al-fresco Posted November 10, 2010 Share #21 Posted November 10, 2010 Advertisement (gone after registration) ... You might also find these of interest - they are a couple of articles from my blog and in my new book: Rangefound: The Invisible Man in the Street ... Regards, Bill Excellent article Bill. I have been known to use a dayglo waistcoat as an invisibility cloak myself - the effect, in the right circumstances is simply astonishing. Once, in North Wales, I started directing traffic and, presumably due to the authority conferred by the waistcoat, the motorists obeyed without question. A couple of drivers even asked if they could pay me for parking. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted November 10, 2010 Posted November 10, 2010 Hi al-fresco, Take a look here Where and what to shoot including all the problems that go with it. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
stunsworth Posted November 10, 2010 Share #22 Posted November 10, 2010 Al, try a blue flashing light on the roof of your car. Traffic jams melt away as if by magic. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xmas Posted November 10, 2010 Share #23 Posted November 10, 2010 Excellent article Bill. I have been known to use a dayglo waistcoat as an invisibility cloak myself - the effect, in the right circumstances is simply astonishing. Once, in North Wales, I started directing traffic and, presumably due to the authority conferred by the waistcoat, the motorists obeyed without question. A couple of drivers even asked if they could pay me for parking. Hi Allan So that is how you funded the M3? Noel Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebarnman Posted November 10, 2010 Author Share #24 Posted November 10, 2010 When I started shooting street in 1970, Nice street photography. What size lens do you normally use for that type of photography? 35mm? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Holy Moly Posted November 10, 2010 Share #25 Posted November 10, 2010 Nice street photography. What size lens do you normally use for that type of photography? 35mm? Thanks, in the past mainly 28mm 2.8 and in dimmer light a 50mm f2. Today I prefer 35mm due to a more 'safe' distance to persons for head shootings and general scenery. BTW: a very capable camera for a more agressive street style is the Ricoh GRDIII. It's 'Snap-focus' and prefocus adjustments are very good and the fixed lens 28mm f1.9 is very sharp. This cam might educate you and on the other hand it's smaller compare to a SLR from Leica or others. But, to honest, it's not the cam only it's the personality of the shooter and the general situation he's embedded. Here in Europe it's easy, except the UK, but on the continent we are a bit more relaxed.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebarnman Posted November 10, 2010 Author Share #26 Posted November 10, 2010 Maybe the real reason she left was that she wished you had something longer than 90mm, or at least knew how to use what you had properly. I think you and andym911 are seeing the humor with my real life experiences. I can laugh now, though not such a funny matter at those times. As the old saying goes, Real life stories can be stranger than fiction. I'm still working on the techniques to not stand out so much and at least from what I've been learning on this thread, simply mix in a bit more with the surroundings. Unfortunately I really don't get a chance to do that much, maybe about once a year or so. I really want to get more practice. Maybe I'll just start taking my camera out with me when I'm out and about on my non working days. (A very rare thing indeed.) A few years ago while visiting the Center for Creative Photography in Tucson, I learned of a photographer that used (I think) a Leica that had a mirror/trick lens that would shoot to the side. I found that fascinating. The story goes something like he'd be standing in front of a group of people at a bus stop. He'd start acting like he was photographing something in front of him and in reality, he would actually be shooting them. Of course the first shots would be the group all looking at him wondering what he was taking pictures of. After a moment, they'd get back to talking or whatever. The pictures of the people looking at him are interesting as they're trying to figure out what he's doing...rather than acting conscious of being photographed. Unfortunately I can't remember the name of the photographer who used that lens. I think those images were from the 1950s. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
al-fresco Posted November 10, 2010 Share #27 Posted November 10, 2010 Advertisement (gone after registration) ... A few years ago while visiting the Center for Creative Photography in Tucson, I learned of a photographer that used (I think) a Leica that had a mirror/trick lens that would shoot to the side... Unfortunately I can't remember the name of the photographer who used that lens. I think those images were from the 1950s. Ben Shahn and Walker Evans are said to have used Leica's with 'right angle viewfinders' in the 1930s in an effort to catch people unawares. Seems unnecessarily sneaky to me. Come to think of it I haven't ever been challenged for taking a photograph in a public place. I put it down to a combination of common sense, not looking like I give a damn and luck. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebarnman Posted November 11, 2010 Author Share #28 Posted November 11, 2010 Come to think of it I haven't ever been challenged for taking a photograph in a public place. I put it down to...not looking like I give a damn and luck. That's it! I should give the impression I don't give a damn when photographing in public. In fact, I know there's been at least one time I looked too excited while trying to be creative. Like the time I visited a friend in Florence AZ who was training to be a security guard for the state prison. Because Florence is a bit away from the Phoenix area, I grabbed my camera and invited a couple friends to come along. Along our way, we stopped several times to grab shots of certain landmarks. As we got closer, we could finally see the ever famous Florence State Prison. That's when one of my friends came up with an interesting idea. Sheena thought it would be funny to get a picture of me climbing down the outer fence like I was escaping from prison. So I stopped the car, set up the camera for her to take the shot and I started climbing the fence. I don't think I could have been on that fence more than eight seconds when a car pulled up from the road with this guy getting out, introducing himself as the warden wondering what the hell we were doing. Sheena just started laughing and I was getting panicky and yelled at her to hurry to take the shot as I started to jump down! On the ground I noticed about two other guys getting out of the car with uniforms on, and Sheena with camera in hand laughing ever increasingly more hysterically. I explained to the warden why we drove to Florence and what we were doing and why I was on the fence. He didn't think any of it was funny. The whole time, Sheena just couldn't stop laughing and I kept telling her it wasn't a laughing matter! As it turned out, I was lucky in four big ways. The warden told me he knew the name of my friend who was in security training, the fact that Sheena kept laughing, and that he could see that it was a camera in her hand (instead of a gun.) He then told me I was very lucky to not have been shot and very surprised there weren't any guards chasing after me as they are trained to do so if anyone approaches or is trying to escape. I was told the guards are trained to assume everyone is an escapee. The picture turned out really blurry. Needless to say, that took the fun out of it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stunsworth Posted November 11, 2010 Share #29 Posted November 11, 2010 Yawn. "Joke wearing thin" alert. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted November 11, 2010 Share #30 Posted November 11, 2010 Yes, like the time I tried to break into a bank at night to take a photo of the interior, the alarms went off and when the police arrived they wouldn't let me take the photo and actually wanted to arrest me for attempted burglary! Needless to say that took the fun out of it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clearlight Posted November 11, 2010 Share #31 Posted November 11, 2010 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebarnman Posted November 12, 2010 Author Share #32 Posted November 12, 2010 No jokes, all true stories. Actually, I was pretty upset that the picture turned out blurry like it did after all that happened. It was taken on a 1950s Stereo Realist...(I shot 3-D for about 20 years before turning to flat photography again in the early 90s.) I pre-focused, cocked, made sure the shutter speed and aperture settings were correct and that the film was advanced. All she had to do was push down on the shutter. Problem was, I don't think I stressed enough to her how still she had to be when pushing down on the shutter. Anything faster than ASA 25 looked grainy (when looking through the Realist viewer.) The part I don't remember is if ASA 25 was discontinued when that shot was taken. If it was, I only used ASA 64 after that. Fortunately, I have no more bad photography stories to share. But like I said, I've been working in a studio this past four years. Except for the color drive-in shots I did for my local Drive-in about 1.5 years ago. That was well organized and I even worked with some of our former clients and it was all shot with my Leica R9. Currently those images sit proudly in their display cases located in the concession area. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pico Posted November 12, 2010 Share #33 Posted November 12, 2010 [...]Fortunately, I have no more bad photography stories to share. [...] If anyone wants to refresh their photography mistakes, they need only try large format. There are so many mistakes one can make. I think I've made them all. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfage Posted November 12, 2010 Share #34 Posted November 12, 2010 I do a lot of abstract industrial work. Sometimes, I work in junk yards and auto wreckers. Auto wreckers will immediately throw you out if you show up with a camera... ... unless... ... you have a nice story like: I need a driver's side, blue two-tone front quarter panel for a 1993 GMC Sierra 1/2 ton. Oh! ... and one 15 inch beauty ring. Not a 16 inch. A 15 inch. They will instantly start dicking around on their computer, trying to find out which aisle -in the miles and miles of wrecked cars- the truck is in. By the way: does anyone actually HAVE a driver's side blue two-tone front quarter panel for a 1993 GMC Sierra 1/2 ton? I need one Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xmas Posted November 12, 2010 Share #35 Posted November 12, 2010 The part I don't remember is if ASA 25 was discontinued when that shot was taken. If it was, I only used ASA 64 after that. Kodachrome 25 was discontinued in 2002. Noel Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebarnman Posted November 12, 2010 Author Share #36 Posted November 12, 2010 Kodachrome 25 was discontinued in 2002. Noel Well then, it had to be Kodachrome 25. That story took place in the very early 90s. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted November 13, 2010 Share #37 Posted November 13, 2010 No jokes, all true stories. Needless to say, that took the fun out of it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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