots will suffer from the person posing for the photo, but they have given you permission (in their mind) and usually they go back to doing what they were doing. Then you can shoot the keeper/candid shots.

 

A raised eyebrow and a nod go far.

 

Jack Siegel

[barcoder]

I am only an amateur but... If we limit ourselves to only persons who are 18 to 60 years of age, who appear middle class, and who've signed a waiver we are no longer talking about street photography. Not for me. I don't want the poor, the youth, and the elderly to be ignored just as much as I don't want them to be exploited.

 

If you are interested in street photography I would encourage you to know and love the street and all the people in it. With that perspective you will know how to act.