Uniquely Indian problem?

hey guys..

i just recently started doing B&W potraits..just venture out to the countryside or city or just about anywhere..

i try to get them in frame as natural as can be...but for people who've seen a cam for the first time in their life, its an event! i dont have a telephoto so i cant capture them frm far. for DOF, i have to get upclose...


upclose they cant help but look unnatural or into the lens or just plain tense(why? dont know...)......no matter how many times i tell them...

so many times, i have the light, angle, everything and the moment i take out the camera, its not there......ive tried just keepin it and not pretending im taking pics, but then they gather around me!

most people in richer countries have been raised with cams into their face 24x7...so they are quite natural with them around...

now what do i do? i think its a unique problem in places remote or under developed...... any ideas?

Not sure how unique this is, Point a camera at me and I squirm and screw my face up. I hate having my picture taken, that's why I like to be on the other side of the lens. I've found most people on the Indian subcontinent quite happy to have there picture taken and often more happy to oblige than here in Europe. I guess when I travel I'm obviously a tourist but when I'm photographing strangers in my home town I get the what you taking a picture of looks from people.

I too generally find people act and look differently when they know they are on camera. Doesn't seem to bother them (here at least) if they might be some random person in a photo, but they certainly do react to a lens up close an personal or a longer lens aimed directly at them.

If you are having this issue, any chance you can gain some length through buying or using another lens? This could allow you to capture the moment without having them be aware of your presence.

ya..i think a lens would do the trick...

@wseed, mostly they are happy about it...but then they just stare into the camera and smile...while that looks decent, it gets boring after a while...there's no other expression....
where all have you travelled in india?

I've not been to India but traveled in Sri Lanka.

I think to get natural looking shots of people in there environment you need to shoot as a voyeur with a long lens or allow the people to become accustomed to you and overcome the excitement or fear of the camera. Unfortunately although the shots from the latter will be more intimate you need to invest more time in the shot. The other option is a where you shoot fast and not necessarily composing the shot in the view finder, maybe using a wide lens and shooting from the waist.

The reason why some people squirm in front of the camera is because they are not relaxed - for whatever reason. The reason shooting from the hip, or using a 600mm lens works, is because the person does not know they are being shot, but if you want them to know, then you have to give them time to relax. Better to spend 10 mins chatting and allowing the person to relax with 5 mins of quality shooting, than 15 mins of the person being uncomfortable.