Photographing people in the public, reactions

[BEGM83]

After reading this ive come to one conclusion....

....it's so much easier in life when you're female!

[Ron Cornelison]

Originally Posted by freybear3

(I was unsure if this should go in the general section or the people section)


When you photograph people in the public, strangers. How do they react?

Example: Strangers at a park, Strangers walking down the road, etc....



I want to do candid photos of strangers in public, but before i do, i want to hear experiences from others. How did the people react when you took their photo?

I am not going to be selling the photos, just for personal use, to gain experience.

Here are some things you don't need for good street photography;

1. Gun, leave your gun at home. Unless your in a war zone/dangerous jungle?
Never been in either one? Nether have I, nor am I planning to go to one. If you shoot in the part of a city where you need a weapon, you really don't need to be there in the first place.

2. Fist, keep your fist open, use your hand to wave at people and point at your camera, when and if they notice you. Watch their face, you will know if you can take a second photo or not.

3. Large Telephoto lens, really introduces the creepy photographer image into the mix. Leave it at home unless that's your intention, because that is exactly how you will be perceived.
Use a prime or small (in physical size) telephoto on a SLR or DSLR. I see a lot of shooter's use small compact quality P&S with great results as well, if your shy/new start with one of these. People very seldom show a reaction to a P&S, particularly at an outdoor event.

4.Shoot around the corner camera, Hole in the side of a fake lens attachment, again introduces the creepy photographer image back into the mix. Explain why you need them to a stranger to see what I mean. Don't act creepy, people will not react to you as a creep.

4. Flash, I saw a video of a guy walking right up to people and firing a flash in their face for his captures. If it would make you mad if someone did it to you, it will make strangers mad at you as well. I don't use a flash unless I ask a person first.

5. Vest and Camera bag, leave the vest at home. Leave the good camera bag at home or in the locked trunk of your car if you need to change lens or resupply anything. To blend on the street or at an event, travel light and look like the locals if you can. Or at least look like a visitor to the area should look like.

6. Aggressive attitude? If your aggressive in your attitude, stance, facial expression, as you shoot, people will respond to you in the same aggressive manner. Relax, smile, look happy, you should be enjoying what you doing, your not hiding anything from any one.
Keep an aggressive attitude out of the mix unless your looking for confrontational captures.

7. Release form, leave them at home unless you shoot for money, your shooting as a hobby at a public event or area, you simply don't need them unless you intend to make a profit off the persons image.

A few things to bring when shooting on the street;

1. Smile, smile when people look at you, they know you took their photo, never try to hide that fact. Say thanks and keep moving unless you want to meet them. 90% of the time that will be the only interaction any one will have with you.

2. Compliments, your excuse to take a photo if they ask, tell them they looked interesting, colorful. You were impressed with what they were doing. What ever it was that captured your interest about them, compliment them about it.
You will find most people crave compliments. Compliments open people up, they make you a friend and they make shy people comfortable with you taking their photo's.

3. Hand outs, I give people a homemade card with a separate e-mail address that I share with strangers when they ask. I print off 8 to a sheet of paper, cut them up by hand and keep a few in my shirt pocket to give out, very amateurish. People will keep it, several have contacted me for a copy of their photo. I send them a good quality jpg so they can print it were ever they want to. The difficulty here is which photo are they in, when you have shot a large amount of them.

4. Confidence, look and act like you belong were you are taking photo's. A lot of people are not comfortable in public situations. You can overcome that.
See if your area has a local Toastmasters group, it's a dirt cheep way to overcome shyness so you can speak in public. It will improve your life, if you can speak in front of a small group of friends, you can handle any street situation.

5. Automatic camera setting. That's right let your camera do the work it's designed for, it will take a very good photo on Auto in spite of what you have read.
Bring manual, or custom camera settings into the mix after you have gained confidence in your ability to capture street/candid photo's of real live people.
Manual setting are a whole separate adventure that awaits you as your confidence and skills grow.

One more thing you might want to try, what kind of a street photographer do you want to be?
Make a new folder on your computer, copy 5 street photo's from the DPS forums of people with their backs to you, no faces showing in the photo. Copy 5 street photo's from this forum of people with their faces showing in the photo. Find 5 more photos where the person/subject make up a small portion of the whole photo and place them in the same folder. Copy 5 more with out any people at all in them to the folder.
Now for the last step, view the folder contents as a slide show on your computer screen, pick your three or four favorite captures from all of them. Your favorites should show you the style of shots you want to be capturing.

Good shooting
Ron

[Tenzin'sMom]

Thanks, Ron, this is very helpful advice.

[TheKingInYellow]

I find a 'blend in' camera bag is helping me, this is the one I use: Lowepro - Primus AW

All-weather, easy side access, doesn't look like a camera bag. I'm still waiting for a wide angle lens to really start doing street, but the times I have done it, begin able to stow my camera quickly, access it quickly, and hide it when necessary has been helpful.

[Raoul Isidro]

With crazy laws and restrictions brought about by looney pedophiles and border protection insanity, it's a very delicate matter. Here in Australia, you can't even take a photo of your own child swimming in a public pool or beach, due to laws on child protection from pedophiles. Just like a runaway Antibiotic, the laws not only kill the pervert germs but also exact collateral damage to artistic freedom.

[Alexandra]

Had a funny incident a while ago. I was taking some pics on a train. I wasnt really interested in people (as it was most of the wagon was nearly empty) but i was trying to capture the reflections in the windows... Anyway, someone went and complained to the train security guard. I had to show the dude the pics i took and insisted to delete the one that had a bit of his face in it (somewhere far away in the background...). I felt a bit uncomfortable but also slightly amused that someone would be so paranoid. However, the entire discussion was very polite.

It was the only time when i had an issue.

That being said if i want to take a photo with a stranger as the main subject of the photograph i usually ask for permission.

Alexandra

[pasoviennese]

Originally Posted by Raoul Isidro

With crazy laws and restrictions brought about by looney pedophiles and border protection insanity, it's a very delicate matter. Here in Australia, you can't even take a photo of your own child swimming in a public pool or beach, due to laws on child protection from pedophiles. Just like a runaway Antibiotic, the laws not only kill the pervert germs but also exact collateral damage to artistic freedom.

Had a funny incident a while ago. I was taking some pics on a train. I wasnt really interested in people (as it was most of the wagon was nearly empty) but i was trying to capture the reflections in the windows... Anyway, someone went and complained to the train security guard. I had to show the dude the pics i took and insisted to delete the one that had a bit of his face in it (somewhere far away in the background...). I felt a bit uncomfortable but also slightly amused that someone would be so paranoid. However, the entire discussion was very polite.

It was the only time when i had an issue.

That being said if i want to take a photo with a stranger as the main subject of the photograph i usually ask for permission.

Alexandra

Contary to popular believes, people do not have the right not to be photographed.
In another word, what you can see, you can shoot! People sun baking at beaches, at public swimming pool, things that may seem obvious to be "personal" etc, if they're doing it at a place you can see, then you can take photos!

With regards to children, not only you can take photos of your own children, you can take photos of any children you want. Provided that they are not of sexual nature (same with adults, no upskirts allowed).

Trains are different, so are train stations. Believe it or not, according to the law, trains are not public property, they belong to the company that run it. So security personals can ask you to stop taking photos. Most train stations here in Melbourne have "No photography" sign. However what they can not do is force you to delete the photos that are already on your camera. Once the photo is on your camera, it belongs to you! For the photo to be removed, they need a court order.

Amateur photography have the same right as "professional photographers" on the street. You can take photo of anyone as the main subject without asking. If you have a look in the news paper, all the action shots that get published by professional photographers are take on the spot ie. a fight that breaks out at a public event, there is no way you can ask for permission first before you take a photo of someone with bloody trickling down their face. The only thing one is allowed to do in order to prevent their photos been taken is to either walk away, or block their face. If they try to touch you, or even verbally threaten you, they can be charged with violence offences.

Yes I have done my reading and research, extensively! Does help to have a pocket copy of "Photographer's right" with you when you go on the street to take photos. Have fun!

[thetravelingdreamer]

I live in a small town in Thailand and I get A LOT of weird looks when I walk/bike around with my camera. I just make sure to smile and wave and sometimes I make it look like I'm shooting something else of interest and then setting up the person shot so I can take it quickly and not have the camera on them too long. I have found that my people photography paint a better picture of where I am (…Shutter Speed…) and since I am one of the only white women in the town I try to shoot as much as possible so then I'm kind of known as the girl with the camera and then I won't be seen as intrusive or intimidating.

[thetravelingdreamer]

Originally Posted by Ron Cornelison

Here are some things you don't need for good street photography;

1. Gun, leave your gun at home. Unless your in a war zone/dangerous jungle?
Never been in either one? Nether have I, nor am I planning to go to one. If you shoot in the part of a city where you need a weapon, you really don't need to be there in the first place.

2. Fist, keep your fist open, use your hand to wave at people and point at your camera, when and if they notice you. Watch their face, you will know if you can take a second photo or not.

3. Large Telephoto lens, really introduces the creepy photographer image into the mix. Leave it at home unless that's your intention, because that is exactly how you will be perceived.
Use a prime or small (in physical size) telephoto on a SLR or DSLR. I see a lot of shooter's use small compact quality P&S with great results as well, if your shy/new start with one of these. People very seldom show a reaction to a P&S, particularly at an outdoor event.

4.Shoot around the corner camera, Hole in the side of a fake lens attachment, again introduces the creepy photographer image back into the mix. Explain why you need them to a stranger to see what I mean. Don't act creepy, people will not react to you as a creep.

4. Flash, I saw a video of a guy walking right up to people and firing a flash in their face for his captures. If it would make you mad if someone did it to you, it will make strangers mad at you as well. I don't use a flash unless I ask a person first.

5. Vest and Camera bag, leave the vest at home. Leave the good camera bag at home or in the locked trunk of your car if you need to change lens or resupply anything. To blend on the street or at an event, travel light and look like the locals if you can. Or at least look like a visitor to the area should look like.

6. Aggressive attitude? If your aggressive in your attitude, stance, facial expression, as you shoot, people will respond to you in the same aggressive manner. Relax, smile, look happy, you should be enjoying what you doing, your not hiding anything from any one.
Keep an aggressive attitude out of the mix unless your looking for confrontational captures.

7. Release form, leave them at home unless you shoot for money, your shooting as a hobby at a public event or area, you simply don't need them unless you intend to make a profit off the persons image.

A few things to bring when shooting on the street;

1. Smile, smile when people look at you, they know you took their photo, never try to hide that fact. Say thanks and keep moving unless you want to meet them. 90% of the time that will be the only interaction any one will have with you.

2. Compliments, your excuse to take a photo if they ask, tell them they looked interesting, colorful. You were impressed with what they were doing. What ever it was that captured your interest about them, compliment them about it.
You will find most people crave compliments. Compliments open people up, they make you a friend and they make shy people comfortable with you taking their photo's.

3. Hand outs, I give people a homemade card with a separate e-mail address that I share with strangers when they ask. I print off 8 to a sheet of paper, cut them up by hand and keep a few in my shirt pocket to give out, very amateurish. People will keep it, several have contacted me for a copy of their photo. I send them a good quality jpg so they can print it were ever they want to. The difficulty here is which photo are they in, when you have shot a large amount of them.

4. Confidence, look and act like you belong were you are taking photo's. A lot of people are not comfortable in public situations. You can overcome that.
See if your area has a local Toastmasters group, it's a dirt cheep way to overcome shyness so you can speak in public. It will improve your life, if you can speak in front of a small group of friends, you can handle any street situation.

5. Automatic camera setting. That's right let your camera do the work it's designed for, it will take a very good photo on Auto in spite of what you have read.
Bring manual, or custom camera settings into the mix after you have gained confidence in your ability to capture street/candid photo's of real live people.
Manual setting are a whole separate adventure that awaits you as your confidence and skills grow.


Good shooting
Ron

AMAZING insights Ron!! I loved the list of things not to bring with you! So true. If you act like you are supposed to be there, it definitely puts the people at ease and smiling goes a LONG way. Unless the person is having a rough day and you're not in their face, you should be fine.

[Raoul Isidro]

I try to capture the moment with the person's identity obscured and not being able to be recognized.
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