Bar Candid

[Sean-Mcr]

I shoot people of all kinds, in all kinds of places. From across a table to across a paving slab

These are a few of my bar shots

Cheers


Suspicious minds
http://i.pbase.com/o4/87/571287/1/56927402.20D106.jpg

Forgive me
http://mishuna.image.pbase.com/o4/87/571287/1/57506510.20D121.jpg

Eye contact
http://i.pbase.com/o4/87/571287/1/58934884.20D215.jpg

Take one neglected male...
http://i.pbase.com/o4/87/571287/1/59015717.FOODANDDRINK.jpg

[cmpowell125]

These are great, like the BW conversion too. What lens did you take these with? Canon EF 35mm F2?

[peatoire]

Nice Sean,
Bar shots deffo my favourite type of candid. These looks like my perfect Sunday afternoon.
Notice No.2 is in Bluu. We have one in notts.

[Sean-Mcr]

Nice Sean,
Bar shots deffo my favourite type of candid. These looks like my perfect Sunday afternoon.
Notice No.2 is in Bluu. We have one in notts.


Yeah Bluu is cool mate. Nice Vibe

A couple more form Bluu

Don't shoot the messenger (the seat the couple with the phone were sat on earlier)
http://mishami.image.pbase.com/o4/87/571287/1/56852114.20D145_filtered.jpg


Lap dance
http://mishami.image.pbase.com/o4/87/571287/1/56875074.20D115.jpg

[drisley]

#2 is definately the best. Dont people give you dirty looks for taking their pictures in a place like this?

[Sean-Mcr]

No Drisley and i've shot masses

Wouldn't care if they did, but they don't. 99% of the time i capture them when they're in their own world. When you spend time around people doing what they do, you really can shoot freely


Cheers for the comment

[Double Negative]

Wonderful shots, Sean. You've really captured the moment and environment in these. Nice to see them in B&W too with various tones. Really adds something to the overall feeling.

Definitely looks like a righteous Sunday afternoon.

[Sean-Mcr]

Thanks DN

I love my city, i love its life and its people, i love people in general where ever they may be. I hope it comes across in my photography

Cheers

Sean

[Keiffer]

Nice shots, My favs are 3 and 5. What surprises me is that no one has even given you a look. You would think they hear the shutter going off that they would atleast look at what is making the sound. Maybe this only happens in the U.S. LOL

[Sean-Mcr]

It's really about the approach i use keiffer. If i just walked in to the bar and sat in front of people and shot them instantly it wouldn't work.

Really, it's true when making documentaries that given time people forget about the camera. It's very much the same for how i shoot

The US has had some of the greatest Candid/street photographers in history.

It's not the country its the method


Thanks again

[staciecd]

#2 looks too funny. Would love to know what is being said. I also like #1. That's amazing that people don't get upset when you take their picture. Very nice series.

Stacie

[Double Negative]

It's really about the approach i use keiffer. If i just walked in to the bar and sat in front of people and shot them instantly it wouldn't work.
Exactly... Come in, sit down for a while and have a beer. Before long people won't even notice you. It helps if you have a friend with you who happens to be sitting in the general direction of your intended subjects some times... ;)

[Rubberhead]

This is great...

http://mishuna.image.pbase.com/o4/87/571287/1/57506510.20D121.jpg

[praymr]

I really like these how did you get them. I'm never this brave to get candid photo. Just mu luck there would be a bar fight if my shutter clicked.

[dmcladdagh]

I just love them all.....Great job

[ric]

Very nice candids... #2 is my favorite.

[drisley]

No Drisley and i've shot masses

Wouldn't care if they did, but they don't. 99% of the time i capture them when they're in their own world. When you spend time around people doing what they do, you really can shoot freely

Cheers for the comment
I think because you live in a larger city, people are used to people with cameras, and crowds and strangers in general.
I find in smaller centres it's much different. A friend of mine moved from this city (about 700,000) to Toronto (5 million), and he said he noticed a big difference just walking down the street. People never make eye contact with others as they pass, they just go on their merry way.

[Olli]

Truly great shots, Sean. Do you normally stay on the background or have a chat with the 'models'?

[calicokat]

I would love to know what he is saying to her in #2 to get that reaction. Is he leaving her, did he have an affair

[Sean-Mcr]

I think because you live in a larger city, people are used to people with cameras, and crowds and strangers in general.
I find in smaller centres it's much different. A friend of mine moved from this city (about 700,000) to Toronto (5 million), and he said he noticed a big difference just walking down the street. People never make eye contact with others as they pass, they just go on their merry way.


Manchester city is about 500,000 Drisley. Like new York it has a city then greater area, which is known as Greater Manchester which is about 1.5 million. But the City is the city. It is a very cosmopolitan place

To be honest, i would do this in any part of the world. The shot of the couple making eye contact in sleepy york as is the neglected male shot, i have many from that town, a very different town from my own

I never actually see anybody doing what i do in town, but then if they're any good they'll melt in to the scene much as i do

It's really how i am and not where i am that gets me the shots i want. Naturally i know well by now how to time such shots ect, that's a large part of it

I've got 100% faith in what i'm doing and will happily talk through my idea with those i capture and have done many times.

[adam*]

Great shots sean, especially #2.

What lens did you use? And what's your so called 'technique'- do you just hang around acting normal for a while before starting shooting?

[Sean-Mcr]

I would love to know what he is saying to her in #2 to get that reaction. Is he leaving her, did he have an affair


I think it's funny how people see things differently, i think it's actually the girl that has the remorseful look on her face

She was the one dishing out kisses

http://i.pbase.com/o4/87/571287/1/60080948.20D119.jpg

[Sean-Mcr]

Truly great shots, Sean. Do you normally stay on the background or have a chat with the 'models'?


Ollie when i have it's always been after the shot and mainly when they've notice me shoot other people. They are pretty surprised to see that i've shot them. I send them on the shot, but i'm rarely noticed

I do get a fair amount of people asking me to take their shot when they see me shoot, which I'm going to dedicate a gallery to


Thanks for the comments Ollie

[Sean-Mcr]

Great shots sean, especially #2.

What lens did you use? And what's your so called 'technique'- do you just hang around acting normal for a while before starting shooting?

Haha, Adam i'm not acting normal i'm being normal. I'm doing what my subjects are doing, if its a street i'm walking down it, if it's a bar im chilling out in it, if it's an event i'm enjoying it. If you're sat in front of me and you do something that interests me i'll shoot you, notice me or not. But if i like the look of a subject and i know that it's hard to shoot them with out being noticed i'll fake interest in things around them, basically they subconsiously realise that i'm interested in the world & they relax

Classic case of when in rome...


I get pretty close to my subjects Adam, i do think that shorter lenses convey more intimacy which is what i use,

[Sean-Mcr]

#2 looks too funny. Would love to know what is being said. I also like #1. That's amazing that people don't get upset when you take their picture. Very nice series.

Stacie


Thanks for taking the time out to comment Stacie


Actually amazes me that anybody would think they should be upset to be honest. I have complete faith in what i'm doing, i'm not one for hiding across a street with a 200mm, that's not what i'm about. Candid means open honest and frank, and that's how i am about it, and i think that's why it works

Thanks Stracie for looking in

[drisley]

T
Actually amazes me that anybody would think they should be upset to be honest. I have complete faith in what i'm doing, i'm not one for hiding across a street with a 200mm, that's not what i'm about. Candid means open honest and frank, and that's how i am about it, and i think that's why it works


I find many people get upset, or at the very least bewildered, if they see a camera pointing at them in public situations.
However, I TOTALLY agree with your second point. Have you ever read the article "Telephoto Is For Cowards"? It's exactly what you have mentioned.

[Sean-Mcr]

I've read it yes Drisely

Bewildered may be more of the right word, but upset no. In fact when i've been drunk in bars and i shamelessly am at times, i point a camera at people and they do the following

Now i loaded these (and i have many like these) just to show people's reactions, i'm lucky if i can see with my own eyes in the state when these were shot let alone through a view finder. They're not to be judged against the others lol

http://i.pbase.com/o4/87/571287/1/60083021.20D627.jpg

This
http://i.pbase.com/o4/87/571287/1/60083022.20D641.jpg

This
http://i.pbase.com/o4/87/571287/1/60083165.20D643.jpg

I'm really very used to reading a scene now. I think people underestimate just how open the public are

[getting-started]

Your shots are very inspiring. Have you ever had anybody unhappy with their shot being taken? Sometimes you meet the most interesting people when you begin the fit into the 'environment'. Super job.

[Sean-Mcr]

Not in bars, i did have a serious situation when i shot some drunks on a street. I normally use better judgment then what i shown that day, and that's the one time in almost two years out of countless 100's of times.

I appreciate the comment

Thanks

Sean

[lakiluno]

Can I ask what focal length you use for these shots? I know you don't like talking lenses, but FL should be fine?

I've done a few candids with a MF 35mm - I've also done some with a MF 135mm - and I've found people are far less suspicious of the 35 :D

Wonderful photos - I really like no. 2.

Leo

[Sean-Mcr]

All the ones i've posted here were taken my 35mm with a 1.6 crop. I have used a 135 and 85, prefer the 35 by far

this is one of my personal favs

Who had the fries
http://mishilo.image.pbase.com/o4/87/571287/1/56523601.22.jpg

[Samiad]

Do you crop most of your images? Some of them do have that 'look' if you forgive my approach.

[song4themoon]

Nice Shots. The woman in the second one looks kinda scared ?

You gotta be careful though posting pics of people without permission. They may just happen to check out this site and you could be in trouble. Or did you know them?

[Yella Fella]

some really cool candids there :)

did you just use multi point focus and clicked away i take it then?

[lakiluno]

its not illegal to post an image of someone without permission (at least in the UK). Its only when you starte trying to sell them that it matters :D

[Sean-Mcr]

Do you crop most of your images? Some of them do have that 'look' if you forgive my approach.


I forgive you, but i never ever crop any my images (which some here well know me for) be they candids, portraits or anything else. Only look they have is the intimacy of being with my subjects.

Cheers

[Sean-Mcr]

Nice Shots. The woman in the second one looks kinda scared ?

You gotta be careful though posting pics of people without permission. They may just happen to check out this site and you could be in trouble. Or did you know them?


She wasn't scared, they were a normal couple


I don't know any of them, and no permission is needed.


Cheers

Sean

[Sean-Mcr]

some really cool candids there :)

did you just use multi point focus and clicked away i take it then?


No i shoot in manul, i set the the focus point before i shoot, i know what i'll see before i lift the camera, i'm very used to the lens which is fixed focal

[lakiluno]

Manual focussing is funner :D

[Sean-Mcr]

I see by your gallery that you could manual focus all day given the subjects you shoot. The environments and subjects you shoot are a lot less taxing, if you'll forgive me for saying so

I manual focus when i have that luxury, i know my environment well and i know what's called for

Cheers

Sean

[lakiluno]

well...my gallery isn't 100% showing what I shoot - most of the gallery was shot with an A75. I am now using a 350D and MF lenses - so I don't have the luxury of AF, even doing candids (which is a pain - half my photos are deleted straight away for being OOF. :(

Ah well...from my half-week with MF primes, I have decided that I kinda like MF and reeaaly like primes - so much that apart from long and short (12-24, 70-300), I have no plans to buy any zoom EF lenses.

BTw - your avatar? Burst mode, small jpeg, flash, centre metering? Are those...the opposite of what you shoot with?

[Sean-Mcr]

I don't have any zooms my friend just primes. It's a good thing manual focusing, it's a good discipline, i haven't got the luxury of doing that all the time given the subjects i shoot, i have a split second to get the shot in tough lighting at times.

The avatar is my 10D shot with my other camera, just to use as an avatar. It's not a refelction of how i shoot

[Yella Fella]

ahhh manual focus... i have yet to try that... i find it hard checking if my pics are OOF even with auto! never mind manual :lol:

[Double Negative]

LOL... Everybody just takes AF for granted these days, Sean. ;)

I got a bag full o' FD glass that worked plenty fine for over twenty years. I hope I can say the same in another twenty years about all these electromechanical dohickies when batteries are outlawed and everything runs on atoms.

[Sean-Mcr]

I hear you DN

We take many things for granted, the cameras metering system, the control of exposure, the ability to use RAW, the burst rates, the iso's we can now reach. The resolution

It's all a balance we have to strike, but lets not fool ourselves, technology is aiding the art more and more. It's not the solution to learning how to see , but it's not the enemy

[Double Negative]

Oh, trust me - I'm not complaining. I love technology and wouldn't want to go back. I was just pining momentarily about the glory days of a box with four settings (focus, iso, aperture and shutter speed). :D

[Sean-Mcr]

Oh no pal, don't get me wrong i know you wasn't.

We can't lose site of the ball, or the woods for the trees., Chuck all the amount of technology in the workd at us, but at the end of the day, there's none so blind as those who will not see.

[::John::]

... but at the end of the day, there's none so blind as those who will not see.

That probably nails it. Your pictures give us another opportunity to see some of the things we may have missed.

Putting interpretations on those shots is kinda neat, too. I love to people watch.

Thanks, Sean. Another great series.

[Sean-Mcr]

That probably nails it. Your pictures give us another opportunity to see some of the things we may have missed.

Putting interpretations on those shots is kinda neat, too. I love to people watch.

Thanks, Sean. Another great series.


That's really kind, thanks

Maybe i should leave them off and let the photos talk(if they do at all) rather then give my own ideas. Hopefully people will take something from them regardless

[::John::]

Maybe i should leave them off and let the photos talk(if they do at all) rather then give my own ideas. Hopefully people will take something from them regardless

Sorry, my cryptic typing style is not really suited to a forum.

I meant it gives US a chance to interpret the pictures - it opens our minds to the possibilities in the pictures. That second shot, for example. Maybe she was waiting for a reaction after telling him she had just crashed the car... whatever people see in it, it offers the entertainment/amusement they can glean from an everyday situation.

When you provide 'titles' you open up the chance of conversation - those that have a different interpretation can, maybe, see yours but should also offer their own...


... maybe.

It's all good. :)