street photography -- are you discreet about it?

How many of you are into street photography? I’d like to give it a go,…but,…are you discreet about it? Is that the plan?

Just down the street I’ve got a small but busy tourist beach bustling with a lot of interesting looking people, and a lot of very beautiful girls as well I might add. I’m sure I could come away with many nice looking images. How do you point your lens at them without them knowing, how discreet are you? How do you go about it?

Thanks for any input.

I do a fair amount of "festival" photography. The best pictures are simply when I walk up to someone and say "may I take your picture". Nearly everyone smiles and poses. I have never tried this on a normal street, it might not be as effective there.

--
Jeff at http://photof.net or http://folkins.net

But it seems like there is not a single answer for that one!
Look in the forum for other answers using the search feature!
--
William Soragna / [email protected]

Gary777 said:

How many of you are into street photography? I’d like to give it a
go,…but,…are you discreet about it? Is that the plan?

Just down the street I’ve got a small but busy tourist beach
bustling with a lot of interesting looking people, and a lot of
very beautiful girls as well I might add. I’m sure I could come
away with many nice looking images. How do you point your lens
at them without them knowing, how discreet are you? How do you go
about it?

Thanks for any input.

Click to expand...

--
Donna Bella

To begin with, I think it is not proper for anyone with a camera to take pictures of anybody just like that. There is such a thing as privacy, decency and decorum in our society.

I will never violate another person's right to privacy, and therefore I will never take pictures of anybody..tourist or not, in a busy street or elsewhere without permission. There are other subjects and more interesting scene along the way.

"Do unto others what you would expect others to do unto you." No...I am not pontificating. Just my personal belief.

Donna

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I haven't tried it too much, but one time when I went to the flee market, it almost didn't end too well...

People there didn't really appreciate their pictures being taken, and one guy came up to me to explain it a little bit better.

I think the secret is to do it discreetly as you said, but not without being sensitive and civil. Not everyone like to be photographed, especially if no one had asked them for permission. So if you can, ask them before you take the shot. You might be surprised for the better.

Always know when to back off, and don't forget that everyone are entitled of privacy.

--
Aviv with D7T

Sometimes I'm discreet about it, sometimes not. I used to do street photography with a 28-200 lens, and it was a lot easier to do it unnoticed then. With the kit lens, I find myself walking up so close to people that they can't help but notice me. (the bright yellow camera strap doesn't help either).

I mostly don't ask permission. People often react a bit awkwardly, but you can see that they do like being photographed, in general. They sometimes ask what it's for, and when I tell them it's just for myself, they're fine with it.

I've had a few occasions where people didn't like it. You point the lens at them and they look grouchy or shake their head. I just delete the photos right there in those cases.

I find it helps a lot to have a generally friendly attitude, smile a lot, etc.

--
Nikon D70, kit lens, more to follow, broke right now!

Longs lenses will go a long ways in being discreet. While there are limitations, it does help. Of course, there are shots that you could get with a 50mm lense that you can't get with a 300mm. Many times, I make sure and point the camera at many different subjects, sometimes pretending to take a shot. If the person notices you ahead of time, they will either duck away, or they won't think much of it when you point the camera in front of them.

Gary777 said:

How many of you are into street photography? I’d like to give it a
go,…but,…are you discreet about it? Is that the plan?

Just down the street I’ve got a small but busy tourist beach
bustling with a lot of interesting looking people, and a lot of
very beautiful girls as well I might add. I’m sure I could come
away with many nice looking images. How do you point your lens
at them without them knowing, how discreet are you? How do you go
about it?

Thanks for any input.

Click to expand...

--
DogOfThunder
Nikon D70, Nikon 8OO8, Pentax K-1OOO and Olympus C-21OOUZ

When you walk around with your DSLR, act like a photographer. If people expect you to be one, they are much more willing to have their picture taken, even without you asking for permission.

Asking permission is fine, but sometimes next to impossible. Are you going to ask everyone for permission on a busy street? And when people start posing, you may miss out on some great candid shots.

However, always be accomodating. If people object, go to them, talk to them, be friendly. I guarantee that 99.9% of the times they will drop their objections. And the other 0.01%: Delete the pic in front of them.

And most of all: Use your common sense. This is my rule:

If you (as the photographer) are a little uncomfortable, shoot the picture. It'll expand you limits and capabilities. Be at least a little daring.

If you're quite to very uncomfortable, don't shoot the picture. Don't get into trouble.

--
Happy Snapping!
Anton Spaans, http://flyingdutchie.smugmug.com

I did a lot of street photography decades ago. There are quite a few people out there who just love to have their picture taken, and quite often these are the most interesting subjects. It's not hard to identify them, although the rules for doing so are somewhat intuitive. A good starting place for a newby photographer is anywhere people would normally dress up to go, for instance the staging area for a parade would be just too easy! An admiring approach helps, tell them "I think you look great and I'd like to take your picture!" It works, and they'll love you for it.

But in general, have the decency to not to approach people who are at some temporary or permanent disadvantage or clearly having a bad day, it can only lead to trouble and confrontation. Some of us used to think pictures of down-and-out, miserable homeless people established one as socially relevant photographer, but in fact this was merely egoistic predation at its worst.

A new twist in the last decade is that you will often get asked to "email a copy" which is a nice thing to do...but just remember they'll know where you live!

Something else that's really important to remember is a release. If you have any intention of using that photo for commercial purposes, you will need a release.
--

http://black9.net
http://black9.com

Gary777 said:

How many of you are into street photography? I’d like to give it a
go,…but,…are you discreet about it? Is that the plan?

Just down the street I’ve got a small but busy tourist beach
bustling with a lot of interesting looking people, and a lot of
very beautiful girls as well I might add. I’m sure I could come
away with many nice looking images. How do you point your lens
at them without them knowing, how discreet are you? How do you go
about it?

Click to expand...

I typically go for non-verbal permission. Just about everyone looks im my direction, pretty soon after I appear on the scene. With camera away from eye, I point at the camera. "Permission" is either the subject giving me a nod, or going back to their activities. Denial of permission is a headshake, certain "hand gestures"...

--

Salvage troll posts! When you see a thread started by a troll, post something useful to it. It will drive the trolls up the wall.

Ciao!

Joe

http://www.swissarmyfork.com

for Pbase, do you need a release?

You would need to confirm with a lawyer for sure, but from what I understand, a release is only required for commercial purposes. Say if you wanted to sell a picture...
--

http://black9.net
http://black9.com

I do some public photography. Mostly if not all the time in National Parks, where in general there is alot of picture taking going on as it is. But if anyone asks what I'm doing, or expresses interest. I tell them what im doing, hand them a business card, show'em a few samples of public photo work I've done. Express none of its for sale. Just public display (which is all factual). Always have a good outcome. I think its important to just remain professional about it, and call it a day.
--
mike - http://dantignacphoto.com
i

I love to shoot candids of people in public. I've been taking candids since I lived in Germany more than twenty years ago. Here's what I'd suggest:

Select a nice point of view with good background and take a seat. Let your subjects come to you. Photgraph them freely and should anyone ask, offer them a picture (in exchange for a modeling release).

No one has ever asked or, complained. One lady I captured was rather well endowed. When she noticed that I was about to take her picture, she subtly tugged downward on her blouse. The action enhanced her figure nicely Her boyfriend noticed me as I captured both of them and he appeared to be aggravated. But, not enough to approach me.

But, lest anyone get the wrong idea, my goal was simply to capture a beautiful moment. Without question, people who are unaware of a photographer often reveal a beauty that a posed photograph often does not.

Mike

http://www.michaelsphotography.smugmug.com

Gary777 said:

How many of you are into street photography? I’d like to give it a
go,…but,…are you discreet about it? Is that the plan?

Click to expand...

There are pictures of people on the street and street photography. For the former (environmental portraiture?) this might just be candid portraiture with some form of permission and possibly informal posing. For the latter it may be more about the human condition and posing would interrupt that. In either case, for me it pays to be sensitive and empathetic. Permission may be involved in street photography, but the best kind of permission is to be a part of the situation.

On the street, whether joy or sadness or just putting up with the mundane activites of getting from here to there, we have a lot to offer each other. Images of those emotions and activities can freeze in time the special nature of just getting through the day. IMO emotions are an important part of street work. Some photographers become a part of the world they are photographing - their results show it. For this aspect, I think that lurking behind a post with a long lens kind of misses the point. If you are going to relate to the subject and get the kind of intimacy in a photo that makes it special you have to relate on a much more personal level. A snapshot in passing may hit sometimes. But if you are not comfortable in becoming emotionally involved with the subject, and on a par with the surroundings (not "shooting" fish in a barrel) it requires something special and much more of a commitment.

Gary777 said:

Just down the street I’ve got a small but busy tourist beach
bustling with a lot of interesting looking people, and a lot of
very beautiful girls as well I might add. I’m sure I could come
away with many nice looking images. How do you point your lens
at them without them knowing, how discreet are you? How do you go
about it?

Click to expand...

Are you making a statement about what's happening on the beach or "stealing" an image from someone? If you feel like you are "snatching" an image, try turning more towards story telling. As far as pointing your lens, if you have a story line you may already be involved. Sometimes just catching someone's eye and raising your camera will get some kind of "silent" affirmative response of a more obvious rejection. Sometimes you can be more insistent. Sometimes you get affirmation, but the moment is lost. Take the picture anyway. You'll likely get lots of rejects. But the picture, even if the moment is lost, may be the beginning of another moment.

Have fun but do it with a purpose. IMO and experience, it doesn't work if you are in the image "snatch and grab" mode.

Gary777 said:

Thanks for any input.

Click to expand...

--
Regards,
Roger

I stick with protests where cameras are expected and I can get the kind of shots I want. No one ever bothers you are a protest and you can stand in front of people yelling at each other and they will ignore you as you focus.

When I do regular street photography, I carry a card that has my website and other information and that has made the difference a number of times when someone wants to know what I am doing. I have a container of pepper gas just in case and have reached for it a few times when someone looks like they are considering taking my stuff. I do a lot in rough areas of south Florida.

It is better to step lightly rather than have someone call 911 saying that a terroist with a Nikon has been spotting taking images of buidlings and bridgers.

http://www.pbase.com/lautermilch

When we were in the South Pacific last year, we visited many small islands where everyone loved having their pictures taken. However, we visited a small island with ladies sitting on blankets selling their wares. I asked this one lady if I could take her picture and she said no. She was refusing all picture requests. I asked if I bought a sarong, could I take her picture holding it up so I could remember who I bought it from. She said yes, only if I sent her a copy of the picture. I bought the $10 sarong, had her show me how to wear it and got my picture. When I got home, I mailed her an 8" x 10" color photograph of herself holding up the sarong. I wouldn't have gotten the picture of a very interesting lady without asking. I wore the sarong many times during my visits to the islands so it was well worth the $10 to get the picture.

I've learned from my travels to always ask. Once while in East Africa, I took a picture of a medicine man without his permission. He demanded money and when I said I didn't have any on me, he demanded my camera. I refused to give him my camera so he put a curse on me. Believe it or not, I got altitude sickness only a couple of days later and my safari to East Africa did not end on the pleasant note it should have. After I got home, it took two weeks for me to recover. Always ask...

...to ask forgiveness, then to ask for permission.

This is a quote from a famous female National Geographic photograher (and maybe others before her).

Once you ask permission, you lose that candid moment, and end up with hokie posed pictures.

A long tele lens is crucial for candids without being noticed.
--
ShutterBugin
http://www.exposureproductions.smugmug.com

BellaDonna said:

Gary777 said:

How many of you are into street photography? I’d like to give it a
go,…but,…are you discreet about it? Is that the plan?

Just down the street I’ve got a small but busy tourist beach
bustling with a lot of interesting looking people, and a lot of
very beautiful girls as well I might add. I’m sure I could come
away with many nice looking images. How do you point your lens
at them without them knowing, how discreet are you? How do you go
about it?

Thanks for any input.

Click to expand...

--
Donna Bella

To begin with, I think it is not proper for anyone with a camera to
take pictures of anybody just like that. There is such a thing as
privacy, decency and decorum in our society.

I will never violate another person's right to privacy, and
therefore I will never take pictures of anybody..tourist or not, in
a busy street or elsewhere without permission. There are other
subjects and more interesting scene along the way.

"Do unto others what you would expect others to do unto you."
No...I am not pontificating. Just my personal belief.

Donna

lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll

Click to expand...

Yes, and I have met up with people with your exact viewoint while at protests. They are in public waving signs, looking for attention and when I point a camera out them they approach me to explain their right to privacy. While I respect the right to privacy when someone is dothing nothing, that protection goes away when they are asking for attention.