Creepy or Candid photographer?

I was in town while on vacation checking out the local shops. As I'm waiting for the others I was with, outside a guy "using" his smart phone makes a clickity-click sound. I look in his lower hand by his waist and discover he's secretly snapping pictures of passing people and also myself standing there. Intrigued I was looking over his camera while he stood about 5 foot away facing me (looked like a Leica?)

My only hang-up was that it seemed a little creepy to pretend to be working on your phone and snapping more pics of someone who is now aware of your every move. I do understand the need for some secrecy to keep the subject natural or unaware, but we all know that only works on someone who isn't a fellow photographer and recognizes a shutter click a mile away.

Anyhow, after the second pic I observed and heard him take,he received my full "your a creepy stalker" stare until I think he got the idea and left after pretending to check his phone and repeatedly glance at me. Obviously it's fully legal and I could care less if its just art but does it require such a creepy method that makes a person wonder what he plans to do with such a photo besides art?

Had it been a quick snap, blatantly obvious attempt, or single shot, it wouldn't have "flavored the water wrong" at all. Is this the norm for anyone who does candid or street shots or did I run into the creepy/awkward/nervous shooter?

Anyone else have a similar experience or different outcomes as the shooter or the subject?

haha, yeah a little different when the shoe is on the other foot

But yeah his approach definitely makes it sound more like a stalker than an "artist" from your story.

Nature Nut wrote in post #14766138
I was in town while on vacation checking out the local shops. As I'm waiting for the others I was with, outside a guy "using" his smart phone makes a clickity-click sound. I look in his lower hand by his waist and discover he's secretly snapping pictures of passing people and also myself standing there. Intrigued I was looking over his camera while he stood about 5 foot away facing me (looked like a Leica?)

My only hang-up was that it seemed a little creepy to pretend to be working on your phone and snapping more pics of someone who is now aware of your every move. I do understand the need for some secrecy to keep the subject natural or unaware, but we all know that only works on someone who isn't a fellow photographer and recognizes a shutter click a mile away.

Anyhow, after the second pic I observed and heard him take,he received my full "your a creepy stalker" stare until I think he got the idea and left after pretending to check his phone and repeatedly glance at me. Obviously it's fully legal and I could care less if its just art but does it require such a creepy method that makes a person wonder what he plans to do with such a photo besides art?

Had it been a quick snap, blatantly obvious attempt, or single shot, it wouldn't have "flavored the water wrong" at all. Is this the norm for anyone who does candid or street shots or did I run into the creepy/awkward/nervous shooter?

Anyone else have a similar experience or different outcomes as the shooter or the subject?

As a street photographer, I certainly try to get in and out quickly. I'm not in the business of making people feel uncomfortable on the street. Not that I particularly care if they don't want their picture taken, but I do try to use a little common sense about whether my actions are likely to make someone uncomfortable.

Ironically, one of the best things you can do is make it clear that you're taking photos. Don't hide. When you hide it, it seems like you're doing something nefarious. There's a fine balance of course; you want the subject to be comfortable with you photographing them, but you want them to go about their business and not "pose" for the photograph. This is why the Leica has been so popular with street photographers; it's a subtle camera that doesn't scare the subject, but it's clearly a camera.

i don't find what he was doing unusual. rather than the "creepy stalker stare", maybe you should have wandered over and struck up a conversation with him.

Definitely not an approach I care for. I'm more of the same thinking as Edge. I find the best way to get people to ignore me is to openly take pictures. Most human beings have limited attention spans, and the crazy guy outside taking a bunch of pictures is only interesting for so long, so eventually I get those natural shots. That's not to say I've never shot from the hip because I knew I'd lose that truly candid moment the second I brought the camera up to my eye, but I think I'd feel a little creepy just hanging out and being sneaky. To each his own, though, I guess.

rick_reno wrote in post #14767319
i don't find what he was doing unusual. rather than the "creepy stalker stare", maybe you should have wandered over and struck up a conversation with him.

I honestly thought about it as I was initially curious and still am. The only problem was the guy appeared so uncomfortable that he looked like he was shooting naked neighbors through a house window while hiding in the bushes. Ive seen that same paranoid look in deer I've tried to approach and didnt want to startle the local wildlife

His overall behavior came off more weird/nervous to me than discreet. Figured a big, burly, unshaven guy wearing an army tshirt trying to approach him might scare him off.

Nature Nut wrote in post #14767743
His overall behavior came off more weird/nervous to me than discreet. Figured a big, burly, unshaven guy wearing an army tshirt trying to approach him might scare him off.

I like that look...all it needs is a Louisville Slugger (wood) added in and and it'd be ideal for striking up conversations with strange people.

If your weird radar was going off, best to stay away. These days you never know just how crazy someone can be.

I'm not sure how low he was holding his camera, but if he was trying to get certain shots of women, what he was doing could have been illegal. (depending on what he photographed.)

I don't do candid street photos anymore because I think it's uncool to take someone's photo without asking first. That's just my opinion and means little in the world of laws. I understand the law and how it applies to street photography, etc.

But, nevertheless, I believe it's not nice to take photos of people who are not specifically putting themselves on display.

If it's a street performer, or someone who puts themselves in a display-type of situation (such as a red carpet walk at a movie premier) then yes. But average people in public? Not for me.

I used to, but wasn't comfortable the few times I did it and don't do it anymore.

As mentioned, that's just my opinion and doesn't make me right or wrong.

MikeFairbanks wrote in post #14767906
I don't do candid street photos anymore because I think it's uncool to take someone's photo without asking first. That's just my opinion and means little in the world of laws. I understand the law and how it applies to street photography, etc.

But, nevertheless, I believe it's not nice to take photos of people who are not specifically putting themselves on display.

If it's a street performer, or someone who puts themselves in a display-type of situation (such as a red carpet walk at a movie premier) then yes. But average people in public? Not for me.

I used to, but wasn't comfortable the few times I did it and don't do it anymore.

As mentioned, that's just my opinion and doesn't make me right or wrong.

Interesting. I see it completely oppositely.

I never take photos of street performers. First, I think it's boring and uncreative (not the performance...the photo). Second, and more importantly, if I take their photo, I feel I owe them something. After all, I'm using them for my art, so it's only fair that they should use me in some way.

I have no issue at all with taking candid shots on the street. But I completely get it why some people do not.

Even when it's a street performer I ask. I also ask professional athletes in the rare case I see them.

The only time I don't care if strangers are in my pictures is if it's landscape or something similar in which it can't be helped (Mount Rushmore, etc.).

I like street candids, particularly of tourists in Edinburgh during the Festival season. I occasionally shoot with flash which is a dead give-away. Otherwise, if they notice, I grin and swing the camera to offer up the lcd review. That usually disarms them. I will delete on request.

Here's an 'unaware', a mother-daughter 'dialogue' at the long end of a 70-200 zoom:

rick_reno wrote in post #14767803
I like that look...all it needs is a Louisville Slugger (wood) added in and and it'd be ideal for striking up conversations with strange people.
.

The beauty of living in yellowstone for a week Granted when getting into town I probably looked like Tom Hanks minus Wilson my volleyball companion.

I think creepy is severely overused word into days society. Perhaps he just wanted a candid shot and didn't know you were a photographer who could sense shutter clicks from a mile away.

and as someone else put, it's awkward and nerve racking for some people to take other, unsuspecting people's photo. Don't judge a book by it's cover, as they say

To OP, if anything maybe you made the guy rethink his strategy the next time he he's out.
If he was so nervous to begin with and he got your response, he may decide to be more direct, or he may shrink away to another hobby/art project/fetish.