So I had the opportunity to visit Costa Rica and a few cities.
As it's something completely different from Europe, I was really tempted to take street pictures, even if i'm feeling unforconfortable with it.
I would like to ask about some tips, because seriously it's something quite difficult.
How do you do it. From the hip or directly from the camera in front of your face?
Asking for permision or not? Personally i dont because it ruins the shot from my point of view, because it losts it's natural look. For those of you who are not asking for permision, how do you react when the the subject see you? (well, they always do)... Do you smile them, turn away quickly, do as if you were ;photographing something else?
I would also apreciate some reaction on something, that happened to me...
At the end of the day, after telling my parents that im afraid of taking pictures of strangers, they told me just not to worry so much. So it was the end of the day, and I saw two little girls around 6 years old playing on the street. I just took a deep breath and for the first time took the camera and actually took a shot. And suddenly some american tourist started yelling at me that I shouldnt do that and that i should ask for permission first and everything. I just walked away. the parents werent even present, but to be honnest I would not ask for permision. I know it's something really controversial... but i keep telling myself that it's just capturing something that is really happening right now, it's just something that everyone could see... also the picture shows a world problem...
I did not post the picture, but i dont know how to feel about this... so any help would be apreciated.
Barbara, you broke the number one rule with street photography, just don't photograph children. It just saves arguments and 'scenes' like the one you described. Anyone else in a public place is fair game (well it is in the UK, as long as they're not a police officer). As to how to do it, from the hip is more discreet but unless you have @rich57 or @andycoleborn 's experience it's hard work. The easiest way is to go to tourist places and act like a tourist, pretending your focusing on something else is also a good one, safety in numbers (taking a friend with you) can also help. The number one thing I can suggest is practice, practice, practice. The more you do it, the more comfortable you will become, the easier it will be to frame a pic without actually viewing it through the viewfinder etc etc etc. Good luck!
Also, I agree with @charli321 - that would be a fairly typical reaction here in America (can't speak for the rest of the world) when someone sees a stranger photographing their children. Probably best to avoid getting caught doing that. :)
Rarely from the hip, just see someone, take a photograph and move on. Don't worry about confrontation, it will happen so deal with it when it does. Never ask permission, never apologise, take a lot of photographs, keep moving so on and so forth.
Loads more in my albums
Use a manual mechanical film camera, its quicker, no batteries etc.
Here in the States, there's just no way I would even bring my camera near a school, a playground, or any other place where children are present. It's not worth it. It's different, though, in Central and South America. If you're photographing scenes there, it's quite common for children to be included. Expect, however, for them to request payment - typically $1 or $2 - for being photographed!
As to street photography and asking permission, it depends. If it's a broad scene and there are many people in the photo, I'll just take the shot. If it's a specific person that I'm trying to photograph, I will almost always ask permission. "Un photo, por favor" while raising your camera can avoid a lot of problems.
It also helps to know the recent history of the area you're visiting. As an example, I was in a small village in Guatemala several years ago. It was safe to photograph anything in the village except people. That village had provided a lot of revolutionaries in a recent conflict, and photographing them would have been extremely hazardous to my health.
Another general rule of thumb is that it's fairly safe to photograph people in a tourist area, but the further out you go the more likely you'll want to ask permission first. Knowing how to ask permission, say thank you, and tell them not to look at the camera in their native language really helps, too.
@charli321 also just to add, uniform police in a public CAN be photographed just like anyone else, from the recent communications to all Chief Constables
"There is no prohibition on photographing frontline uniform staff"
I take photos of other peoples kids all the time - playground, park, sports, etc. No one seems to mind. Get past your unease, people can smell it a mile away. Shoot, smile, wave, wait for THEIR reaction, not someone else's.
@sdpace Oh, I totes didn't mean for her not to do it. Just be slick about it. :) I would take pics of kids too if I was ever around any. Also, Eric Kim is a rock star.
When I'm photographing people, I take the shot, then look at my screen then look back up and straight past them as if I was shooting the building behind them or off to one side - and act as I'm I am totally oblivious to their presence ;) having said that - I don't shoot people on the street a lot, but that seems to work.
Another option - I learnt this from some pro-photographers friends I know. They're a couple who travel a lot & love street photography. So whenever they want to shoot people - one of them will go stand near-ish to the subject and pretend they are posing for the picture - then the one with the camera will compose the shot with the "poser" just outside of the frame. They do it all the time and it works like a dream.
re: shooting children. Controversial topic. Don't know about anywhere else, but certainly in the UK you have to be a bit careful. I dont think there are any laws prohibiting it as far I as I could see from googling - but people are a bit sensitive about it - largely due to the spreading of inaccurate information on the topic.
Also I've found asking permission quite informally and quite often offering or being asking asked to e-mail copies of the best images has made for some really interesting conversations/tips about places to go and opportunities for other photographs.
Obviously this depends where you are in the world!
Well first you should enjoy your holiday, so relax and if anyone shouts at you shoot them.
Then, you're an 18 year old girl, really I don't see how anyone can have a problem with you taking photos of kids. Just snap away. But to disagree with Jase (the king of street photo) I feel like a digital has the advantage of - in a confrontation - you can say hey, I was only shooting the trees, I'll show you...or alternatively hey no worries I'll delete it. With a film camera if you got into a bust up the compromise would be tear the film out....eh, I think not. @jasehoad
@lalola616 I had a bank manager knock on my car window after I got back in the car after taking an architecture shot and she was polite but said she was from the bank and that they were paranoid about what I was doing LOL...I had no idea I was taking pictures in front of their window!...I just flipped out my view finder and showed her what I took and she smiled and said thank you.
I am getting braver with street shots...I drove around like mad to find parking for this shot and wanted to be quick because my wife and kids were waiting in a no parking zone...I lined up my shot and clicked a few times after waiting for people of interest and got lucky with a couple walking down the street who saw me but did not mind...to be honest I was more worried about being mugged and having my camera taken than what the people thought of my photo taking...they are in a public place and my photo was more about their presence and giving the photo sense of scale than a portrait
I don't know about anywhere else but in the Uk it's best not to take pics of kids. No one here has mentioned the paedophilia concern with photos of kids and where those pics can ultimately end up. Call me an overactive parent but unfortunately that's the world we live in. If someone took a photo of my child I wouldn't be happy about it. You'd have to ask me first and I'd tell you no unless you showed me some credentials.
I would not take pictures of children unless their parents were there and then I would tell them what I am doing and ask permission. This way you will get a great shot in the end. Adults and groups of people are fair game
@sdghjt is right, you must not miss it! when out in the street try to keep your mind busy thinking about how to capture the best shot and you'll spend less time thinking about whether the subject will mind.
In melbourne, 70% of the time nothing will happen, 38% of the time they will smile (especially if i smile and thank them) and 2% remaining i will put down as situations i've not yet come across (no one has ever done anything worse than tell me they don't want to be photographed).
The days when you can point the camera at random children on the street to snap photos have passed i believe, especially in first world cities where there is a diminishing sense of community. I never shoot kids because i'm not a pro and i'm not trying to win awards, so the potential anxiety and paranoia isn't worth the risk for me. Having said that, i don't think there are ANY subjects that you 100% cannot photograph, it's all about context and intent.
P.S. don't let those american tourists deter you in any way. They must've believed they were doing something righteous and noble, but only in the context of the society that they came from which is highly litigious and low on community trust.
Haven't seen many photos from you in a while, keep em coming! so jealous at how much travelling you seem to be doing :P
@scatochef@lalola616 as a mom with youngish children, i would not be comfortable if a random stranger started taking their picture... even with an explanation, while i might not say "no", i would not be thrilled about it... "low on community trust" as Jie Zhou wrote, is an excellent description... the world does not always feel like a safe place, and anything that appears to threaten my children brings out the mama bear in me!
I love having a go at shooting everybody and everything, both for general photography and my work as a journalist, but as a mum I was on the other side of this a few weeks back and had to eventually be quite rude to a foreign tourist who was trying to take photos of my 6-year-old daughter. I've always been careful about not photographing kids without the parent's permission (unless they're just a very random part of the photo, not the subject) and having now experienced it from the parent's point of view, I know I've been right.
@sdpace@beautifulthing It was just something I got told when I did a street photography course a couple of weeks ago. I'm not saying it's against the law, just be mindful that the implications of doing it can lead to confrontation.
I just point and shoot at random when I am out on the street I always make out I am photographing a building, I often am as its one of the things I love to take. I also did an experiment once too, I went out with a homemade press pass and no one at all started questioned me or said a word, seems looking official can sometimes be helpful
Got nothing to add that hasn't already been said... As for me, it's a mixture of super sneaky candids coupled with openingly taking a shot and very occasionally asking permission...
Street protography is great tho and can make for some fantastic pics...
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Also, I agree with @charli321 - that would be a fairly typical reaction here in America (can't speak for the rest of the world) when someone sees a stranger photographing their children. Probably best to avoid getting caught doing that. :)
Loads more in my albums
Use a manual mechanical film camera, its quicker, no batteries etc.
As to street photography and asking permission, it depends. If it's a broad scene and there are many people in the photo, I'll just take the shot. If it's a specific person that I'm trying to photograph, I will almost always ask permission. "Un photo, por favor" while raising your camera can avoid a lot of problems.
It also helps to know the recent history of the area you're visiting. As an example, I was in a small village in Guatemala several years ago. It was safe to photograph anything in the village except people. That village had provided a lot of revolutionaries in a recent conflict, and photographing them would have been extremely hazardous to my health.
Another general rule of thumb is that it's fairly safe to photograph people in a tourist area, but the further out you go the more likely you'll want to ask permission first. Knowing how to ask permission, say thank you, and tell them not to look at the camera in their native language really helps, too.
"There is no prohibition on photographing frontline uniform staff"
http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2011/12/10-things-not-to-do-as-a-street-photographer/
I take photos of other peoples kids all the time - playground, park, sports, etc. No one seems to mind. Get past your unease, people can smell it a mile away. Shoot, smile, wave, wait for THEIR reaction, not someone else's.
Another option - I learnt this from some pro-photographers friends I know. They're a couple who travel a lot & love street photography. So whenever they want to shoot people - one of them will go stand near-ish to the subject and pretend they are posing for the picture - then the one with the camera will compose the shot with the "poser" just outside of the frame. They do it all the time and it works like a dream.
re: shooting children. Controversial topic. Don't know about anywhere else, but certainly in the UK you have to be a bit careful. I dont think there are any laws prohibiting it as far I as I could see from googling - but people are a bit sensitive about it - largely due to the spreading of inaccurate information on the topic.
Obviously this depends where you are in the world!
M
Then, you're an 18 year old girl, really I don't see how anyone can have a problem with you taking photos of kids. Just snap away. But to disagree with Jase (the king of street photo) I feel like a digital has the advantage of - in a confrontation - you can say hey, I was only shooting the trees, I'll show you...or alternatively hey no worries I'll delete it. With a film camera if you got into a bust up the compromise would be tear the film out....eh, I think not.
@jasehoad
I am getting braver with street shots...I drove around like mad to find parking for this shot and wanted to be quick because my wife and kids were waiting in a no parking zone...I lined up my shot and clicked a few times after waiting for people of interest and got lucky with a couple walking down the street who saw me but did not mind...to be honest I was more worried about being mugged and having my camera taken than what the people thought of my photo taking...they are in a public place and my photo was more about their presence and giving the photo sense of scale than a portrait
In melbourne, 70% of the time nothing will happen, 38% of the time they will smile (especially if i smile and thank them) and 2% remaining i will put down as situations i've not yet come across (no one has ever done anything worse than tell me they don't want to be photographed).
The days when you can point the camera at random children on the street to snap photos have passed i believe, especially in first world cities where there is a diminishing sense of community. I never shoot kids because i'm not a pro and i'm not trying to win awards, so the potential anxiety and paranoia isn't worth the risk for me. Having said that, i don't think there are ANY subjects that you 100% cannot photograph, it's all about context and intent.
P.S. don't let those american tourists deter you in any way. They must've believed they were doing something righteous and noble, but only in the context of the society that they came from which is highly litigious and low on community trust.
Haven't seen many photos from you in a while, keep em coming! so jealous at how much travelling you seem to be doing :P
Some amazing stuff here
Got nothing to add that hasn't already been said... As for me, it's a mixture of super sneaky candids coupled with openingly taking a shot and very occasionally asking permission...
Street protography is great tho and can make for some fantastic pics...