I want to know what I can do to take a persons picture. Do I ask to take there picture or do I just surprise them around here a lot of prople dont like there pictures taken. I got family that dont mind But I want to take strangers picture..That is one of the challenges I dont know if I should do or not..any suggestions would be great. Thank you.
It depends on the situation. If I observe someone interacting with someone else or with a child or dog, I'll try to snap it without them knowing to perserve the naturalness of the moment. Sometimes I see someone in an interesting getup walk past me and in order to get a decent shot I'll ask if they mind posing for me.
I took a load of pictures in the market this morning and got into all sorts of conversations. Mostly I was trying to get the bustle and busyness of the market rather than individuals - and I was being obvious, not totally in the way but in the street taking pictures with a point and shoot. Mostly people were fine and chatting, and one guy was posing every time I saw him, I showed a few people what I'd taken. It was really pleasant, if challenged I show people and explain what I'm doing.
All the above are great tips and awesome photographers. I like to remember to be careful with courage when approaching any stranger. I really wanted Tody P. story and I was willing to take the time to hear it. It is an empowering opportunity, but just use careful judgement.
Sometimes I ask. Sometimes I dont. It really depends on the situation. I am getting more comfortable taking photos of strangers but still a little strange. Today I went for a walk on the trail behind my office and decided I would only take photos of people as they were moving away from me....I was not feeling comfortable today at all :)
I have done some shooting from the hip. A great technique but it takes a while to master. I also have a point and shoot that I spent some time adjusting the neck strap on. Now I have it placed just right to give it a slight tilt while I hold it to press the shutter. I dont even have to put it up to my eye.
Another suggestion that I read over the weekend.... Set yourself up where you want to take your photo. Hold the camera to your eye ready to take a photo and just wait for the right shot to appear. People will come and go and eventually they will get used to you being there and not even notice you. I'm going to try this but only when I have someone else with me. Another tip... go with a friend so you feel more comfortable.
There are some great articles out there on what you can and can not photograph in public.
Good luck!!
So do you want a street photograph or a street portrait? Which is basically what you are asking. As soon as you ask then it will become staged and posed and become the latter.
If I see someone interesting looking then I will ask
"Hi, this may seem a bit odd but can I take your photograph" works well enough, they will prob ask why, so just say you found them interesting to look at. Generally people will say yes, also offer to email it to them. I printed out some simple cards with my name, email, flickr so they can contact you to get a copy.
For candids, don't ask just shoot. People will often not even notice, if they do then are usually unsure of what to say. If they do approach you then be honest, tell them you did, and why, about street photography etc. Again people are generally cool with it.
If going for candids then set you camera up in advance, switch to manual focus if you can and preset that to the distance you will be shooting from. It takes a while to judge it right but with a bit of practice you will be getting right all the time. A pavement width is about a metre, a roads width 3 metres etc. Using a film rangefinder can help with that as well. Turn off the sounds and beeps, and the autofocus lamp as well
Don't bother shooting from the hip, it sucks as a technique and is always luck whether you get a usable shot. No notable street photographer uses it, it.s just a phase we all go through thinking it will work. The same goes for telephoto lens, stick with 50mm or less.
If a situation or person looks really sketchy then just don't bother with the shot, move on and find something else.
And most importantly, street photography is not about getting the final product, often you won't, but just about interacting with the people around you, seeing what they see, hear etc.
If you're in the deep south and it's like the film deliverance, then sure ask rather than just invade their privacy. The flickr strangers project demands you do explain to them. I shoot models, I get them off modelmayhem.com and they work for the pictures, with no fee involved. So thats one way to practice people shots. But it takes a while to get established on the website before models become interested in working with you. good luck.
From my experience, once a person on the street sees your lens its all over - you've lost all candidness or realness. I typically find an out of the way spot to shoot from so as not to spook or bother the target person. Stealthness is key.
@dmortega I'm going to agree with Dorrena. 100 Strangers is a good way to improve your skills as a portrait photographer as well as being able to talk with people in general and how to approach them to take a shot. I just started it about 3 weeks ago and have really enjoyed it so far.
wonderful $2 street portraits, mostly people asking for money great kick starter, Thomas say "ok I will give you $2 if I can take your photo!" So many wonderful stories in every image.
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http://www.100strangers.com/index.asp?Pageid=18
All the above are great tips and awesome photographers. I like to remember to be careful with courage when approaching any stranger. I really wanted Tody P. story and I was willing to take the time to hear it. It is an empowering opportunity, but just use careful judgement.
I have done some shooting from the hip. A great technique but it takes a while to master. I also have a point and shoot that I spent some time adjusting the neck strap on. Now I have it placed just right to give it a slight tilt while I hold it to press the shutter. I dont even have to put it up to my eye.
Another suggestion that I read over the weekend.... Set yourself up where you want to take your photo. Hold the camera to your eye ready to take a photo and just wait for the right shot to appear. People will come and go and eventually they will get used to you being there and not even notice you. I'm going to try this but only when I have someone else with me. Another tip... go with a friend so you feel more comfortable.
There are some great articles out there on what you can and can not photograph in public.
Good luck!!
If I see someone interesting looking then I will ask
"Hi, this may seem a bit odd but can I take your photograph" works well enough, they will prob ask why, so just say you found them interesting to look at. Generally people will say yes, also offer to email it to them. I printed out some simple cards with my name, email, flickr so they can contact you to get a copy.
For candids, don't ask just shoot. People will often not even notice, if they do then are usually unsure of what to say. If they do approach you then be honest, tell them you did, and why, about street photography etc. Again people are generally cool with it.
If going for candids then set you camera up in advance, switch to manual focus if you can and preset that to the distance you will be shooting from. It takes a while to judge it right but with a bit of practice you will be getting right all the time. A pavement width is about a metre, a roads width 3 metres etc. Using a film rangefinder can help with that as well. Turn off the sounds and beeps, and the autofocus lamp as well
Don't bother shooting from the hip, it sucks as a technique and is always luck whether you get a usable shot. No notable street photographer uses it, it.s just a phase we all go through thinking it will work. The same goes for telephoto lens, stick with 50mm or less.
If a situation or person looks really sketchy then just don't bother with the shot, move on and find something else.
And most importantly, street photography is not about getting the final product, often you won't, but just about interacting with the people around you, seeing what they see, hear etc.
A couple where I did ask
And a couple where I didn't
wonderful $2 street portraits, mostly people asking for money great kick starter, Thomas say "ok I will give you $2 if I can take your photo!" So many wonderful stories in every image.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thomashawk/sets/72157605579131380/