Pretty Cool Street Portraiture Video

This is a video from Wired Video and it's on Strobist right now.

Nothing spectacular but some nice work using natural light and working on-the-fly with no elaborate setups or metering, etc.

http://www.wired.com …-photo-how-to/27609165001

Interesting clip

Very informative. Thanks.

Mufutau

Very cool video. That guy is great! Some days I can do that but some days I can't. I seem to be better at getting "people" at big events. Maybe because that's what I've been doing for so many years I'm just comfortable with it. Walking down the street, I don't know if I could do it...

Jon.

What I liked was the huge amount of equipment he used.....

Titus213 wrote in post #8315865
What I liked was the huge amount of equipment he used.....

I agree Dave. At times I love the simplistic approach and when the light is right I'd much rather shoot with ambient diffused light. I like the concept of using the white seamless as a backdrop and a reflector to return some light back to the subject.

So how did that guy go about getting releases for the people he used in the video? I'd love to do something like this to put on my blog on my website. I worry about the legality, though, and I notice at least 3 other commentators on that video were wondering the same thing. My guess is that since it's Wired.com it classifies as being editorial. Hmm...

I'd still love to do something like this just for fun. I'm thinking of doing a promotional thing for myself and my work at a fall fair where there's less spontaneity but I could get someone to sign something for use on my site.

That said, I would love to try it just freelance. Go out in the street with a few other photog friends and try taking random pictures of people passing by. I think having someone comfortable on the fly like that is a good skill to develop.

Great video, and good find.

Thanks for posting.

Karl, excellent question!

Thanx Robert for sharing the video, thats really something i need/want to do!

Kindest

The legality issue always crosses my mind too. I love the idea of doing this type of thing. I've often thought about setting up in the park and grabbing people as they walk by but I know that people will ask how the photos will be used and these days they're concerned about images going on the Internet and being edited and manipulated in inappropriate ways. I'd love to know the fine points about how to handle that.

Hehe..."We're going to paste this guy's head on a nude body and..."

Cool video!!

That guy obviously sucks.

He had a Nikon and... AND I say... a lens filter!!11 What a noob


just kidding

Nice video I liked his attitude and the photos were cool. On the street doesn't make it street photography in my book, it was ambient light portraits of random people... yeah.



One thing, the guy obviously has the personality for this sort of thing... many people don't. Then, get the video crew out there and it can make people more bold.

WOW!! That takes guts!! Asking random people in the streets to be photographed is not one of my forte - can't seem to get over that fear as I'm very shy to begin with.

I challenge anyone who thinks that most people will be worried, skeptical, or dubious of your intentions to tell us how many times they've asked and been turned down. Same goes for the model release. Hand them the release and explain that it gives you permission to put them on your blog or hang them in a gallery, have a line for their email and tell 'em you'll send 'em a jpeg!

You get far more who fill out that paper without even reading it and walk away with a *smile* on their face because someone thought they were worth photographing.

I still get people practically jumping in front of my camera *asking* me to take their photo when I go out and shoot on the streets. Usually they're in exactly the wrong spot or their too close for me to use my prime, but they're anything but worried about how I'm going to use them.

I have had exactly 1 individual get uptight about getting her photo taken . . . and the irony? She was out in public asking for signatures for some petition! She went over to other people I was making images of and telling them "He took your picture, He took your picture!!!!"

They *all* shrugged and looked at her like SHE was nuts.

She told me I could get sued . . . I told her the same right that let her stand out here and bother people for signatures gave me the right to take people's photos . . .