Pics of strangers

[DENMONKEY]

Ok this is more of a discussion with a few questions thrown in.

More often than not when I'm stuck for something to shoot I will simply walk the streets or where ever I am with the camera around my neck in the hope that something pops up.
Which brings me to today. I was walking near the local beaches and being a beauiful day there were people evreywhere.

This would have provided me with ample opportunities but I became a little concerned. What would the people think if I started to snap off some pics even if from a distance and more so if I started to take pics of their kids playing on the park rides etc.

In todays world I can understand parents being worried about their children but how do you think they would respond if someone were to simple wander up and take some shots.
Not sure I'd like it if I was a parent.

So the questions are.

1. If you're taking shots of strangers who will obviously be aware of you, how do you approach it? Do you let them know and chance losing that candid moment or simply click away.

2. With kids, is it being a little creepy to walk up and get some shots?
Would asking the parents make it better?

I've considered making up a small card with my emial address on it and offering for them to email me if they wish to have a copy.

I know I'm probably being over cautious here but it kind of played on my mind today to a point where I walked past most people with my lense cap on just to let them know I wasn't trying to take any sneaky shots.

Don't even start me about my issues with walking down on the beach for some shots of the surfers.

I had 2 girls walk past me and mutter something about me being on the beach with my camera and I felt like asking what the issue was.

The way I figured if they had it on their minds that I was there to take shots of half naked women then their main concerns would have to be that I would turn the camera on them for a shot.
I would have been happy enough to assure them that as scantily clad as they were I wouldn't have wasted the effort on pushing the button to get them in shot. Sorry just kind of annoyed me..

Anyway, your opinions ??

[saravrose]

candid shots.. it depends on the circumstances. I don't recommend going into a playground and shooting people's children. But, in public places it's fairly easy to blend in. I've never had a problem taking shots of people...But I would be prepared to have folks as questions and maybe ask you to put the camera away. here's a few 'candid' people photos that i've gotten without any problems.... good luck.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b130/saravrose/IMG_1401.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b130/saravrose/landscapes/IMG_2282.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b130/saravrose/landscapes/IMG_4632.jpg

[snappa]

I believe that you are raising a particularly tricky subject. In the UK it is a definite no no to photograph other peoples children especially if you plan to do it in a surreptitious manner. In fact if the politically correct brigade over here had their way you would be hard pushed to take pictures of your own children !
I was once given a good analogy by a friend. There is a local spot where a few people go to walk their dogs and most seem to take their kids too. I used to wander round, with my kids, dogs and camera, no problem. People would chat and make a fuss of both the kids and the dogs. My friend pointed out that were I to try the same without the kids and dogs, just the camera, I would be treated entirely differently.
I laughed this off as being total drivel but decided to try it anyway. Suffice to say I was treated as a complete pariah and somebody to be avoided. A real shame as my friend was a keen photographer, not of other peoples children I should add, but was made to feel very awkward because he neither had a dog or a child.
I did return to the same spot with kids, dogs and camera and normal service was resumed.

[Barb42]

The world has become paranoid, mostly due to the overly dramatic press coverage of the handful of very bad guys out there. I think the stats would show that the vast, vast majority of photographers, artists, etc. are just fine. (Most predators are within the family/friend unit). Do you see ever see people getting hysterical over artists drawing children? My worse experience was with an idiot woman who was allowing her 2-3 year old son run along a public sidewalk, next to a RiverWalk, stark naked. I took pictures of my own grandchild and she got huffy because hers was near by! My attitude - if you are so darned concerned, dress the kid, for pete's sake! "Your feelings are not my problem." I refuse to lose my rights because of the idiot class. I take pictures and put them into a personal collection. In 30-40 years, this type of t hinking will hopefully pass away. But at this rate, the only pictures that may exist of this generation will be the horrible cutesy pictures taken by the discount chains.

[Sean-Mcr]

I have shot peoples children, i've let them have the shot afterwards. Not often but i have and not with a tele 40 feet away i might add. That's just asking for trouble, and i'm not a great fan of teles for candids

As for general people shots, i'm almost always part of the scene, doing just what the people i happen to be shooting are doing, at least most of the time. I don't hide the camera, i'm very open about it, you don't have to hide to take candids. Its about timing and blending, not hiding.

Some of my candids
http://www.pbase.com/sean_mcr/20d_fov_examples

[Sean-Mcr]

Here's on of a young boy taken during the celebrations for the Chinese new year in china town in Manchester. http://www.pbase.com/sean_mcr/image/55663619

Very busy and crowded, many people with cameras, from guys working for papers ect to guys like me. There's a right place and a wrong place basically to take shots of kids, it's all about judgement.

Pretty much goes for when shooting adults too. Candid literally means, honest, frank and open. I capture people when they are being that very thing, and that's how i am when i'm capturing them

[vjack]

This is an interesting discussion which has been had here before and will be had here again. As I understand it, we have the right to photograph anything or anyone that is in a public place. It would be perfectly legal to sit on a bench in a public park or downtown street and snap away at whatever one wanted. This even includes other people's children. If parents don't want their children seen and/or photographed, they should not bring them out in public.

Having said that, people who you choose to photograph may well approach you and ask what you are doing, etc. As long as you are okay with this happening, I wouldn't let it deter you from taking candid shots. Personally, if someone were to approach me and ask me to delete a picture of them I just took, I'd be happy to do so. However, I would do this out of courtesy and not because I had to.

[snappa]

Not quite sure how I would feel if my photograph suddenly appeared on here without my prior knowledge especially if it did not show me in a very good light. Excuse the pun. I suspect that Sean may well be with his missus when he is doing his candid thing ? I believe the real problems may occur when you get a bloke on his own doing similar.
Don`t know why but I would be suspicious of a bloke taking shots near or around me but would not bother if it was a woman. Very strange eh ?

[Sean-Mcr]

Nah, john not the case, that's not what keeps me out of trouble,. What keeps me out of trouble is that i'm not causing any trouble. I shoot on my own, with Diane and with the boys, basically i shoot because i have my camera with me and not because anybody is with me. I have not one ounce of fear for that sort of thing, and that's because i have nothing to fear, as i'm doing nothing wrong

Street shots and candids, (which are not the same thing) are true photographic art forms. As valid as any other, and normally make it to art galleries before many others.

People Like Robert Frank, Helen Levitts, Garry Winogrand... Masters, legends, who between them have captured some of the most breathtakingly beautiful shots in photographic history. There's real beauty in in when it's done right, and you just have to believe that you're doing right. Because that is exactly what it is

[Issac Brock]

Travis Ruse has an amazing site in which he posts photos that he takes during his commute to and from work on the subway in downtown NYC. He talks about taking candids on the FAQ, but it still seems unreal to me because of how incredibly close he is.

I haven't done much of this, but if you have a big fancy camera around your neck I think that it somewhat displays that you are there to take photographs, not something mischevious or perverted.

Oh by the way, Travis Ruse's site is www.travisruse.com

[Barb42]

Thanks for link, Issac. I enjoyed Travis's work. Its great to see someone carrying on the street photography tradition.

[Claire]

Travis' work is really good. I like it a lot. I'm surprised he is allowed to photograph in the metro though. I tried in the London unuderground and got really mad looks by the security... All those bomb threats.

[Sean-Mcr]

Not a bad site, with good advice, http://www.pinkheadedbug.com/techniques/shynessone.html

[vjack]

Not a bad site, with good advice, http://www.pinkheadedbug.com/techniques/shynessone.html

Thanks for posting that link. That really was some good advice.

[snappa]

Sean, Still having problems with your first paragraph. You may not be causing any trouble knowingly but I can think of a few circumstances where I may not want my picture taken.
If you are confronted by one of your subjects what would you do ? Would you do the same as vjack and delete if asked to ? Would you take candid shots at a funeral ? Where does one draw the line ?

[Sean-Mcr]

There's a time and a place John, naturally, as i said it's all about judgement. It's an old art form John as you well know. Its not a new phenomenon, it's a well respected and historic part of photogrpahy.

[snappa]

The more I think about it the more I suspect you are correct. However I am still trying to get my head round appearing in a photograph that I did not know was being taken let alone it being bandied round various Forums.
This is an unlikely scenario as I bear an uncanny resemblance to John Merrick !

[Sean-Mcr]

Lol john, i was in town today (with out Diane lol) and took the following... and much more that ive yet to work on

Look at painters on paris streets sketching lovers, Toulouse Lautrec was doing it with paint in the Moulin Rough long before us photographers

I think sometimes the word candid gets hijacked, its not really about them not knowing it's about capturing somebody being natural, it a myth that you have to do that with out them knowing a camera is there. I shoot people so often and make no attempt to hide it, i like to think i'm an intuitive person, and i'd not do something that caused bad vibes. I've had so many could convos through what i do.

Like the old guy, who happens to be a big pentax fan i found out once i got chatting to him. The crew from the radio station in the shot below, i shot first asked questions later, and then got talking to them and got a nice street shot of them, which i've maild to them tonight, not the first time i've done that.

Street shots and candids are not the same thing, i'm trying to master both. I may never do so, but i'll love trying


http://www.pbase.com/image/56660526
http://www.pbase.com/sean_mcr/image/56655311
http://www.pbase.com/sean_mcr/image/56659800
http://www.pbase.com/sean_mcr/image/56657053
http://www.pbase.com/sean_mcr/image/56654668

[Claire]

Street shots and candids are not the same thing, i'm trying to master both. I may never do so, but i'll love trying

What's the difference between street shots and candids then? I'm curious.
Btw, looked at your site. Nice street shots. :)

I'm getting quite inspired to take up street photography again now after reading this and some other thread last week. Brought along my camera today and taken a few shots on my way to work.

[Issac Brock]

Travis' work is really good. I like it a lot. I'm surprised he is allowed to photograph in the metro though. I tried in the London unuderground and got really mad looks by the security... All those bomb threats.

Yeah, he talks about that too. Apparently a couple times a month he will get confronted by security or police, but he carries a rule book that states that it is perfectly legal to take pictures. It makes sense, because a photographer is another set of eyes to notice crime, really, because as he says, he'd be buried under a newspaper and headphones every time he took the train.

[Sean-Mcr]

Street shots are more photojournalistic then candids, and often more abstract. I see so many shots that are simple head shots (normally taken with teles), no context to them at all. It's really easy to take a shot of people with out them looking in to the camera, its harder to give the shot some context. A head and shoulder shot is not any more interesting then any other head and shoulder shot just because it was taken on the street.