shooting people

[ordinaryless]

this is the best ever advise i ever got from you :thumbsup:

haha..you noticed...

 

[bsplenden]

1) If you are nervous about people photography, perhaps it's not for you? Try something else?

2) The best cure for any fear is to face them. It always works.

3) You'd be suprised that 3/4 of your people subjects won't give a sh** about you or your camera in general. They just find you odd.

4) Using a long lens is the lamest excuse to give for fear of getting close to people.

5) You must ask what's your motive for these people shots. Justify them with your motives.

6) if you won't shoot at eye-level, don't shoot at hip level.

cool... i feel more encouraged to get the 50mm/f1.8 now for street photography...

but guess i will still wear my shoes instead of slippers...tighten the strap of my camera bag... shoot... and if got prob... RUN!!!!

 

[zaren]

1) If you are nervous about people photography, perhaps it's not for you? Try something else?

2) The best cure for any fear is to face them. It always works.

3) You'd be suprised that 3/4 of your people subjects won't give a sh** about you or your camera in general. They just find you odd.

4) Using a long lens is the lamest excuse to give for fear of getting close to people.

5) You must ask what's your motive for these people shots. Justify them with your motives.

6) if you won't shoot at eye-level, don't shoot at hip level.

ah....wise words indeed....

 

[sunnie_kenji]

hmmm...
i got no money to buy lens leh.... :cry:
think we just got to pluck up the courage to face people and just shoot... worse... just run lor :bsmilie:
looks like i gotta go try out and see wat i'll get

sunnie

 

[Witness]

start goin out in groups first la....there is one particularly active one ard here somewhere hahah.....candids normally juz snap and dun care....if u feel tt u could ask...do so...but if its a really candid moment....take it and walk away....if they notice u....approach them in a friendly manner and juz explain.....

wat could happen....at most juz delete the photo lo....hahah

 

[student]

I used to do sneaky shots using a fast speed film, 24 mm lens set to an extreme depth of field with s hutter speed of not less than 1/125 in an almost quiet rangefinder camera. Got many sneaky shots that way, even standing straight at the subjects.

I don't do that anymore. I ask permission. If they say "by all means, i take several, then hang around till a "spontaneous moment" and take again. Try to give my namecard and promise and then give them a copy".

If they say no, then I smile, say thank you and walk on.

 

[Clark75]

Get three of your most Ah Beng friends to accompany you on your shoots. Ask them to wear sleeveless shirts to show their Tua Peh Kong tatoos! Shoot all you want!

 

[zaren]

Well,

Sometime we just have to shoot first as asking for permission might not be able to capture the same moment anymore

This picture was shot using 400mm = 400 x 1.6 on DSLR = 640 mm

yep WB...i fully agree...

when it comes to shooting,
asking for forgiveness is often easier than asking for permission..

 

[student]

Well,

Sometime we just have to shoot first as asking for permission might not be able to capture the same moment anymore

This picture was shot using 400mm = 400 x 1.6 on DSLR = 640 mm

I had some very nice "candid" shots of devotees in St Joseph candlelight service, all taken with full permission, having made friends with the people. I saw many photogs with cameras on tripods with lenses that reached to the heavens, making "candid" shots.

Well, to each his/her own. Different philosophy. But it is possible to take streets shots with courtesy.

 

[Minoxman]

I used to do sneaky shots using a fast speed film, 24 mm lens set to an extreme depth of field with s hutter speed of not less than 1/125 in an almost quiet rangefinder camera. Got many sneaky shots that way, even standing straight at the subjects.

I don't do that anymore. I ask permission. If they say "by all means, i take several, then hang around till a "spontaneous moment" and take again. Try to give my namecard and promise and then give them a copy".

If they say no, then I smile, say thank you and walk on.

Interesting. Does that mean that if noone allowed you permission to shoot, you'd never do people photography and keep moving on?
Lots of great candids would not be possible in our world if everyone held that belief, that every shot had to be permissed(sp).
Just my opinion.

 

[student]

Interesting. Does that mean that if noone allowed you permission to shoot, you'd never do people photography and keep moving on?
Lots of great candids would not be possible in our world if everyone held that belief, that every shot had to be permissed(sp).
Just my opinion.

You are right that IF NONE allow me to shoot, I will not do "Street type" phtography. (Actually, 70% of my photography are PEOPLE photography, but not the "sneaky" type with long lenses. My long lenses are meant for birds and things like that). Fortunately the terrible scenario you painted do not exist. For every 10 people I ask, probably I succeed in getting 6-7 to agree. Then I hang around, and wait for the "right moment". It is amazing how nice people can be if you are nice yourself!

 

[Minoxman]

You are right that IF NONE allow me to shoot, I will not do "Street type" phtography. (Actually, 70% of my photography are PEOPLE photography, but not the "sneaky" type with long lenses. My long lenses are meant for birds and things like that). Fortunately the terrible scenario you painted do not exist. For every 10 people I ask, probably I succeed in getting 6-7 to agree. Then I hang around, and wait for the "right moment". It is amazing how nice people can be if you are nice yourself!

True. But then if you need to ask then it wouldn't be candid anymore. More like people know you are shooting them, which is fine if that's the look you want. Kindda stiff look IMO. YMMV.
You don't really have to be sneaky around people when shooting. Just point your camera, stand still for a few secs and fire away. See what happens next.

 

[student]

True. But then if you need to ask then it wouldn't be candid anymore. More like people know you are shooting them, which is fine if that's the look you want. Kindda stiff look IMO. YMMV.
You don't really have to be sneaky around people when shooting. Just point your camera, stand still for a few secs and fire away. See what happens next.

As I had indicated. To each his/her own. There are many different philosophies of photography. Of course there are many places where the people do not care a damn whether you photograph them or not. There are also places where you better make sure you don't have arthritic legs in case you have to make a run. I have been through the latter, and I am aware of what you are saying about "candid" shots. But when I looked at some of the greatest "street/people photography' shots (eg migrant mother by Dorothea Lange) it is obvious these are taken with full permission of the people being photographed. Another photographer that came to mind is Robert Frank.It is the power of the photographic eye that captures the decisive moment that tells so much story. It is not necessarily the "candid" nature of the shots.

If we look at the picture of the young lady posted by white balance with a LONG (640 mm equivalent) lens, obviously without knowlegde of the girl, what are we to conclude? Artistic? Social values? Documentary? Or just plain fun to photograph someone without her knowledge?

But you will have to find you own way. My way is mine, not yours. What I am pointing out is that it is possible to make meaningful photographs of people in the street without fear of threat to life and limb. It may not be the "most candid". But is sure can be meaningful. History of photography have attested to that.

 

[Minoxman]

Indeed everything's possible. Sometimes I wonder why zoo shooters never ask tigers/lions for permission first before they shoot them. Kindda biased;0

 

[student]

Sometimes I wonder why zoo shooters never ask tigers/lions for permission first before they shoot them. Kindda biased;0

Quite true! However if I know tigers and lions speak, I would ask permission, and I will ask them to pose. No sense wasting time waiting for the right "candid" pose! THAT stare! THAT yawn! The mane would have been correctly combed! And I would use a 800 mm lens (if not 1200mm!) for that really tight shot! 640mm would not suffice! That would only be for voyeuristic shots of unsuspecting females! (don't take me seriously here! )

 

[student]

Hi student,

True, if I bring a 1200mm to the shopping center to shoot girls, I will surely end up being question by the security guards there :sweat:

If u guys take a look into my album, actually I don't only shoot girls, I shoot whichever interesting subject that came into my eyes. Be it old man , kids etc ....

I always make sure I stick to some guildline, for instance : no underskirt shot etc .... or whichever shot that may cause insult to others be it female or male or an injure animal in pain.

* I shot that girl is because of her hat and her "boring mood"

WB, my apologies.

I do not mean to offend. Just a lighthearted "joke" at your expense. My point again is that street people photography need not be "candid" to be meaningful. Most of us take different kinds of photos and at different times. Even if you take undershirt shots, etc, I will be the last (or even not) criticise! Just make sure you don't get caught by police!

I say this because of something I learnt from a good friend of mine (renown photographer not in Singapore). I was at his home flipping through his collection of Agfa scala slides. I was amazed to see an entire roll of 36 exposures on the clitoris (No, this was not street photography!). I asked him, " Are you going to publish this?" Ans: "No". "Are these of artistic value?" Ans: "No". "Why then do you take these photos?". Ans: "To tell myself that there is nothing I cannot photograph"

Who is arguably one of the greatest "street/people photographer"? - Henri Cartier-Bresson. I saw a book titled "Voyeur" and to my surprise, HCB and many other renown photographers were contributors to that book!

So I don't criticise what people takes. I might give my take on whether the photograph mean anything to me. But I do not criticise yours or anybody's right to photograph anything. Just that (again!) meaningful photograph need not necessary be "candid". At the risk of being laborious, history have shown that the most powerful street/people photographs were not "candid" shots. They were shot with full knowledge of the photographed, but with powerful visual insight on the part of the photographer.

 

[zaren]

Just that (again!) meaningful photograph need not necessary be "candid". At the risk of being laborious, history have shown that the most powerful street/people photographs were not "candid" shots. They were shot with full knowledge of the photographed, but with powerful visual insight on the part of the photographer.

hi student... thanks for your insights on street/people photography. to my mind, "candid" means "not posed". so, even if you have asked permission from a group of people to take their photo, then waited a while for them to go about their normal activities b4 taking their photo, i would think that IS a "candid" shot. as you rightly pointed out, the history of street photography abounds with examples of "posed" people photographs by such famous photogs as diane arbus, manuel bravo (sp?) etc. HCB otoh was more of a "decisive moment"/"candid" photographer as were the vast majority of great street photogs. i think HCB even once admitted that many of his photos were taken in the "shoot and run" style... anyway, at the end of the day, what matters is to adopt the shooting style that serves you best and yields the most satisfying results.

 

[student]

* I really feel uncomfortable to call u "student". :bsmilie:

Ha Ha! I AM a "student". And I hope to remain a "student" for the rest of my life! No fun being a teacher! Used to be a sort of teacher. Got an overdose! So now I "share". I no longer teach. I am a fellow student with everybody else! a lot more "fun".

Tonight I am going to photograph "sunflowers". Have to "learn" how to photograph this very common flower and see if I could make something from it! Maybe tomorrow some eggs!

 

[ndroo]

Hi Bro Zaren,

I can't run so cannot adopt the "shoot and run" style. Better stick to the zoom lens method.

Maybe one fine day I shoot then pass u my camera and u run for me hor. :bsmilie:

* Hi guys , for those who have not met me before, I am actually a handicap person (legs problem) so got no choice lor. :sweat:

"shoot n run" usually doesn't mean we have to really run lor :bsmilie: just act blur n look away or pretend to be shooting something else. hehe. i can't run too (due to weight n age :bsmilie ... but i do go near sometimes for the 'thrill' ...

 

[zaren]

Hi Bro Zaren,

I can't run so cannot adopt the "shoot and run" style. Better stick to the zoom lens method.

Maybe one fine day I shoot then pass u my camera and u run for me hor. :bsmilie:

* Hi guys , for those who have not met me before, I am actually a handicap person (legs problem) so got no choice lor. :sweat:

bro WB... u pass me ur cam u may never see it again... :bsmilie:

come come....must go for another photoshoot sometime wor...