Help with photography needed: Socially Awkward

[maulrat]

setup a website for yourself - make some cheap card ids for yourself (name, email and website) and if you do get caught you can show your card to them and there is a chance that they might buy the shot off you

I was thinking about doing this with my Smugmug account and some business cards. But insted of tell them about it "IF" you get caught, just ask first and had them your business card; showing that you are not afraid to let them know who you are (less suspicious). If they say no, then no problem. I can see how some people would think some stranger taking photos of kids might be planning to one day kidnap one of them. Sick people out there but it happens.

On the telephoto note, I wouldn't even use a telephoto to shoot kids. Hmm, maybe shoot kids doesn't sound correct, lol. I mean taking photos of kids. It makes you look more like a perv if you are taking photos of kids from a long distance because you're afraid to get caught. On the other hand, I don't see anything wrong from photographing adults at a long range... unless of course your in a tree photographing through someone's window :mrgreen:

 

[DavidSR]

On the telephoto note, I wouldn't even use a telephoto to shoot kids. Hmm, maybe shoot kids doesn't sound correct, lol. I mean taking photos of kids.

But what about the nice bokeh you get from a telephoto???

 

[Chewbecca]

But what about the nice bokeh you get from a telephoto???

You can get even BETTER bokeh from a prime used properly because generally, primes open wider than telephotos do.

 

[DavidSR]

Man, there's just no winning with you is there? lol...Oh..one note..they do open wider, but it also might be difficult to gain the correct DOF to have the entire person in focus.

 

[maulrat]

Just be like this chick. I'm sure no one would notice her photographing people using a telephoto lens. I bet she can get a nice bokeh too.

 

[LaFoto]

thats just creepy and could be considered stalking..

I don't think this is true.


And in answer to the OP's question: if you feel awkward about taking people photos, don't begin with street photography, but start out with people you know. Family first. Then friends. At gatherings, or parties to begin with. Let them be and try to frame around them. If they want to pose, let them pose at first. Let them move and smile (or pull silly faces) in the way they at the moment want to do. Later, when they see the photos, they might say "Ugh! I look ugly/crazy/silly" and learn from their pic and be more natural/friendly/forthcoming the next time.

Learn to overcome your social awkwardness in situations that make you feel ok about it all. Anything else would mean jumping the steps. Take them one at a time.

And most of all: PLAY ... don't attempt to only create masterpieces from the outset. Don't force yourself, don't beat yourself in inwardly saying "I must take a good photo now". Doesn't work (well, doesn't with me). But when you sort of "play" with the camera, test this and that and other things, and later judge for yourself what you think works and what doesn't, you learn more about yourself. In the end, you might arrive at two things: good photos, and less inhibitions about taking them.

 

[DavidSR]

Just be like this chick. I'm sure no one would notice her photographing people using a telephoto lens. I bet she can get a nice bokeh too.
http://www.crestock.com/uploads/blog/2008/cameragear/Canon-1200-2.jpg

Smart guy..eh? Haha..I just realized you posted the same one as me..it's not a zoom, but a prime

Here's a prime for your viewing pleasure..think this is a little less noticeable?

http://www.e-fotografija.com/markII/1200mm.jpg

EF 1200mm F/5.6 L

 

[chrisburke]

i guess my thought was, if you need to hide it, you shouldnt be doing it... I'm very much an outgoing person, and I very much take the bruce gilden approach ([ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkIWW6vwrvM[/ame] ).. its my right to take pictures, if you have to be in the way when I take them, so be it.. if you really have a problem with it, I can delete the picture, but I've never run into this.. people generally just think your crazy... i find though that if you look semi offical, people dont question... if i was just walking around with a crappy little camera, people would ask questions.. but because I generally travel with 2 cameras on my side, people assume i'm with the press, and they say nothing... if your to afraid to do it, you shouldnt be doing it.. gain some confidence (which photography really helps do) then go out and do it

 

[Chewbecca]

i guess my thought was, if you need to hide it, you shouldnt be doing it... I'm very much an outgoing person, and I very much take the bruce gilden approach (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkIWW6vwrvM ).. its my right to take pictures, if you have to be in the way when I take them, so be it.. if you really have a problem with it, I can delete the picture, but I've never run into this.. people generally just think your crazy... i find though that if you look semi offical, people dont question... if i was just walking around with a crappy little camera, people would ask questions.. but because I generally travel with 2 cameras on my side, people assume i'm with the press, and they say nothing... if your to afraid to do it, you shouldnt be doing it.. gain some confidence (which photography really helps do) then go out and do it

This is how I feel about it, too. Though I think Bruce Gilden is a bit TOO much. Flashing your flash RIGHT IN people's faces IS rude.
I don't have THAT much confidence just yet, so I find street photography hard to do right now. I am ALWAYS asked, when I'm out taking photos, if I work for the newspaper. And that was when I only had my D60.
Anyway, I did have the courage and confidence to do street photography until I got screamed at by a lady.
And I would use a telephoto lens when in lesser than great neighborhoods.

 

[tenlientl]

I planned on lying by saying im a student at a local school that's assigned to take photos of real people. It's to be submitted to a local news paper for an article about "life of the cool local people.

.....

 

[mrcrassic]

I see many photographers do random photos of random people, sometimes random portraits, and I always wonder how they do it.

Do they ask for permission to take a photo?
Do they just randomly take it and hope noone notices?

I'm an amateur photographer looking to potentially get into professional photography. However i'm a bit socially awkward / defunct.

When I go out taking photos, even if it's of buildings, I often worry about being in peoples' way. Or that I might get someone in the photo that doesn't want to be in the photo.

I've done band photography, such as promo shots before and done pretty well, however i'm always quite nervous about getting people into poses, or getting them to make faces.

I'm more of a scavenger photographer, hehe, I tend to observe and capture what someone or something else sets up.

What I'm asking, is are there any techniques that you photographers have for getting the confidence to move people around at whim, to find someone in front of you in an interesting position and just take a photo of them not caring about what they will say, even though you don't know them, for the greater artistic good.

To be the one to get in there and get a photo.

As an aside, I think that if you really want to make it as a professional (regardless of field), you should really concentrate on building self-confidence and learning how to be more social. It's very difficult to make it in any field if you have trouble being around people. I've been there, and being on the "other" side is so much better.

Regarding photography, when I shoot people doing their thing, I try to do it in a way that they don't know I'm shooting them. If I really want a good shot (and it's for a purpose), I ask the people for permission to take a picture of them. No-one really likes knowing that someone, for whatever reason, took a photo of them and posted them online for the world to see, especially in dicier situations.

I would like to believe that professional photographers have leverage when it comes to that, i.e., they can simply ask for a shot and get it...

 

[mrcrassic]

thats just creepy and could be considered stalking..

Precisely.

 

[reg]

in this day and age, taking pictures of random children is extremely controversial, and even though you may have the best intentions of just taking an adorable shot, it is more often than not perceived wrong.

[...]

But just walking around taking pictures of random children is not right. On ANY level.

So which is it? Is it fundamentally wrong, or do people just say it is?

 

[Chewbecca]

So which is it? Is it fundamentally wrong, or do people just say it is?

Which is it?
Out of this ENTIRE thread, THAT is what you choose to quote?
It depends on WHY you're taking pictures of random children. But since you're taking pictures of RANDOM children, if that's all you're going out to do, regardless of your intent, you'll probably, at the very least, be questioned.

If some person I didn't know was taking pictures of either one of my children, I'd have to wonder WHY they were doing it.
I can see both sides. I've taken pictures of random children, but I was also at a function with my son. I didn't really know the children, though.
Not all of them.

But, to me, there's a difference between that and just some person without a child, going to a place where there are children and just sitting there taking pictures of just the children there.

 

[maulrat]

getting a little hot in here. Time to adjust my tie and collar.

... "Flick says he saw some grizzly bears near Pulaski's candy store!"