how comfortable are you taking photos of strangers

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holderbeam

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was just looking at this AMAZING!! photographer called Joey Lawrence (kind of scary that he is only 2 years older than me and yet soooo great) this is his website http://www.joeyl.com/

but what i was really suprised is the pictures he takes of random strangers which i always find so awkward and try my best to not draw attention to myself and take 1 photo and run off (it will mostly be out of focus) so I just wanted to ask you other photographers

1) how comfortable are you with taking images of strangers
2) What would you do if some random person took a photo of you
3) how do you go about taking pictures of people

not the most exciting thread but i just really want to know
 
Holy hell, he's only 19? He's dam succesful. He did the photo for Twilight DVD?!

anyway;
1) from a far, very comfortably. close up, not really comfortable :(
2) probably not a lot.
3) Point the camera, click the shutter release :)
 
1) I'm pretty comfortable with it.
2) Wouldn't think anything of it.
3) I try to catch them off guard and then grab a quick shot but always give them a wee smile, wink or a thumbs up along with a 'thanks' after I've snapped them.

Had a couple of folk give me dirty looks or a bit of a growl and a shake of the head at me but not had any sort of confrontation with anyone as yet.

Tommy.
 
I was pondering this when I went out the other day with my camera!

1)Not very, which is bizarre as every time I have asked majority of people have been fine with it!
2)Probably wonder why as, I just dont see me as a great photographic subject!
3)Either ask or use a longer lens!

I have always wondered if you wanted to use the image such as in the Joey's website do you need a model release form or such like?
 
I thought I was young as I'm 18, and i'm no where near succesful yet.

But he's only 19, and already incredibly succesful. :(
I feel bad.
 
I know what you mean about taking photos of strangers in the street but using Joey L is a bad example, there isn't one stranger on his website :)

The pictures of Ethiopian tribes people were taken after at least one or two days getting to know them first, the street folk were all befriended in Toronto (before he moved to New York) and he evens admits to moving them to where the light was better as he used the sun on the mirrored buildings as his main light source.. and as for his commercial work, well you can hardly call Danny De Vito or the Jonas Brothers strangers in the street (you can call the Jonas Brothers lots of other things though) :D

I'm not knocking Joey he is a bloody great photographer and he freely admits to all of this, but has felt the need to justify his actions. He puts a very compelling case forward for not taking smash and grab photo's.

Also he has an assistant following him round with a profoto genny in a backpack and a head on a pole with a bloody great gridded softbox attached, not very reportage ;)
 
holderbeam said:
was just looking at this AMAZING!! photographer called Joey Lawrence (kind of scary that he is only 2 years older than me and yet soooo great) this is his website http://www.joeyl.com/

but what i was really suprised is the pictures he takes of random strangers which i always find so awkward and try my best to not draw attention to myself and take 1 photo and run off (it will mostly be out of focus) so I just wanted to ask you other photographers

1) how comfortable are you with taking images of strangers
2) What would you do if some random person took a photo of you
3) how do you go about taking pictures of people

not the most exciting thread but i just really want to know
Click to expand...

1) how comfortable are you with taking images of strangers
Not at all comfortable. They generally don't like it.

2) What would you do if some random person took a photo of you
I wouldn't like it.

3) how do you go about taking pictures of people
Random people in a street scene, no problem, I just fire away - they're just part of the scenery. Close ups of individuals I never do without their full knowledge, consent and cooperation.

Thrusting a camera in people's faces is intrusive and rude. It's an invasion of privacy and they don't like it, so I don't do it. It's no good saying they're in a public place and therefore, legally, fair game. That doesn't make it right.

If we all went around poking our cameras at people uninvited, street photography would get banned completely. The law allows us the privileged right to do it, but that right should be exercised sparingly and with respect.

Abuse it, and you'll soon be on the receiving end of of some rude abuse yourself. Photographers have got a bad enough reputation already.

All IMHO :)
 
HoppyUK said:
1) how comfortable are you with taking images of strangers
Not at all comfortable. They generally don't like it.
Click to expand...

Sorry I have to disagree, most people I've taken pictures of in the street did not mind one bit, and a lot of them stopped for chat.

HoppyUK said:
2) What would you do if some random person took a photo of you
I wouldn't like it.
Click to expand...

Wouldn't mind.

HoppyUK said:
Thrusting a camera in people's faces is intrusive and rude. It's an invasion of privacy and they don't like it, so I don't do it. It's no good saying they're in a public place and therefore, legally, fair
game. That doesn't make it right.
Click to expand...

That may be a bit over the top. I know a lot of street togs do this, but its something I've never really wanted to try.



HoppyUK said:
Abuse it, and you'll soon be on the receiving end of of some rude abuse yourself. Photographers have got a bad enough reputation already.
Click to expand...

I dont agree with that, Its only happened once, & he wasn't even in the frame.:D


All IMHO. ;)
Spence
 
1) Not at all comfortable, i trend to shoot then run away as well :( Although i love candids!
2) I probably wouldn't mind, as long as they didnt look too dodgy
3) I'd like to know the answer to that too!!
 
Those are some amazing photos, not really impromptu street stuff though.

Personally I find it very hard. With a 5d and now a 7D, it's not really small enough to do anything without alerting people. The minute that camera is pointed at somebody, they know. Personally I find staying in one place helps because people aren't surprised you're taking their photo. Just sit on a bench (or set up a tripod somewhere), line up your shot and sit there waiting for something interesting to come along. Otherwise I find taking somebody else along helps but for street stuff I'd really prefer something like a G series Canon or a GF1, something that isn't so massive.

As for whether I'm bothered about people taking my photo, not really, never have been. But some people are definitely weird about it even if it is perfectly legal.
 
HoppyUK said:
1)

3) how do you go about taking pictures of people
Random people in a street scene, no problem, I just fire away - they're just part of the scenery. Close ups of individuals I never do without their full knowledge, consent and cooperation.

Thrusting a camera in people's faces is intrusive and rude. It's an invasion of privacy and they don't like it, so I don't do it. It's no good saying they're in a public place and therefore, legally, fair game. That doesn't make it right.

If we all went around poking our cameras at people uninvited, street photography would get banned completely. The law allows us the privileged right to do it, but that right should be exercised sparingly and with respect.

Abuse it, and you'll soon be on the receiving end of of some rude abuse yourself. Photographers have got a bad enough reputation already.

All IMHO :)
Click to expand...


:plusone: I could not agree more!
 
4062060775_e2cbf2d0b8.jpg


kk heres my attempt at taking a photo of a stranger i asked the man with the bird on his foot if i could take it and he said yes (altho it did make it look somewhat staged) but i was soo nervous i forgot to turn on the auto focus FML so i sharpened it in photoshop
 
I can't really talk from experience, but it seems that you may well have answered your third question: "I asked the man..."

By the way, like your pic, especially the look on the face of the guy looking at the pigeon. In fact, thinking about it, you may have got ""two for the price of one"; the maybe "staged" looking but unusual shot of the guy with a pigeon on his foot and candid of the guy sitting next to him.

By and large, I think that HoppyUK has it right.

Does anyone out there carry something like a business card to give to the "stranger", perhaps pointing them to a website where they might see their picture? Would that sort of thing be helpful or a hindrance and a bit OTT?

Interesting thread Holderbeam. Maybe not exciting, but certainly interesting.
 
I've only done this a couple of times but what I found was just standing around with my camera out people came up to ask me what I was doing and then I asked them if I could take their picture. I also asked if they had an email address and said I would send them a copy of the photo.
 
holderbeam said:
was just looking at this AMAZING!! photographer called Joey Lawrence (kind of scary that he is only 2 years older than me and yet soooo great) this is his website http://www.joeyl.com/

but what i was really suprised is the pictures he takes of random strangers which i always find so awkward and try my best to not draw attention to myself and take 1 photo and run off (it will mostly be out of focus) so I just wanted to ask you other photographers

1) how comfortable are you with taking images of strangers
2) What would you do if some random person took a photo of you
3) how do you go about taking pictures of people

not the most exciting thread but i just really want to know
Click to expand...

Off topic, but thanks so much for introducing me to this very talented photographer.

I just bought his DVD and its downloading right now :thumbs:
 
1/ ok sometimes, other times feel a bit guilty lol, Like I've nicked something from them.
2/ would not bother me
3/ if eye contact, look at camera and put thumb up to ask if ok, if no eye contact just shoot

Remember though that its not legal in all countries to take peoples photos in a public place, I'm in Portugal and I didnt realise it was breaking a constitutional decree about peoples privacy to take someones photos in public without consent, only found out reading some posts on a portuguese flickr group page.
 
holderbeam said:
was just looking at this AMAZING!! photographer called Joey Lawrence (kind of scary that he is only 2 years older than me and yet soooo great) this is his website http://www.joeyl.com/

but what i was really suprised is the pictures he takes of random strangers which i always find so awkward and try my best to not draw attention to myself and take 1 photo and run off (it will mostly be out of focus) so I just wanted to ask you other photographers

1) how comfortable are you with taking images of strangers
if its a shoot situation i dont mind...but i cant really shoot cold..rather do a candid
2) What would you do if some random person took a photo of you
enquire vigorously their intent and ask to see the shot and have it deleted...really abrasive me!!
3) how do you go about taking pictures of people
talk to them..let them touch the camera, take my pic etc...if its children...no hard and fast rules they are just that bit harder than animals..

not the most exciting thread but i just really want to know
Click to expand...
 
I dont have much problem photographing strangers in the street. As long as I respect them as much I can (ie, by saying thanks or thumbs up if they chatch me, or decline to photograph them if they let it be known they have a problem) then I reckon I am ok to do it. The secret is to have as small a camera as possible which makes people less anxious. A big SLR (or worse, with a flash - actualy saw somebody doing this recently) just makes them nervous.
Only ever had major problems in Bulgaria. I missed so many good shots because the locals were so uncomfortable with a camera about. Must be a soviet era hangover.
 
Just a quicky, are there any copyright issues when doing this?
 
If you gave someone a card and linked them to your website/Flickr, and they then contact you asking you to remove the photo, do you have to?

I like the idea of doing some street photography with an assistant (probably drag my girlfriend with me) to hold an off camera flash to give the portraits something a little extra. Probably not very discreet, but I love street portraits where the people ARE actually posing for you. Well, not posing, but aware of what you're doing.
 
ScarySquirrel said:
If you gave someone a card and linked them to your website/Flickr, and they then contact you asking you to remove the photo, do you have to?
Click to expand...

If it was a photograph taken from a public place and is not presented in a defamatory way then legally, you do not have to remove it.

Morally, it's up to your conscience to decide!


Steve.
 
today on the tube to work some woman started arguing with a tourist because she took a picture of her ,the tourist who was french i believe took it but then tried to descreetly laugh about it in her language to her friend, the comuter DEMANDED it be deleted or she would call the police
The french woman refused saying she didnt take a picture of her and would not show her *** was on the camera (bad liar)

And all i could think was, If I had my camera this argument would make a great photo!! haha
 
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