Photographing strangers

CrazeUK

CrazeUK

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CrazeUK
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Hey guys.. I just came across this thread:
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=341437&highlight=asian&page=20

Some wonderful shots on it.

Anyway, i love taking photographs of life happening, without poses.
However understandably some people would object to you taking pics of them.

How right is it to take pics of people without there permission? (lets leave CCTV's out of this one :D).
Also has anyone had any bad reactions?
 
Legally its fine, I've done it a lot in Liverpool and only had a reaction once from a woman who "didn't want to be in the papers", so i showed it being deleted to avoid a fuss. Just got to be sensible about it, not look like your stalking people, i always avoid shooting in the direction of children even if they aren't the subject I'm after

Some people try shooting from the hip and hoping to get what they want, personally id rather just take what i want but maybe give the impression your taking something else.

This guy just walked around that corner you can see into my shot

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this guy might think (if anything) im taking a shot of the station

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some people just dont arnt looking (think the girl and red bag ruin this a bit)

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An interesting post on this topic

Personally, I find this a very difficult area to draw lines on. I can understand the point of vire of Philip Corcia di Lorca as a photographer, and I can understand the point of view of some of his subjects who have objected to his approach. Implied or tacit approval is difficult to determine, but it's a far better approach morally than the photographer that snipes the street with a long lens from a point of concealment.

It's an area where we all have to make our own rules. What makes it uncomfortable is that this is the grey fuzzy edge between what we can/can't do (legally) and what we should/shouldn't do (morally). Balancing rights with responsibilities.


Incidentally, I've had more occasions where I've goty grief for not taking someones portrait on the street than for taking it. But that's probably something to do with occasionally going out with a friend for a photowalk very late at night on a weekend when the clubs are overspilling. Honest, we couldn't be more physically different from the local rags club night photographer..
 
Street photography,been about almost as long as photographer itself.

Some of the great photos of our times have been shot in the street.

Will you run into trouble,i would say yes every now and again,but not a lot.
Give it a try,and see if for you :)

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Some of mine :)
 
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I really like street stuff, some of makes a great photo and i usually make like i'm taking something else, being deliberately vague
This one (if link works) was taken yesterday and this woman was laughing at me taking a shot of a seagul. Her fellas seemingly a togger, so I'm sure they understand when you're as new as me, nothings safe from my lens :-)
Anyway, this is the other side of it. Taking a shot can also stimulate laughter and banter with strangers


st andrews by Bruce Mo, on Flickr
 
I'm all for personal expectations of privacy, but once you walk out of your front door, as far as I'm concerned, all bets are off. I know there are people who feel just as strongly that people shouldn't be allowed to take their photos, but personal liberties and freedoms trump restrictions and limitations any day of the week. On the strength of that, I think that even if people may not be comfortable with the idea of people taking their photo publicly, that fundamentally we should have the right to do so unquestionably.

Also I really love street photography! :D

My only personal anecdote of a bad reaction is after I took a picture of a homeless man in Leeds taking money from a passer by, and he shouted at me to delete the picture or he'd "break my ****in' camera in 'arf". What with it being my Olympus OM-10, I just shrugged and said "It's film mate", and walked away. Did I violate his personal privacy? Not at all in my opinion. If he has the right to ask for money for nothing from passers by, I certainly have the right to take a picture. I find it quite intriguing that he has no shame in asking strangers for money, but feels embarrassed about having such an activity documented in a photograph. These are my feelings on the matter.
 
i watched a video today about Jay Maisel.
Street photography has never been my thing, but wow. Jay is amazing, and its hard not to be inspired.

He has a way (as a New Yorker ;) ) of dealing with people that he gets 'busted' by.
I guess its something that you jsut develop over time. Naturally, its going to happen to anyone and everyone.

There were soooo many lessons from that video, but one of them was "if you're in the dark, and they are in the light, then you are invisible". ie: if you are standing in the shadows, and your subject is in the sunlight, it is less likely they will see you. Interesting concept, but saw it happen over and over.

He pretty much always shoots 70-300mm these days too (and at ISO1600!). But he used t jsut shoot 50mm, so its not merely distance away from the subject thing.

Check youtube, and around the 'net, anything you can find on him will be a help if you are into Street Photography! :)
 
these are my street portraits, if they can be classed as that, all shot with handheld flash, no permission and no interaction afterwards, all shot through a 28mm prime (56mm with x2 crop ratio) and zone focused. i have never had any trouble post shot as im too far gone before it sinks in what has just happened to the (victim???). anyway, i dont think you can get any more un posed than this


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Jamtea said:
My only personal anecdote of a bad reaction is after I took a picture of a homeless man in Leeds taking money from a passer by, and he shouted at me to delete the picture or he'd "break my ****in' camera in 'arf". What with it being my Olympus OM-10, I just shrugged and said "It's film mate", and walked away. Did I violate his personal privacy? Not at all in my opinion. If he has the right to ask for money for nothing from passers by, I certainly have the right to take a picture. I find it quite intriguing that he has no shame in asking strangers for money, but feels embarrassed about having such an activity documented in a photograph. These are my feelings on the matter.
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That anecdote, to me, is the dark side of street photography. You perhaps didn't mean to come across as being so arrogant and dismissive of the homeless, but there is a tendency with some street photographers to see other people as furniture. Compare that to someone like Lee Jefferies who started out trying to "steal a shot" and changed to a style where he engages with the subject. Same choice of subject, but one approach really involves getting out of your comfort zone. The other disrespects the subject.
 
I see nothing wrong with shooting strangers without permission. As long as your not a nob end about it and treat people with respect. I am relatively quiet and reserved around people i don't know and have the utmost respect for the people i share this planet with. But shooting strangers without permissions? This is a very touchy subject indeed, and people seem to be totally divided with not much middle ground. Don't get me wrong, i love the patience and timing of the likes of bresson and berry, but at the same time love the drama and adrenaline injected into the images of gilden and Cohen. You really do have to be selective about your subject matter though. In the case of the homeless man wanting to bust up your lovely om10, how must he have felt?
1, you can't get more down on your luck than being homeless.
2, imagine having to beg for money to keep you in, food, shelter, drink, drugs. I say drink and drugs because for some, its the only thing that can distract from the harsh reality of life on the street and i think if any of us ended up in that situation the temptation would be irresistible.
3, now imagine how embarrassing it would be knowing everything in your life has gone to **** and someone comes along and makes a permanent copy of it.
(i hope you gave the guy a couple of quid for the photo? Was it worth it? Did it come out good?)
But the divide is still there, will always be there, you will always have the ones who stand back, observe, select the moment and the ones who are in the thick of it on the front line stealing, creating. I support both teams.
 
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I agree with Alastair here, but I don't think you always have to engage with the subject, just be nice if they're not happy about having their photo taken & try not to look down your nose at people.

I've had a roll of film destroyed by police for photographing & been shouted at a fair few times, but people will very rarely get aggressive or anything in public. As long as you know who to avoid you should be fine :thumbs:


By the way, Simon, your pictures very much remind me of Bruce Gilden's work, very nice indeed!

-J
 
Just been wondering about this subject myself, why do we take photos of strangers?
 
jonbeeza said:
Just been wondering about this subject myself, why do we take photos of strangers?
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Why do we take photographs of anything? Because they are there. I think we can safely say that, by now, most of the populated parts of the world have been photographed a large number of times.
 
Joenail said:
Why do we take photographs of anything? Because they are there. I think we can safely say that, by now, most of the populated parts of the world have been photographed a large number of times.
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So famous and well known landmarks, including famous faces have all been done to death. So strangers the least known the better ;)
 
jonbeeza said:
So famous and well known landmarks, including famous faces have all been done to death. So strangers the least known the better ;)
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No, strangers intrigue, well me anyway. They are stories i don't know, friends i haven't met, places i haven't been. They know things i don't, look different to me, talk different to me and therefore are very intriguing. Why not record the little quirks, characters and difference of the world instead of the flat grey and homogeneous world the mainstream wants us to become. Don't laugh at the slightly different bloke in the crazy jumper and shorts combo topped off with a pair of moon boots and disheveled hair, celebrate his difference, because its these people that make the world a more colorful and enjoyable place to live.
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Not one of mine but an excellent example
 
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Simon photo said:
No, strangers intrigue, well me anyway. They are stories i don't know, friends i haven't met, places i haven't been. They know things i don't, look different to me, talk different to me and therefore are very intriguing. Why not record the little quirks, characters and difference of the world instead of the flat grey and homogeneous world the mainstream wants us to become. Don't laugh at the slightly different bloke in the crazy jumper and shorts combo topped off with a pair of moon boots and disheveled hair, celebrate his difference, because its these people that make the world a more colorful and enjoyable place to live.....
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Loved your post, very well said. That's what I love about photos rather than video. I love studying a photo and trying to work out what is going on, perfectly illustrated in the image :)
 
since ive got into digital i have become an addict of photographing people that are unaware that they are being shot.its the facial expressions that i go for normally,head shots.............love it !!.........have to do some more ;)
 
CrazeUK said:
Also has anyone had any bad reactions?
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Might have done!
I think this shot illustrates the problem nicely, Its a thin line! On the one side you have and interesting shot, on the other just a rather horrid shopping troly. :lol:

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Soz couldn't resist, I love this shot, says everything to me about how paranoid and confused everyone is, and once the idea came to me how could I not shoot it.
 
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Some great stuff coming out here, its interesting to find how people view things.. from either extreme.

Slightly off the point, but i know i Love taking photographs of peoples expressions also.. when they are not posing, so at home and with friends i often, do something of make a noise to get someones attention just as i hit the shutter.

Have any of you ever been tempted to do that (i.e. the guy with the suit case pointing)?
Or is that a little more Risque?
 
Not with that shot no, he had his reasons for being rude which I will honour by not speaking of.

Mostly I like to shoot totally candid so interfering with stuff means I'm changing it, which kind of ruins the whole point. But I'll do stuff like pointing out some graffiti to a pretty woman in order to get a reaction.


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I really should just dig out the originals, this combination thing has got a bit mhe!
 
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simonblue said:
Why take photo of anything :) .....
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I may have already said this before, but since I have been on this forum, I am starting to look at things in another light. My views are constantly changing ;)
 
CrazeUK said:
Some great stuff coming out here, its interesting to find how people view things.. from either extreme.

Slightly off the point, but i know i Love taking photographs of peoples expressions also.. when they are not posing, so at home and with friends i often, do something of make a noise to get someones attention just as i hit the shutter.

Have any of you ever been tempted to do that (i.e. the guy with the suit case pointing)?
Or is that a little more Risque?
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I don't know about people,but when Elliott Erwitt was shotting his dog project,he said he would often bark to get a reaction from the dogs :)
 
jonbeeza said:
I may have already said this before, but since I have been on this forum, I am starting to look at things in another light. My views are constantly changing ;)
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It's great to have constantly changing views,open you up to trying different things.
David Bailey once said he could see no point in taking a photo,without people in it.
But a lot of people love landscape nature etc :)
 
simonblue said:
It's great to have constantly changing views,open you up to trying different things.
David Bailey once said he could see no point in taking a photo,without people in it.
But a lot of people love landscape nature etc :)
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My photo skills level is very questionable, still in the very early learning stages, but as long as my thinking process is on the right track ;)
 
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