Your top tips for street photography

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IamMarcoPolo

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Planning on going into Canterbury again tomorrow, see if i am can get some street shots done

Following 'Thomas Leuthard style'

Any tips for out on the street, close and personal etc
 
I saw your other thread and to be honest it is not the easiest thing to do IMHO but try and be relaxed, you don't have to ask people if they mind. i am sure that Thomas Leuthard didn't having had a quick look. enjoy your day out looking forward to seeing the pictures.
 
gumbo-67 said:
I saw your other thread and to be honest it is not the easiest thing to do IMHO but try and be relaxed, you don't have to ask people if they mind. i am sure that Thomas Leuthard didn't having had a quick look. enjoy your day out looking forward to seeing the pictures.
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i agree, but its very embarrasing when you take a photo of someone or people, you walk away and they say OI come here etc etc
 
Could anyone point me to a site - listing the current 'law requirements' in the UK for street photography - i want to print them off and carry them with me, in case someone approaches me and tells me 'oi you cant do that' - had that the other day and it really ticked me off
 
You are trying to emulate a photographer who I assume gets very close to people and does it with confidence/manner etc,. to pull it off. Maybe some people can get away with it and some can't but not sure how having a printed off piece of paper (that you could have just created yourself) is going to help. It may may it worse...
 
ernesto said:
You are trying to emulate a photographer who I assume gets very close to people and does it with confidence/manner etc,. to pull it off. Maybe some people can get away with it and some can't but not sure how having a printed off piece of paper (that you could have just created yourself) is going to help. It may may it worse...
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confidence/manner - care to expand further - many thanks
 
IamMarcoPolo said:
confidence/manner - care to expand further - many thanks
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Sorry, I don't what he does or how he does it, he may well get chased down the street every 10 minutes by an angry subject for all I know :)

Was just saying it may be down to his manner (maybe he is just one of those approachable people that are generally liked for whatever reason), maybe he smiles, makes a quick comment to the subject afterwards or maybe he just has the confidence to think what the hell it is only taking a persons photograph what's the worst that can happen.
 
Follow Jon's advice. I've tried shooting from the hip a couple of times and ended up with a few very enjoyable images amongst the many "deletes".
 
Not the photographer you are trying to emulate but Bruce Gilden is very in you face and here is a good video of him in action so you can see how he manages to get away with it.

http://vimeo.com/20467479
 
Shooting from the hip is worth practicing as you will get used to getting the camera at the correct angle. You will not be able to get any nice low DoF shots as you won't be able to pick the focus point and although a lot of people use large DoF it can look good to lose a bit of the background to bring out the main character.
 
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Watch digital revs videos too and see how Kai does it.
It's all about confidence. I doubt you very often get anyone say anything if you are confident in what you are doing.

If someone does object, you have a choice. Be an arse and argue, or apologise and delete the photo.
 
Take street seriously, take yourself seriously.

If you do this you should end up with a passion for each shot you choose to shoot...but without it you are just ambling about ambivalent to all observers.

Once you have a passion for each shot you will also find you now have solid respectable answers for anybody inquiring and your ambivalence will have turned into sincerity.

Serious passion is a great defence not many will react badly too, where as random floundering mostly just irritates people.

This is what I find anyway. :):thumbs:
 
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You don't have to ask to take a picture, but if someone calls you, be confident to explain what your doing. Most of the time this will be good enough for people as they are just curious. Interaction goes a long way sometimes.
 
Not sure if you have seen Leuthard's videos but it's interesting that rather than having his subjects "challenge" him, they often seem to just assume that he is shooting something behind them. I think the key is to avoid direct eye contact with subject on both approach and after taking shot.

[YOUTUBE]XcAk07X2yiU[/YOUTUBE]

[YOUTUBE]eU8VU4Cdm0g[/YOUTUBE]
 
IamMarcoPolo said:
Could anyone point me to a site - listing the current 'law requirements' in the UK for street photography - i want to print them off and carry them with me, in case someone approaches me and tells me 'oi you cant do that' - had that the other day and it really ticked me off
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There aren't really many laws governing street photography so long as you practice your street photography in a public area ie not a shopping mall etc which would be private property and could have any sort of restriction the land owner fancies put on photography.

The Photographer Not a Terrorist site has a bust card which you can print out and keep on you but this is more for if you're stopped by police/security and they are trying to confiscate your gear or delete images, it won't do much to stop members of the public heckling you, that's something which if it happens to you you just have to learn to deal with, not something I've ever really had to deal with though, maybe my shooting stye or equipment choice or personal appearance (6ft2", shaved head, tattoos) stops it.

That's my tips for avoiding dealing with getting hassle, as far as tips for your actual photography, there's loads of website with 'how to do street photography' sections out there. I suggest you read a few, then ignore what you've read. Do your own thing. Try different things until you find a way of shooting and a subject focus that you really enjoy and go with that. Pay too much attention to 'rules' and 'tips' and you'll just end up producing identikit b&w conversions of boring scenes.
 
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boliston said:
Not sure if you have seen Leuthard's videos but it's interesting that rather than having his subjects "challenge" him, they often seem to just assume that he is shooting something behind them. I think the key is to avoid direct eye contact with subject on both approach and after taking shot.

[YOUTUBE]XcAk07X2yiU[/YOUTUBE]

[YOUTUBE]eU8VU4Cdm0g[/YOUTUBE]
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I have tried that once and i got caught 'OI come here' - i wonder how many times this has happened to him and he never states anywhere in his blods, bio etc the negatives of what he is doing
 
Also just a thought but, I' m sure that if I was being followed around with someone filming me on a video camera I'd look more professional and would'nt get stopped the same. You could just give the excuse of we're filming a documentary or something.

JohnyT
 
Use a longer zoom, chances are they won't even see you.
Choose your subject, keep both eyes open, aim high over the subjects head as though you are taking buildings, when subject isn't looking, lower aim, click!
Works for me.
 
Been out over the weekend again shooting tend to use wide angle no problem,i do tend to up and shoot,and move on.

Or fine a place where i like the light,and let people come into the frame.

Now and again someone will say has he just taken my photo :)
 
If they notice you taking photos, smile and say thanks. Have a chat with them if they're curious.
 
Eric Kim is very in your face as well. He gets stopped in this vid

[YOUTUBE]J9vI79uflMY[/YOUTUBE]
 
Thats the way to go,i think english people are a bit more resevice that in the US,but that the idea,just keep smiling and moving :)


Here another video,well worth a watch

http://vimeo.com/6831560
 
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Exactly what I mean by confidence and manner. If you have that you can get away with things that others won't. Some people just don't have it so it will not come easy to them.
I include myself in that list (confident but very much not a people person!)
 
FruitFlakes said:
If they notice you taking photos, smile and say thanks. Have a chat with them if they're curious.
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This works for me :thumbs:
Often have a laugh with my victims :D
And I don't seem to get much grief, nor had anyone demand I delete it
To me, stocking in shadows with a long zoom could be taken as a bit pervy or suspicious by anyone seeing you
Be open about it, be relaxed, and be friendly is my suggestion
If anyone's grumpy about it, just say you're testing a new lens and add why you were shooting them with a compliment ie, nice hat, love the hair, gorgeous smile etc
Most of all, enjoy it :bonk:
 
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