So how do you do it, photographing people in public?

[Bigfeet]

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Greetings Again All,

In my continued effort to absorb as much as possible from the vast wealth of information on this board, I would love some feedback. When you are out and about photographing, how do you typically approach taking a picture of someone in public? Do you typically ask for permission, or do you just snap away? If the latter is the case, have you ever had anyone get angry or upset with you taking their picture? What was the outcome?

 

Thanks to all in advance for posting their experiences...

 

 

Warm Regards,

Bigfeet

[GarethC]

This may help a bit

 

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/leica-m8-forum/39050-street-photography-shrinking-violet.html

[Bigfeet]

This may help a bit

 

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/leica-m8-forum/39050-street-photography-shrinking-violet.html

 

Excellent!!

 

Exactly what I was looking for. I also downloaded the PDF file of "Street Photography for the Purist".

 

 

Thanks,

Bigfeet

[fotografr]

Depends on the situation. Often, asking someone's permission in advance will cause you to lose the moment. It may also make the person camera conscious and nervous. What I sometimes do it take the shot, then approach the person and show it to them on the LCD. That's part of the beauty of digital photography. On occasion, I will ask someone before doing the shot and usually find that they are flattered by the attention.

[akiralx]

I never ask permission - I just take the shot of unaware people. I find markets quite a good venue as there are so many people that there are plenty of subjects and you just blend in. For example, I took the first one in a market.

 

The guy on a mobile phone clearly wasn't too pleased but using the 75 Summicron I calculate it's got enough reach to give me a headstart if they chase after me

 

With the little girl, I figured I could I could take her on if she attacked me...sadly she's not totally in focus (28 Summicron).

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[Bigfeet]

I never ask permission - I just take the shot of unaware people. I find markets quite a good venue as there are so many people that there are plenty of subjects and you just blend in. For example, I took the first one in a market.

 

The guy on a mobile phone clearly wasn't too pleased but using the 75 Summicron I calculate it's got enough reach to give me a headstart if they chase after me

 

With the little girl, I figured I could I could take her on if she attacked me...sadly she's not totally in focus (28 Summicron).

 

 

Alex,

It was actually some of your photographs posted in another thread that got me thinking about Street Photography.

 

Your pictures are outstanding...

 

 

Thanks,

Bigfeet

[Skippy Sanchez]

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Ten thoughts on "Ways of Working" with street photography, begins with:

 

"#1: Get over it; it’s only street photography. Stop thinking about how to approach taking pictures of people and just start doing it. There are many ways to begin, but first, free yourself from your own (psychological/ethical/moral) constraints. You’re not considering taking a picture of Jennifer Aniston sunbathing to sell to the Inquirer, it’s just your neighbor and their dog sitting on a stoop. It’s no big deal. And smile. Smiling helps.

 

2point8 Ways of Working

 

this is an excellent site.

[elviskennedy]

I don't take shots surreptitiously nor do I implicitly ask permission. My method is to walk to my spot, smile at the subject, take a quick shot, nod in thanks and walk away. I've never had a problem and often times the subjects will thank me.

 

I'll admit that it's not easy. You never know what the reaction might be. I think a smile goes a long way to smooth things over.

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[akiralx]

Alex,

It was actually some of your photographs posted in another thread that got me thinking about Street Photography.

 

Your pictures are outstanding...

 

Thanks,

Bigfeet

 

Thank you.

 

One technique I use (not sure if anyone else does?) to aid speed is to prefocus on something the same distance away as the subject then turn quickly, fine tune focus and shoot. With the 75 Summicron the 1.25 magnifier is pretty indispensible for me.

[Guest noah_addis]

As others have said it depends on the situation, but generally when doing street work I don't ask permission. I also don't sneak around, I make it pretty clear that I'm shooting though I do use small leica cameras. But I don't shoot from the hip or try to hide myself or the camera. Some poeple do use those techniques but I'm not comfortable with them nor do they suit the way I photograph.

 

One exception is if I need access to a situation, like if I want to shoot a worker in a market and want to enter his shop. I'll ask ahead and generally after a few minutes he'll forget I'm there and I can get genuine moments.

 

Also, if anyone objects to being photographed I politely apologize and I do respect their wishes.

 

Just get out there and shoot. It takes a while to become comfortable doing street work but it can be very fun and rewarding.

[badpets]

I once was threatened by a black guy in Shibuya whom I photographed from really far away (he was actually very small in the picture); he grasped my arm and demanded to see my camera. Of course I refused and tried to get away from him because I don't know if he's gonna hurt me or not. So I told him I would call the police if he wouldnt let me go and he did let me go after expressed my rights to photograph in public. Technically, photographers have right to photograph anything in their sight in the public space except those specifically prohibited by the authority. However, if the person being photographed becomes concerned and asks in a reasonable manner, then I think the photographer has the obligation to explain. Photographing strangers is a test for one's own guts; anyone wants to be a serious photographer must pass this test though I'm still struggling with it.

[Shootist]

I once was threatened by a black guy in Shibuya whom I photographed from really far away (he was actually very small in the picture); he grasped my arm and demanded to see my camera. Of course I refused and tried to get away from him because I don't know if he's gonna hurt me or not. So I told him I would call the police if he wouldnt let me go and he did let me go after expressed my rights to photograph in public. Technically, photographers have right to photograph anything in their sight in the public space except those specifically prohibited by the authority. However, if the person being photographed becomes concerned and asks in a reasonable manner, then I think the photographer has the obligation to explain. Photographing strangers is a test for one's own guts; anyone wants to be a serious photographer must pass this test though I'm still struggling with it.

 

I was once approached by someone that I wasn't even taking a picture of and asked IF I HAD ASKED PERMISSION of the people I was taking images of. I said no I don't have to, this is a public space (it was actually on a street corner). He said that was rude and I said in not so kind words to bad. He road away on his bicycle.

You are right it is a test of one fortitude and I don't do it much except in open areas when there is a event going on around Atlanta. Bit I have been known to do it in bars, now that's asking for trouble, and restaurants.

It all depend if I see something that I think will make a good picture.

[badpets]

But of course, this kind of bad experience happens rarely. Actually many strangers smiled or even posed for me to photograph. Frankly I think the greater problem is my being shy... So the goal should be how to not think too much and just shoot??

 

I was once approached by someone that I wasn't even taking a picture of and asked IF I HAD ASKED PERMISSION of the people I was taking images of. I said no I don't have to, this is a public space (it was actually on a street corner). He said that was rude and I said in not so kind words to bad. He road away on his bicycle.

You are right it is a test of one fortitude and I don't do it much except in open areas when there is a event going on around Atlanta. Bit I have been known to do it in bars, now that's asking for trouble, and restaurants.

It all depend if I see something that I think will make a good picture.

[Guest Bernd Banken]

have a smile on your face, that's enough......

[Guest DuquesneG]

I was once approached by someone that I wasn't even taking a picture of and asked IF I HAD ASKED PERMISSION of the people I was taking images of. I said no I don't have to, this is a public space (it was actually on a street corner). He said that was rude and I said in not so kind words to bad. He road away on his bicycle.

You are right it is a test of one fortitude and I don't do it much except in open areas when there is a event going on around Atlanta. Bit I have been known to do it in bars, now that's asking for trouble, and restaurants.

It all depend if I see something that I think will make a good picture.

 

I think it must boil down to the kind of person the photographer is. A guy who cares about others might be at a disadvantage over one who cares mostly about himself and getting that picture. A guy who is physically big and powerful might be at an advantage over a smaller, weaker guy, in terms of the variety of people he has the guts to photograph. For example, a guy might think nothing of telling someone to f-himself who is riding a bicycle and uses the term "rude", vs saying it to someone in a leather tank-top with huge biceps and covered with snake tattoos, stradling a lowboy hog. Of course I suppose there's a point where fools get their comeuppance, especially in the US where even non-intimidating-looking people are sometimes packing. I think also that there is more sensitivity now, since the internet has come to full steam, than there was before. Twenty years ago if someone took your photo on the street there wasn't the likelihood it would end up on Flickr or some such, for all the world to see. I wouldn't care if someone put my photo up...in fact I'd probably be flattered, because I'm not very pretty But you know, I've been tempted on occasion to take a snap of two obviously-in-love people staring dreamily into each other's eyes over a glass of Merlot, until I stopped to ponder my bad luck if the guy happened to be some mobster in witness protection, out with somebody else's wife So, my hat's off to the street photographers. I lack the intestinal fortitude.

[photolandscape]

I don't take shots surreptitiously nor do I implicitly ask permission. My method is to walk to my spot, smile at the subject, take a quick shot, nod in thanks and walk away. I've never had a problem and often times the subjects will thank me.

 

I'll admit that it's not easy. You never know what the reaction might be. I think a smile goes a long way to smooth things over.

 

 

I would tend to agree with Elvis' approach.

 

I would paraphrase the old American adage (by Richard Daley, former mayor of Chicago) that "All politics are local," and convert into "All customs are local" when it comes to photographing people on the street. I have photographed thousands of strangers over the years. I think I've developed an excellent sense of what will work and when it will work out on the streets. In places like Peru and India, 99% of the time it was no problem whatsoever. But I was also aware that local customs dictate in parts of Peru that you don't photograph women without asking. I don't know why, but I tried to respect it. However, if I was shooting with a 90mm lens, I would tend to bend the rules and take a photograph without any prior permission. But at a distance of 3 feet, looking into someone's face, I would almost always ask. It's surprising how often people actually appreciate being photographed. When you're one of 1 billion people in India, having a stranger show an interest in you isn't unusual.

 

I have had my life threatened--literally--when photographing carny's on the Midway at the Minnesota State Fair. Evidently the guy may have had some sort of criminal past and didn't want to turn up in the paper and end up being arrested. Who knows. When someone reacts that strongly, I tend to push them back and remind them that I respect what they're saying, but I have every right to do what I'm doing, then I smile, then I start moving on to my next subject. Oddly the month before I spent two days in the Stillwater State Prison--the state penitentiary--in Minnesota (as a guest, not an inmate) and photographed inmates throughout the prison with no pushback whatsoever--though I did explain what I was doing whenever photographing someone at close range, and there were a few inmates who asking me not to take their picture, which was fine.

 

A year ago I was photographing in a rougher part of Valparaiso, Chile. There was a cop on a motorcycle who followed me block after block. I tried to ignore him as best I could, and for half an hour he just kept his distance before approaching. When he finally rode up to me, I felt myself tensing up, feeling hassled and pressured--wondering what he might think I was doing wrong. Turned out that between my poor Spanish and his weak English, he was simply trying to tell me that there had been a rash of muggings in that neighborhood and it was ok, but risky, to photograph there. Apparently kids would surround you, squirt some sort of liquid into your eyes, grab your stuff and go. So sometimes people are looking out for your best interests as well.

 

To conclude (finally): be confident, know your rights, be as considerate of others as possible, and don't let yourself be intimidated.

[grober]

When shooting with any M, subjects are sometimes put at ease by the fact that the photographer is (at least) comfortable with his/her camera.

 

The lack of fiddly controls and all the extra "stuff" that comes along with every DSLR adds to the ease with which one can compose and shoot. Subjects pick up on this and are usually more relaxed as a result.

 

(Until the kloppy metal shutter of the M8 came along, I could have added that the quietness of the M also helped. But . . . )

 

As famous architect Mies van der Rohe always knew: "less is more."

 

-g

[haribo]

I like to get close, really close. Which means I got to be fast. I like to make most decisions (and camera settings) while still approaching the subject/scene.

My attitude is 'Shoot first, ask later'.

Single individuals or couples I approach after wards, show them the photo and ask politely for permission. (I always carry a waiver/release form with me.)

The danger is to be prepared to delete the photo - no matter how good - on the spot in front of them. It doesn't happen often, though.

 

I also like to concentrate on large groups of people. In that case I don't bother with permissions. Too much hassle.

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[RSL]

I think it must boil down to the kind of person the photographer is. A guy who cares about others might be at a disadvantage over one who cares mostly about himself and getting that picture. A guy who is physically big and powerful might be at an advantage over a smaller, weaker guy, in terms of the variety of people he has the guts to photograph. For example, a guy might think nothing of telling someone to f-himself who is riding a bicycle and uses the term "rude", vs saying it to someone in a leather tank-top with huge biceps and covered with snake tattoos, stradling a lowboy hog. Of course I suppose there's a point where fools get their comeuppance, especially in the US where even non-intimidating-looking people are sometimes packing. I think also that there is more sensitivity now, since the internet has come to full steam, than there was before. Twenty years ago if someone took your photo on the street there wasn't the likelihood it would end up on Flickr or some such, for all the world to see. I wouldn't care if someone put my photo up...in fact I'd probably be flattered, because I'm not very pretty But you know, I've been tempted on occasion to take a snap of two obviously-in-love people staring dreamily into each other's eyes over a glass of Merlot, until I stopped to ponder my bad luck if the guy happened to be some mobster in witness protection, out with somebody else's wife So, my hat's off to the street photographers. I lack the intestinal fortitude.

 

I've found that as I get older, people find me less threatening and street work becomes easier. One key is to shoot fast. That's where the old adage about how to get good street photographs, "f/8 and be there," comes from. With a 35mm lens and f/8 you can set focus to somewhere near hyperfocal distance and be okay from less than 10 feet to infinity -- or close to it. Then, all you have to do is quietly raise the camera, press the shutter button, and lower the camera. Another thing that helps is that nowadays there are so many point-and-shoots around with permanently-on strobes that many people don't think you took a picture if they don't see a flash.

 

But once in a while you run into a problem. I shot this picture this morning as I walked through the local bus station. The guy in the middle started yelling when he saw me shoot the picture. He told me that shooting without asking permisssion is illegal. I told him to go get a cop. Then he told me he didn't like having his picture taken. I told him I don't care what he likes or doesn't like -- that if he doesn't want his picture taken he should stay home. Of course it helps to be in a fairly well populated area if you're going to have that kind of run in.

 

Maybe that sounds a bit insensitive, but then... I have a sensitive photographer friend who never gets street shots.

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[RSL]

Greetings Again All,

In my continued effort to absorb as much as possible from the vast wealth of information on this board, I would love some feedback. When you are out and about photographing, how do you typically approach taking a picture of someone in public? Do you typically ask for permission, or do you just snap away? If the latter is the case, have you ever had anyone get angry or upset with you taking their picture? What was the outcome?

 

Thanks to all in advance for posting their experiences...

 

 

Warm Regards,

Bigfeet

 

By the way, Bigfeet. According to your forum info you're in Orlando. If you want to get up to speed as a street photographer, spend a day at Epocot. The place is almost always crowded and most people there are carrying cameras and banging away. During the winter months I spend at least one day there. It's a street phtographer's dream. Unless you're really obnoxious no one notices that you're shooting pictures of him.