Help needed on Street Photography using film...

TheBigYin

TheBigYin

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As most of you in here are aware, I'm resolutely NOT a people photographer. However, this months POTY subject is "Street Photography", and as I've set myself a challenge of taking a shot specifically for the competition every month, I'm going to have to go well outside my comfort zone and try it. At the moment i've got one entry, but it was outside the time frame of the comp.

I see some great stuff in this section (film and conventional - before it was moved !!! :shrug:), and lots of stuff I'd happily submit, so what better place to ask for advice?

My main problems are...

1) how the hell do I get photo's and not get some leg-dragger wanting to try and deck me? I've tried already and after 8 frames, 3 threats and one guy trying to take my camera (he failed, and probably has a slightly sore foot where I stamped on it with my full 19+ stone) I decided that I wasn't doing it right!

2) I hate (no make that HATE!) taking photographs of people.

I've already decided that i'll have to use a camera I'm not worried about getting damaged - (ahem) FED3... as if someone takes a proper swing at me I don't want to be hampered by having the EOS-3 or the 450D around my neck.

So - any way for me to take street photo's without getting a good kicking / arrested for assault myself, and still get something decent in the end...
 
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Try where there is another reason to be photographing? A local land mark etc? You will be less conspicious that way.
 
menthel said:
Try where there is another reason to be photographing? A local land mark etc? You will be less conspicious that way.
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:lol: if you'd followed my photo-365 last year, you'd realise that there's nothing photogenic within a hours drive of where I live.

I'm not really the ideal person to do inconspicuous - i'm the wrong height, width and appearance to blend in.
 
TheBigYin said:
:lol: if you'd followed my photo-365 last year, you'd realise that there's nothing photogenic within a hours drive of where I live.

I'm not really the ideal person to do inconspicuous - i'm the wrong height, width and appearance to blend in.
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That's me out of ideas! I hate street photography too.
 
I, on the other hand, love street photography - it's addicting. Here's some tips I posted in another thread:

Tony Ray-Jones (old-school street photographer) had amongst his notes the following scribble, which is one of my favourites: "don't take boring pictures". Where's the story? Where is the interesting bits? Where's the emotions?

Apart from Jones' tip above, here's a few other ones

1. Use a prime lens, 24mm - 50mm. This will force you to interact with the environment and the people. Also, you'll probably feel less self conscious with a "tighter" kit.

2. Understand the different focusing methods; you need to take a picture in a split second to get that moment - pre-focus, hyperfocal focus, etc.

3. Exposure. Generally you want to freeze action, so a shutter of at least 1/125 is good.

4. Look for interactions, look for interesting backgrounds. Try have a "theme" when going out - laughter, juxtaposition, tears, etc.

5. Take the picture. This might sound obvious but it's easy to cop out when it comes time to put the camera in someone's face. Just take the picture, and worry later.

6. If you don't know what you're doing, pretend like you do. Walk with confidence. More importantly, have fun. Interact with people.

Street photography is an awesome experience and can be quite addictive; it can also be very difficult in the beginning. The majority of or photos will probably be crap, but learn from them.
 
menthel said:
That's me out of ideas! I hate street photography too.
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I'm at the point of just looking for a silly street name and shooting the name-plaque tbh...

Best idea so far is Slutwell Lane - just up the road from Baghill Station :lol:
 
gnom said:
I, on the other hand, love street photography - it's addicting. Here's some tips I posted in another thread:

Tony Ray-Jones (old-school street photographer) had amongst his notes the following scribble, which is one of my favourites: "don't take boring pictures". Where's the story? Where is the interesting bits? Where's the emotions?

Apart from Jones' tip above, here's a few other ones

1. Use a prime lens, 24mm - 50mm. This will force you to interact with the environment and the people. Also, you'll probably feel less self conscious with a "tighter" kit.

2. Understand the different focusing methods; you need to take a picture in a split second to get that moment - pre-focus, hyperfocal focus, etc.

3. Exposure. Generally you want to freeze action, so a shutter of at least 1/125 is good.

4. Look for interactions, look for interesting backgrounds. Try have a "theme" when going out - laughter, juxtaposition, tears, etc.

5. Take the picture. This might sound obvious but it's easy to cop out when it comes time to put the camera in someone's face. Just take the picture, and worry later.

6. If you don't know what you're doing, pretend like you do. Walk with confidence. More importantly, have fun. Interact with people.

Street photography is an awesome experience and can be quite addictive; it can also be very difficult in the beginning. The majority of or photos will probably be crap, but learn from them.
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Some very interesting points - I think i'm fine on the technical side of things, it's just the liking the subject and not ending up in the dock that i'm concerned with.
 
TheBigYin said:
there's nothing photogenic within a hours drive of where I live.
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If you're in Pontefract you have the race course.
Yesterday was Ladies Day and would have been a super photo op for street photos.

It's Family Day on 15 Aug, is that too late ?
 
Ponty Races... that's a blast from the past - haven't been there since my dad used to drag me there... :)


Achhh - it's on a Sunday :( can't do sundays :bang:




I'm starting to feel bad about opening this thread now - Sorry if I just seem to be shooting everything down and being negative, it's probably that I AM negative about it - but i'm sure someone on here willcome up with something :thumbs: Right - time to get out for a ride on my bike and hopefully blow away these negative vibes.
 
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Mark, I am, like many I guess, awful at street photography. When ever I have tried to shott people in my town, either people moved away; or stared menacingly at me. I was sure it was all me and my style ( and I am not tall or large, in fact just the opposite)The other day, however, I was in London, and walking through the crowded street, and wishing to finish up the roll; I started shooting at people, groups and no one could care less - even a couple who were in the middle of displaying affections normally reserved for bedrooms.
What I realised is that in small towns street photography is far more difficult. People know-or think they know - each other; and dont want to be in other folks album. The current media campaign about photographers have not helped either. Big towns are very different -people dont know or care about others. In a very bizzare way, they have found a way to isolate themselves in the midst of the crowd - and a guy shooting photos is the last of their worries.

If you take an unusual camera - something that looks old world - dunno, something that looks like a box brownie, or a woodex box camera or a camera with WLF - you might find people responding better. Also may be if you have a kid with you with a camera herself, people might be more tolerant - and while she is getting set up to take a photo you could swoop in.
 
I too am fairly poor (rubbish in fact) at 'street' but someone, on here I think, said to find a spot where there is something else of interest, choose your target, take the pic and leave the camera pointing in the same direction as if waiting for them to get out of the way of the 'interesting' opportunity behind them.

Andy
 
Easy. Use a P&S and forget about the quality of the shot. Even if you have an old film P&S. Compensate with a nice contrasty B&W and away you go.

If you're self conscious about it then the minute you stick a lens on a camera you're a lot more self conscious. So, stick on a pair of shorts with the US flag on them, talk with a texas accent, and stick a P&S round yer neck. Pick a land mark you like, find a seat, wait for the moment, click the button.

Something like that....
 
I've battled with exactly how you feel and can only suggest that you get out there, shoot and get over it.
I started with a lot of hip level street stuff, trying to guestimate what the 35mm prime was seeing. I got fed up very quickly with this and started to lift the camera to my eye. I still feel weird, I think I always will, but I use a few tricks to lull people into a false sense of security.
I sometimes pretend to be shooting something beyond them, look up from the viewfinder, (after pre focussing, composing etc) and look all annoyed they are in my shot. Only when they rush past do I take the shot.
Leave the camera at your eye after taking someone's picture, ignoring them completely.
A smile always helps as well, being caught on taking their picture, (works especially well on attractive females) just grin at them like you're mad.
Speak a foreign language, I have once said loudly "BONJOUR!!!" as a rather large fella was going to confront me. He just walked on.
 
Ujjwal, I think you may have something about the "small town syndrome" - though seeing as 2 of the 3 that accosted me yesterday had heavy slavic accents, who knows.

Andy, the lurk and snap approach may work, though I think I'll try it in a little larger town, At least I'll get to meet a different set of parafin lamps - and maybe share a better vintage of white lightning while I sit and wait :)

Conor - the pretend Septic approach might work in the smoke, but around here, it'd just get "You're not from round here are you..." followed by a brief but intimate encounter with a broken becks bottle. Oh Christ, I hate the towns around here :(
 
Well, I might be kidding about the shorts, but the amount of wicked street photography I've seen come from point and shoots/phones cameras/etc is mad. And people seem to have a much higher tolerance for them.

Only other solution is come stay with me in the city and we'll go street toggin together with a couple of massive old film cameras! Mmmm... I love the smell of ilfosol ddx in the morning....
 
This afternoon I was at Renishaw, the country seat of the Sitwells, shooting the formal gardens. However a bus trip turned up full of retired ladies who made perfect 'street' material, some real characters set among the classical sculptures and borders. However using them as props and pushing a 24mm lens in their face would have been wrong so I attempted to engage with them, discussing plants and generally trying to show I wasn't a threat - patter basically.
Unfortunately while I was changing a film they decided to head en mass to the tearoom so it was a missed opportunity - you win some, you lose some. If you're stuck in an environment as opposed to on the hoof in the street you have to play it by ear sometimes.

On the plus side an old boy with a titanium FM2 got chatting about film and the horrors of digital (he had a DSLR too) and we chewed the cud for ages and both left feeling better about the world.
The requirements of street photography are a winning smile, some cheery patter, a brass neck and a skin like a rhino.
 
street photography is THE photography , just as photojournalism. can't wait to have a 35mm or 30mm lens ! :) . manual is just too slow.
 
Starastin said:
street photography is THE photography , just as photojournalism. can't wait to have a 35mm or 30mm lens ! :) . manual is just too slow.
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Not if you don't like people it isn't. At best they're moveable foreground for something more scenic, more usually they're a ****in pain and cause me to wait until i've lost the light while they dawdle out of the bladdy way!

And no - i'm not keen on people outside of photographs either!
 
TheBigYin said:
Not if you don't like people it isn't. At best they're moveable foreground for something more scenic, more usually they're a ****in pain and cause me to wait until i've lost the light while they dawdle out of the bladdy way!

And no - i'm not keen on people outside of photographs either!
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:lol: . but - you are people, we are people !!!

images


group-hug.jpg

:lol::lol::lol:
 
Ahhh if you lived close I'd meet up and show you what I do. I love street photography!

I like to use a longish lens but will use a shorter one sometimes. I try not to attract attention to myself (ok, any more than usual) and keep the camera up after the shutter goes, I also try not to get more than 2 shots of the same person unless there's something magnificent about the image. Be discrete, look confident (or crazy....either works :lol: ) and relax.
 
colpepper said:
However a bus trip turned up full of retired ladies who made perfect 'street' material, some real characters set among the classical sculptures and .
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i think this is going somewhere ,,,big yin ,,,,start with very old people ,,then if it all turns nasty ,you'ill have time to pack everthing away neatly ,finnish drinking your tea/coffee dismantle all the lights and reflectors and just walk away in a dignified manner ,,,or if they're a bit sprightly R.L.F :lol:
 
I feel very self conscious doing street photos too.

I was recommended to use a compact with a flip out screen (like a G11) and face the other way when taking the photos! But seems a bit dishonest somehow.
 
thanks all - guess i'll just either not bother entering or leave the existing one in!
 
dan d said:
I feel very self conscious doing street photos too.

I was recommended to use a compact with a flip out screen (like a G11) and face the other way when taking the photos! But seems a bit dishonest somehow.
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Have never found a film camera that has a flip out screen... thread was originally posted in film and conventional, dunno how/why it moved ???
 
just try it one more time, be in a place where there are lots of people and probably you won't be noticed etc. common ! have another go ! :)
 
fabs said:
It was moved because the subject was not specific to Film.
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It was to me :shrug: daren't take anything expensive out there... still - your forum, your rules, and I don't think anythings going to help anyway... any chance of closing the thread ?
 
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TheBigYin said:
It was to me :shrug: daren't take anything expensive out there... still - your forum, your rules, and I don't think anythings going to help anyway... any chance of closing the thread ?
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Or if you change the title; it might find its way back home :D
 
I thought the "as most of you *in here*... " lead in was enough to keep it in there?

Whatever, as Andy said, point and click and keep pointing as they walk past, or just move round as if still looking for a shot. Helps if you have a Hexar in stealth mode mind :D
 
Some good points raised, one thing I'll add is that since I bought the D300 it's become a lot harder. I'm nearly full sure the shutter can be heard from Canada... so sometimes I'll grab the D60 and use that instead. Or maybe use the Pentax 35mm film. Even a lubitel. All have silent shutters and are much easier to take a shot, then pretend you haven't yet taken it and act as if you're waiting them to get the funk out of the way.
 
Haven't read all the posts, but trigger the camera with a remote cable keeping the camera just hung from your neck. Easier with a digital as you don't get many keepers and I believe you use Film.
 
I bumped into a local photographer last weekend who just happens to be one of the best 'street' photographers I've seen in a while...we chatted about this and that.
Here's his website page for his street images (or unterwegs as we say over here) taken in Germany and Portugal. Unfortunately the site is in transition and some of the best images aren't displayed at the moment.

http://www.gisbertkoerner.de/serie_ruhrgebiet.php?pic=1

Just because it's 'street' doesn't necessarily mean it has to be candid or without the participation of the subjects...I think where people are going wrong on this is that they're treating the exercise as a guerilla campaign...

Spend a half hour talking to the subjects and you're less likely to be intimate with that broken Beck's bottle...
 
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street photography does not mean you have to take pictures of people.



TheBigYin said:
As most of you in here are aware, I'm resolutely NOT a people photographer. However, this months POTY subject is "Street Photography", and as I've set myself a challenge of taking a shot specifically for the competition every month, I'm going to have to go well outside my comfort zone and try it. At the moment i've got one entry, but it was outside the time frame of the comp.

I see some great stuff in this section (film and conventional - before it was moved !!! :shrug:), and lots of stuff I'd happily submit, so what better place to ask for advice?

My main problems are...

1) how the hell do I get photo's and not get some leg-dragger wanting to try and deck me? I've tried already and after 8 frames, 3 threats and one guy trying to take my camera (he failed, and probably has a slightly sore foot where I stamped on it with my full 19+ stone) I decided that I wasn't doing it right!

2) I hate (no make that HATE!) taking photographs of people.

I've already decided that i'll have to use a camera I'm not worried about getting damaged - (ahem) FED3... as if someone takes a proper swing at me I don't want to be hampered by having the EOS-3 or the 450D around my neck.

So - any way for me to take street photo's without getting a good kicking / arrested for assault myself, and still get something decent in the end...
Click to expand...
 
Arkady said:
I bumped into a local photographer last weekend who just happens to be one of the best 'street' photographers I've seen in a while...we chatted about this and that.
Here's his website page for his street images (or unterwegs as we say over here) taken in Germany and Portugal. Unfortunately the site is in transition and some of the best images aren't displayed at the moment.

http://www.gisbertkoerner.de/serie_ruhrgebiet.php?pic=1

Just because it's 'street' doesn't necessarily mean it has to be candid or without the participation of the subjects...I think where people are going wrong on this is that they're treating the exercise as a guerilla campaign...

Spend a half hour talking to the subjects and you're less likely to be intimate with that broken Beck's bottle...
Click to expand...

I've obviously got a lot to learn about 'Street' . . . perhaps better described as 'out and about' . . . :lol:

I have always, thought of my work as 'out and about', very 2nd rate, but I do enjoy myself, up grade to 'one stripe street':thinking:

I was in London the other day, a horrible place, but great for a couple of hours picture taking. Overcame the very self conscious feelings and got clicking, see here for my first efforts:

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=249118

I had a few, strange looks, one or two were a little intense . . . but on the whole, little attention was paid. It gave me a buzz, I'm shy, retiring, dont like crowds, a very insular person:thinking: . . . I will be venturing out again locally, deepest Suffolk, but London holds that draw for me . . . Drive my car to the Underground, £3 all day easy parking at my nearest UG Station, £7.50 buys a 'go anywhere', all day ticket.

CJS
 
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