STICKY:  Shooting 'the streets/candids' - all the tips!

In Japan, I used to shoot some of the same areas frequently and I would come back later and give prints to the shoeshine lady, or the guy in the noodle stand if I got a good shot of them. Once you've done that, they tend to not get so nervous when you are around and you can start hanging around their shops grabbing photos of them and customers.

I would also sometimes go to a park near my office at lunchtime and photograph children at play. A man pointing his camera at children tends to make people very nervous, but I would bring really cute prints of the kinds and hand them to the mothers. Pretty soon they started waving and saying "Hi" to me when I showed up, and didn't get at all suspicious to see me there with my camera.

Similarly, you could put a small photo album of your best street photography in your backpack, and if someone calls you out for what you are doing, show them the "art."
It will often chill them out fairly quickly.

S'right... Iwanted to shoot some travellers so yesterday I shot NEAR them , shots of just a chair in a field etc, -got talking, now when I go back they will not find me threatening

I've thought about doing this before. And now you've said it works... I think I will! Great advice.

I invented a new one yesterday. I walk around with camera on a handstrap at my side usually and that is reasonably unobtrusive. By coincidence I had my camera in a double sainsbury's bag with my cheque book so when I took it out and was walking around with camera and empty bag in hand no one noticed I had the camera. Very easy to lift and shoot for some nice candid style shots.

it's almost impossible to go un-noticed with a camera...so I do the opposite....
I dress kinda like a tourist and act like a tourist...even in my own city....who pays attention to tourist anyway?

that way, you actually become invisible because you are the same as the background people...it allows me to get very close if I want to and allows me to act as if I don't know what I'm doing...sometimes when there's a scene developing...I fiddle with my camera like it's doing something that i don't understand....then when the scene is right...I release....works everytime.....

a few weeks ago I was making images and did a great image of a guy fighting with a woman...I got close....and then he said to me..."what the F**K are you doing man?"

I replied..this friggin' camera is a piece of crap....and kept fiddling with it...like it was broke or something...in 2 seconds...he forgot all about me....

the tension was released in a few seconds and so was the shutter.....don

Depends where i am in town, but i know this town it's my home, i know where it doesn't do to look like a tourist, because a tourist would be fair game. The streets are my home, they're where i played as a kid, i was brought up in the inner city i have that mentality no matter where i go. If i'm noticed it's almost 99% that i'll have the shot already, i won't stop during a shot that's for sure.

I've got faith in what i'm doing, And yes its true that i have a cocky nature and it does help. Ultimately i'm willing to defend that belief

I really love this thread, cuz i have a different case, maybe u will love to hear it.

Im originally from UK, i dont like english, so u may say im a tourist when im taking candid shots, but for some who see me daily, Its NOT lol, first, i was happy cuz no one asked me, and i was like a tourist, but since im studying here for long, and always i have my cam in my bag, people knew me, and then started asking me, why youre taking photos, are u in a magazine ? or what ?

I dont know if my answer is enough when i say "Its my hobby, i dont publish photos without permissions ", but most of them are like "Its ok then"...

Now i feel more comfortable using 400 mm or more to take candid shots, cuz nobody even mentions this. And if it happened, u say i take photos for all over the place !!!!

I was in trouble before with skaters, one asked me to give him 5 pounds for the photo, and i was like, hell no, do u think im taking photos for tony hawk ?? here is ur photo has been deleted, and i showed him that i deleted his photo .......

But, till now, i got maybe 5 or more candid photos, one won the 2nd place in the #41 POTN candid competetion . I use manual mode as well, i try before, and keep is as the conditions didint change...

Fit in with area and work fast. If someone see you maybe you dont fit in or you not fast.

condyk wrote:
Ok, here is the aspiration:

To get more people out shooting 'the streets/candids', doing it better than they have before and also enjoying shooting more than before.

Here's the process:

If you're a 'streets/candids' type shooter, all the time or just now and again, then drop in a tip or a load of tips here. I don't want pointless discussion about 'what is PJ, what is street, what is urban, what is candid, etc' - do that somewhere else. Lets just focus on delivering tips and let the punters, including all of us here, learn from them.

Remember the aspiration KISS!! If you don't agree then start your own thread

Who's first - and examples are optional?

I thought there already was a whole thread on street shooting?

I don't mind another! Ahhh wiat 0 this is it!- who's mad? Who's maaaaaad?

MY TIP: get out there!

But where do you put the S's bag while you're shooting? ( and don't say on your head!)

needs a film making of streetshooters and their art. That would be a classic scene!

I think you've lost the plot kid ... you already posted a tip in this one if you look. Are you confused? At least you realised!

Anyway, I put the bag in my pocket or hold it in my hand when I shoot. It is my default carry bag for gear, but then I don't walk around with a 500mm and 20 other lenses everytime I go out like some of these 'members' (that's a tip BTW ... don't do it ... travel light!)

I got to the thread by a different link and thought it was a new thread, it wasn't til I looked at it properly ( after I had posted!) that I realised my folly.

Like you I don't carry lots of lenses while Streetshooting, I usually choose just one but may sometimes take one spare.

If I take a zoom (e.g. the 17-40 what I will do is set it at one FL and leave it there. I find changing lenses in a hurry to get a street shot very rarely works, you either have the FL you need on, or you don't. So I prefer to work at one FL, it also helps me visualise better I find

In preparation for aquiring the 35 f1.4 I have been using my zoom at 35 mm and I like it! ( the FL)

50mm was always my preferred default FL in the past but I think 35mm may be set to be the new preferred FL for me!


I'd like to know what the preferred FL is for other shooters

I don't have problem take street picture because nobody here suspicious of any body. I live in small city of 5 million, one million live in urban area. Fact, parents pick up children for you take picture. Complete stranger and I take picture of child. Everyone proud and happy you take picture.

No problems with theft unless you leave camera unwatched on street. Noboidy stranger here because we all fit in. You dont fit in, you get run over by taxi or pedicab.