Shooting People without being a creep

agreeing with the ladies, its easier being a young female when it comes to this
well, unless Im using my tele, then I get some looks, but only ppl wondering who I work for.

yogestee wrote in post #9552147
Street candids is the majority of my work.. I'm lucky I live in a country where people generally don't mind being photographed,, most actually enjoy it..

As for being a creep,,, never has occurred to me..

The irony of what you're saying isn't lost to me.
The Lao people have far more reasons to distrust people then anyone in the USA.

You do grab good shots... guess having a good self image goes a long way.

Accessoire wrote in post #9553361
agreeing with the ladies, its easier being a young female when it comes to this
well, unless Im using my tele, then I get some looks, but only ppl wondering who I work for.

I get that too. People are curious, that I don't mind.

I can see how someone could find shooting peoples, kids, etc.. without them knowing being creepy. but how about the case when the photog is shooting something in which the person is not the focus of the picture?? For example, if I take a photo of a building or landscape and a person happens to wander in the frame of the picture and assumes they were being photographed.

Here's an example of what I mean

http://www.wvgazettema​il.com …oliceblotter/20​0912090794

Tom JK wrote in post #9553534
I can see how someone could find shooting peoples, kids, etc.. without them knowing being creepy. but how about the case when the photog is shooting something in which the person is not the focus of the picture?? For example, if I take a photo of a building or landscape and a person happens to wander in the frame of the picture and assumes they were being photographed.

Here's an example of what I mean

http://www.wvgazettema​il.com …oliceblotter/20​0912090794

scary article, the guy also battered a cop? Nice guy huh.

to me it's MUCH different if your taking a pic of a bldg and my kid runs across your scene then staring at him with a long lens across the pond and keep taking his pic for 10 mins.

blackhawk wrote in post #9553313
Wow.
This thread isn't about hurting kids... at all.
Sure you have the right site?

Funny how you found this thread, isn't it?

i was filtering through "new posts" as i do frequently and saw this.

i was merely stating my opinion on the convo at hand...much like you are now, this thread isnt all about helping me see the light is it?

possibly you have the wrong site?
its a convo, i joined. burn me at the stake.


anywho, i dont care to chat chit with ya about how my post made you feel...just simply stating opinion.

sorry to the op and those involved in the thread to waste space and be anything but pleasant!

Absolutely Fabulous wrote in post #9554647
scary article, the guy also battered a cop? Nice guy huh.

to me it's MUCH different if your taking a pic of a bldg and my kid runs across your scene then staring at him with a long lens across the pond and keep taking his pic for 10 mins.

im scared to agree now

but yes, thats the fine line. but its that way with anything in my life...if you are sitting there taking pictures of me/my wife/kid/house/car etc. without asking theirs or my permission then you are in the wrong (but i will have no problem letting them know, unlike some people).

regarding shooting people without being a creep- creepiness is in the eye of the beholder. I am a big man with a beard and a shiner, frankly if that means i look like a creep with a camera, I must look like a creep with a camera.
I enjoy shooting candids on the street, but I find the only time people accept me as OK and approachable is when I have my wife with me. Or at an event like a parade or sports shooting, where other photographers are in the mix.
As far as feeling like a poser and thus being perceived as a poser, I guess thats true too since I am just a poser. I am shooting street to learn the fast setup, to quicken my own reaction times in changing light with moving subjects. Its a lot of work to get out and spot wildlife, it is a waste to learn these skills by missing the wildlife shot of the year, better to get out and do street photography, or sports or events, and get better prepared for my true passion.
I personally don't like most of the pictures I see of homeless people, it seems like taking advantage of them. I know some of us have said that giving them a print or a pack of cigarettes makes it OK, but I have to wonder if the shots I see are just examples of photographers taking advantage of the easy shot of the person that is very unlikely to care and if they do care, who cares? Some of the shots are truly interesting and tell a story (a sad one), but some just remind me of emotionless zoo animals on display for anyone to grab images of.
I recently saw a show on Ovation TV about street photographers, and was very impressed by an older gentlemans ability to get close, strike up a conversation, and then get a posed shot that really showed the character of the subject. I attributed his ability to his long life in photography and his complete understanding of the medium, but in the subject of this thread, I would also say alot of his success came from his appearance. he looked like a kindly old grandfather with nothing to fear and no reason to be feared. Maybe age will bring me an appearance that will allow me to go out and get close without having to have a wife or daughter along to offset my size and my beard.
Until then, I look like a creep with a camera. Maybe thats why I shoot wildlife and landscape.

Absolutely Fabulous wrote in post #9554647
to me it's MUCH different if your taking a pic of a bldg and my kid runs across your scene then staring at him with a long lens across the pond and keep taking his pic for 10 mins.

How can one tell if a photog is photographing a duck in the pond and not someone that happens to be in the line of sight?

Tom JK wrote in post #9554918
How can one tell if a photog is photographing a duck in the pond and not someone that happens to be in the line of sight?

I don't think they really can. Here is a shot at the park I took of some people playing with some rc boats. I went to them and asked if it would be ok if I took some photos and they were totally cool with it. Anyway as you can see in the image I was focusing on the guy with the boat but the guy across from the pond acted as if I was taking pictures of him and started waving lol

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twoshoes wrote in post #9555092
I don't think they really can. Here is a shot at the park I took of some people playing with some rc boats. I went to them and asked if it would be ok if I took some photos and they were totally cool with it. Anyway as you can see in the image I was focusing on the guy with the boat but the guy across from the pond acted as if I was taking pictures of him and started waving lol

And I think there are 2 types of people that wave like that. Ones who are doing it for fun and others who do it to show you up...like he somehow spotted you with his super vision and that and that you should watch yourself.

I agree about homeless people. That's an easy target and unless there's a really compelling story to tell, it's a big Yawn for me. Just my preference I suppose. In fact I feel there are lots of people out there, probably including myself who shoot in some urban area and get some people in there just because, and call it good examples of street photography, but in reality its just a random shot of random people doing nothing special.

It gets much more difficult to tell a story with it...to capture something like that. I have LOTS to learn!:o

Tom JK wrote in post #9554918
How can one tell if a photog is photographing a duck in the pond and not someone that happens to be in the line of sight?

Harder to tell but yeah sometimes you can and sometimes you can't. With what happened to us there was no doubt.

On the photo there, the focus was not on the waving person, so they shouldn't get upset LOL

Back to the OP, shooting from the side also works.

This man was ringing his bell and I didn't see anyone giving him money for his cause. He had this "hardened" look about him that I thought was interesting.

nicksan wrote in post #9555161
It gets muc more difficult to tell a story with it...to capture something like that. I have LOTS to learn!:o

I couldn't agree more. I'm trying, failing, but still won't give up till i have THE SHOT

palaima wrote in post #9555232
I couldn't agree more. I'm trying, failing, but still won't give up till i have THE SHOT

But sometimes it almost sounds like a competition when it comes to street photography and getting THE SHOT, like who can get the closest to the subject, with a wide angle lens at that.

Yeah, some people can walk about to someone and just snap away. You can call it having a lot of balls, but at the end of the day is it an interersting photo? Or is it just a photo with some people in it doing nothing interesting?

Do we need people in the frame in order to call in street photography that's worth anything?