Candid and street - lack of brass neck!

EdinburghGary

EdinburghGary

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No photo's, but I wish I had taken a few. Basically we have about 200 road workers, of all shapes, sizes and ages, digging up our streets just now.

I would love to get some candid shots, using my 70 to 300 VR, but I just haven't got the balls to stand and take photo's of other people, without their consent, in a busy city centre.

Fear 1:
They see what I am doing and make a scene.

Fear 2:
Someone else sees what I am doing and makes a scene.

Fear 3:
Someone mistakenly thinks I am trying to capture something else entirely and makes a real scene. This is my biggest fear!

Anyone else struggle with this? Sucks.

Gary.
 
I am quite happy doing it with a zoom lens and for me it makes the shot better if the people do see you are looking right down the lens. The way I do it is don't make it obvious who you are taking a photo of, most people don't know that you have a zoom lens, so you can stand in the street and act like you are taking a shot of the street but actually be zoomed in and capturing people. Also don't take the camera away from your and chimp as soon as you have the shot, keep it up to your face until they have passed or moved somewhere else, it makes it less obvious.
 
Jimmy_Lemon said:
I am quite happy doing it with a zoom lens and for me it makes the shot better if the people do see you are looking right down the lens. The way I do it is don't make it obvious who you are taking a photo of, most people don't know that you have a zoom lens, so you can stand in the street and act like you are taking a shot of the street but actually be zoomed in and capturing people. Also don't take the camera away from your and chimp as soon as you have the shot, keep it up to your face until they have passed or moved somewhere else, it makes it less obvious.
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All that plus....the old random wide angle shot - don't hold it to your face but at hip or chest level - has worked for me many a time (you get a fair few misses but when it works its great :))
 
I'm completely with you on this Gary! I hid myself away in a corner taking some at the weekend. I found panning inconspicuously even more difficult. As for people looking down the lens, I must have looked a right div as every time someone turned I quickly snapped a shot, my arse went, and I looked skywards whistling... thinking nobody would see me! :lol:
 
I've just been in Manchester city centre taking some and I had a blast! It's a lovely day, everyone seems happy. I had some flower sellers hamming it up for me and you'll never guess what!.......................There is a fountain in Piccadilly Gardens, one where the water comes out of holes in the ground. The kids were playing in the jets of water, so I went over and asked their parents if they would mind me taking some pics. Not at all, delighted, help yourself! A lovely Norwegian family over here on holiday.

I shot everything on a 24-105mm so not long by any means and a 1Ds MkII is hardly inconspicuous!

It's fun Gary, try it! I find that smiling a lot helps too :)
 
...and I apologise in advance if your name is Alistaire, but I would imagine breasts are a pretty good substitute for a brass neck?

You're less likely to get some workman land one on your nose!
 
I avoid street photography partly I don't want someone having a problem and questioning me, but I'm slowly learning to Ignore them now unless they are police.

As long as they don't put there hand on me, they can say all they like, their problem If anyones paranoid.
 
Jimmy_Lemon said:
I am quite happy doing it with a zoom lens...
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Something that street photography purists will completely disagree with. Street photography is not about hiding behind a wall and popping up like a trained soldier to shoot someone with a 200mm lens. Yes its easier but thats not street photography. In a way street photography is about facing those fears. You'll be a better photographer for it, trust me I know. I'm at the point where on a good day I can do 10mm street photography. Have a read of the PDF from this guy. It contains mild swearing ;)

Simple fact is you are doing nothing wrong. Don't hide or shy away. Don't act like you're doing something seedy or voyueristic because you're not. You are simply capturing life on the streets and thats as valid as capturing life anywhere else. There is no law against it. If you're on the street and its a public place you're fair game. People will have a go at you one day because they're stupid ****s. I've had it, even when I was wearing a security pass to show that I was authorized to take photos. Brush it off and keep taking photos. The good stuff in life doesn't come easy.
 
petemc said:
Simple fact is you are doing nothing wrong. Don't hide or shy away. Don't act like you're doing something seedy or voyueristic because you're not. You are simply capturing life on the streets and thats as valid as capturing life anywhere else. There is no law against it. If you're on the street and its a public place you're fair game. People will have a go at you one day because they're stupid ****s. I've had it, even when I was wearing a security pass to show that I was authorized to take photos. Brush it off and keep taking photos. The good stuff in life doesn't come easy.
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I bet when you did street photography / candids for the first time X number of years ago, you weren't as confident as you are now.

I think it's the first few times you do it, you feel nervous, as you don't want to stick a lens infront of somebody incase they get the wrong message.
 
Of course I wasn't. I still shy away most days because its easier and I hate myself for it. Still, on a good day I will get the shot.
 
EdinburghGary said:
No photo's, but I wish I had taken a few. Basically we have about 200 road workers, of all shapes, sizes and ages, digging up our streets just now.
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Try wearing a high-vis vest with ‘Time & Motion Inspector’ on it, may help :D



I have not tried this yet but I would have thought that at times one would have to choose ones subject carefully.

I would, if say photographing, a street trader, ask first if they would mind.
 
Thanks guys, glad its just not me. I will go out and try again tomorrow! If I had my friend Michael or Darren by my side, I would tie people to the fence to get my shot, we are very confident around each another.

Gary.
 
It is easier when you're with mates. If something goes wrong you can laugh it off. On your own you can't do that. You have to shake it off, get back on the horse and keep going.
 
I only took 4 this morning, and one thing is very apparent, lack of low F numbers. I would love to create a lot more background blur to aid in the seperation, and take away a lot of the distractions.

Still not ready to plump £1K+ down on the 70 to 200 f2.8 unless they optimise it for Full Frame.

Anyway, I know thye are pants, but was too scared to try! Adding them with a view to providing better on my next attempt - will be good to compare.


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2
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3 (pointless!)
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4
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Gary.
 
I must admit it was easier in China to take street (and every where else) candids. I was using the 70x300 at 300. I was in Dalian, sat at Starbucks cafe on the square, and clicked away happily for more than an hour. In the end it felt a bit predator like and I stopped shortly thereafter. When I first started, the distance gave a sense of security amd then you realise how close people are when you click, even at 300 mm zoom.
 
I don't and never have owned a lens longer than 105mm (except for a couple days for a wedding 2 weeks ago, thanks Stewart), and i have done the street thing too, i never had problems walking around with my SLR in my hand, see the shot, bring up the camera and snap. The only people i have found that doesn't want photos taken are the homeless, they seem to turn away and put their hands up when they see you.
 
Act with authority and people will assume you have it.

You'll get some strange looks from people if they realise you've taken their photo, but you have it by that point. If you're uncomfortable with the eye contact then take the shot and immediately look away as if looking for another shot, before you lower the camera from your face.
 
i tried getting a few street shots yesterday

me and a few freinds were driving around manchester city centre, even when your in the car taking shots is hard because the odd few people clock what your doing and you feel like a right idiot.
 
I know where you are coming from Gary, I've always felt too self concious for street photography.
I felt more comfortable doing it in a big town/city like Edinburgh, but there's no way I do it in my home town unless it was an event.
 
Don't use an SLR then, or at least don't put on a massive lens. 30D with a 30mm lens would be fine.
 
liss said:
i tried getting a few street shots yesterday

me and a few freinds were driving around manchester city centre, even when your in the car taking shots is hard because the odd few people clock what your doing and you feel like a right idiot.
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That'll be because you're doing street photography from a car :p
 
but at least your gone quick enough :) wasnt intentonal (sp), was out for the day and thought id try and snap a few people whilst i was out
 
liss said:
i tried getting a few street shots yesterday

me and a few freinds were driving around manchester city centre, even when your in the car taking shots is hard because the odd few people clock what your doing and you feel like a right idiot.
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You have just reminded me of an incedent 4 years ago, in my wives home town. I had just got a new mobile with a camera, and I spent the entire journey from EDI to TRANENT shooting out the window at random crap. I wasn't into photography (or I wasn't aware of it!), and I just literally tried shooting everything. Shop windows, bus stops, other cars, lamposts, just complete boredom.

After the journey home to EDI, I got a knock at the door. Police wanted to see my camera, as two young kids reported my number plate as they saw me taking photos from the window!!! My wife was driving. Officers checked the mobile, and apologised but warned me to be more tactful in future.

Crazy :)

Gary.
 
EdinburghGary said:
You have just reminded me of an incedent 4 years ago, in my wives home town. I had just got a new mobile with a camera, and I spent the entire journey from EDI to TRANENT shooting out the window at random crap. I wasn't into photography (or I wasn't aware of it!), and I just literally tried shooting everything. Shop windows, bus stops, other cars, lamposts, just complete boredom.

After the journey home to EDI, I got a knock at the door. Police wanted to see my camera, as two young kids reported my number plate as they saw me taking photos from the window!!! My wife was driving. Officers checked the mobile, and apologised but warned me to be more tactful in future.

Crazy :)

Gary.
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Reminds me of an incident in uni.

Friend hired out a video camera from the uni library to film a end of party year we were having, and it was still a couple of days before we need to return it so we decide to film us mucking around. Que driving around plymouth in a Ford Escort convertable with a Northern Ireland Number plate videoing stuff. If you know plymouth, you will know that it is adjacent to Devonport Naval base, not long into the trip we were stopped by police and asked loads of questions and see what we have been filming. When we told them what we were doing and showed played back the tape they let us go. They had thought we were members of the IRA planning a bomb plot of the Naval base !
 
nothing happened along them lines just looking back throught the pictures realised a few people had see me :)

will post them up in a mo
 
the police gave me a nice tip - if you are gonig in taking photos especially around sensitive areas like the naval base. Inform them first. At least they know who you are and what you are doing.
My local police even said if we wanted to do urban nightscapes from a perticular spot they would be happy to keep an eye on us because the area is not that safe.
I am known to the police - i even have a picture of the policeman that stopped us to question what we were doing.
 
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