Candids

[Janice]

Can anyone tell me how to overcome the embarrassment I feel at the thought of taking photos of strangers in the big wide world?

People seem to take photos of members of the public doing their shopping and out and about,.,.......I just wouldnt have the bottle, although Id love to do it.

What if they turn round and see you taking it, do you just click and walk away, or do you have to stop and explain what you are doing every time?
It would sure be a pain to have to explain the same thing for every shot....and what do you actually SAY? :shrug:

 

[SammyC]

I don't think there is any magic janice, I think you just have to build up to it. So rather than in at the deep end maybe a few shots when there's only a couple of people about?

 

[TG.]

Can anyone tell me how to overcome the embarrassment I feel at the thought of taking photos of strangers in the big wide world?

People seem to take photos of members of the public doing their shopping and out and about,.,.......I just wouldnt have the bottle, although Id love to do it.

What if they turn round and see you taking it, do you just click and walk away, or do you have to stop and explain what you are doing every time?
It would sure be a pain to have to explain the same thing for every shot....and what do you actually SAY? :shrug:

a difficult one for me to janice, especially from a guys point of view you do get some strange looks from people, diego garcia on here seems to have it down to a fine art, maybe he could give us some direction i took this one of this guy in london a couple of weeks ago, when he looked up and seen me he did,ent seem very impressed,i can't think why i guess maybe we should just go and ask.

 

[minimeeze]

The key for me is to do it with a telephoto lens so you can take the shot from a distance. That way, it looks like you could be taking the shot of something else. The more populated the area, the better, as you don't make yourself look quite so obvious. London is a such a good place as you just mingle in with the rest of the toursits taking snaps!

 

[Marianne]

I really don't like to do it iether Janice, I know exactly how you feel, Barry does what Min says, uses an enormous telephoto lens but I can't even lift the flippin' thing! I just lurk over bridges etc lol

 

[Janice]

It was your lovely shot of Taking a Breather which prompted me to ask this, Marianne. Its not only the person you are taking it of that bothers me either, I keep thinking someone standing next to me will ask what Im doing too! (have I got a complex or what!!)

If someone says "what are you going to do with it?", or "what do you want it for"? what to hell do I say? "Its my hobby and im going to keep it on my computer" All sounds a bit suspect to me!! :shrug:

 

[CT]

Most if us feel a bit like this Janice, and it's only right that we do, after all we're not the paparazzi and we have a bit more regard for people's feelings and the other guys freedom and privacy, or we should have.

Having said that, there's nothing wrong with what you want to do, try not to make your nervousness make you look furtive. A big friendly smile goes a long way, and why not not even just ask the more extrovert types you see, they're often only too pleased to pose for you anyway.

Not everyone is so co-operative of course, and a telephoto lens will pick interesting faces out at a distance. Wide angle lenses can also catch interesting people off centre in the frame, while you appear to be pointing the camera at something else entirely and they're often the genuine unposed candids you're after.

 

[Marianne]

I'll pose for you Janice...you only have to ask

I know exactly how you feel too, I'm usually with Barry so I feel a bit safer...

 

[Sean_Mcr]

I shoot candids and street shots with my 35mm prime (50mm fov on my 20D) 95% of the time. I'm a confident person by nature and i fully believe in what I'm doing. I have a real love for the genre and its history and for those that mastered it, people like Henrie Cartier Bresson, Gary Winogrand, Diane Arbus & Helen Levitt, to name a very few.

Don't hide in corners or across roads, that makes it look like there is something wrong in what you're doing, you're doing a good thing know it and act accordingly. Don't be worried about people noticing, remember you're doing a good thing, so why's it bad to be noticed doing a good thing, something that is a valid & respected art form ,that's shown from the Tate to the museum of modern art in New York.

As for peoples feelings, i think much of that is down to projection, if you feel like you're doing something wrong, you're going to feel that people will think you are doing something wrong. If you feel that way, chase sun sets instead. because you have to believe in what you're doing

If you want to see it done right http://www.magnumphotos.com/c/htm/F...tfolio_DocThumb&V=CDocT&E=2TYRYDZAJK8T&DT=ALB

http://www.magnumphotos.com/c/htm/F...rtfolio_DocThumb&V=CDocT&E=2K7O3RNY2WJ&DT=ALB

http://www.in-public.com/photographers

 

[Witch]

Janice - I SO identify with what you've said here. I'm shy anyway - and struggle like mad with taking shots of people almost regardless of situation. It's only now after countless attempts that I feel confident to go out on the track when the riders are on parade at speedway and get in there and get the portrait shots I'm wanting.......oddly enough I was more confident doing candid stuff there a while ago - before I got more involved. Now I find it quite difficult.

As for in the street, well just about the only way I can do candids whilst out and about is to use a telephoto and catch people who truly have not the vaguest idea I'm there....:shrug:

 

[Gandhi]

The odd ones I do, I generally find that I get the shot, then go and show them. Unless it's really wide angle and I eed to be up really close. Even then you have the advantage of being able to point the camera awayish and still get them in shot.

A big smile and a few glasses of vino can help overcome nerves too.


Not that I would suggest alkyhol as a crutch of course. Darkness down that path lies.