Advise please......

rgregory1965 · Mar 8, 2012

Going out tomorrow to an area with a large population of homeless type street people....wanting some B&W photos..

Im taking my Sigma 70-200 and was wondering....would you ask for permission or just start shooting.

My first street shoot.

Open to ideas, suggestions

tirediron · Mar 8, 2012

Remember these are people; don't forget to show them some respect. If you're taking pictures of individuals from a distance/position where it's clear you're shooting them, definitely ask permission. Also, don't forget that mental illness tends to be more prevelant in areas with large homeless/transient populations and suprise shots can sometimes lead to unexpected and undesired results.

rgregory1965 · Mar 8, 2012

My plan is to talk to a few and get there storys as well as the photos.....its gonna be a learning experience for me.....but it will be a good ice breaker for me to get over my phobia of shooting strangers.

Is it advisable to go alone or with someone.....I am pretty sure im gonna take a personal back up just in case.

pgriz · Mar 9, 2012

If this is your first time doing this, perhaps going there with a P&S will be less intimidating for your subjects, and will allow you to work out how to approach these people and interact with them. Homeless type people don't get a lot of love from society, and tend to be paranoid and suspicious of motives to "help them" or to involve them. Not to mention, that to some, an expensive-looking camera may mean some potential easy cash. I'd be less focused on picture-taking, and more on learning how to approach and interact with them. As I mentioned in some other posts on street photography, a very good photographer I know has made a point to become a fixture in that kind of place, and the "regulars" there accept him as part of the local scenery - which allows him to take the shots he wants without attracting attention from them - he's the "guy with the camera".

The_Traveler · Mar 9, 2012

Choosing the homeless to learn how to 'shoot pictures of strangers' implies that you already think that they are less able to object, eg. less powerful.
Please remember that using others' vulnerability to get some more 'grittiness' in your pictures can really be thought of as exploiting their vulnerability.
Takin a 'personal backup'; does that mean taking a weapon?

DiskoJoe · Mar 9, 2012

I often go out doing street photography and meet homeless folk. I get a lot of people that will come ask to bum a smoke. i will usually offer a trade of a smoke for a picture. Most never seem to have a problem. I will talk to them and ask what their story is and usually its a pretty good one or at least a memorable experience. But I have to concur with lew here that your attitude does seem a bit off.

Here are some examples of my work to give you some ideas.

Street Photography - a set on Flickr

This set here I asked for full permission from the participants to take their photos and post them online. I had them pose for me.
100 Strangers - a set on Flickr

DiskoJoe · Mar 9, 2012

DiskoJoe said:
I often go out doing street photography and meet homeless folk. I get a lot of people that will come ask to bum a smoke. i will usually offer a trade of a smoke for a picture. Most never seem to have a problem. I will talk to them and ask what their story is and usually its a pretty good one or at least a memorable experience. But I have to concur with lew here that your attitude does seem a bit off.

Here are some examples of my work to give you some ideas.

Street Photography - a set on Flickr

This set here I asked for full permission from the participants to take their photos and post them online. I had them pose for me.
100 Strangers - a set on Flickr

I would also suggest you go with a friend.

rgregory1965 · Mar 9, 2012

WOW, you people really some judgemental people......you act as though just because your homeless and possibly choose to live on the street is some kind of plauge sent down by god or something....why should you treat these people any different from someone walking down the street...there all human.

I work in a area where the homless roam....I see them everyday and donder to myself how they came to be here.....im sure some by choice.

My attitude seems off???? Really ...you have never met met me and dont know anything about me or my motives.....GET OFF YOUR PEDESTOOL.....maybe YOU have the problem

My personal back up is a bag of burgers to trade for storys......and if you must know I have carried CCW for most of my life and I will have it today as well....it is like my car keys and wallet.

Back up off the bus and chill out......

MReid · Mar 9, 2012

I don't live in a big city.
Don't homeless people get upset when random people start photographing them like they are wildlife.
These are people down on their luck, having random people taking pictures of them, how does that make them feel?

Yeah I would talk to them first and see how they are doing give em a couple bucks and then ask if you can take a picture.
But that's me....I don't photography homeless people.

rgregory1965 · Mar 9, 2012

This is what inspired me to do this.....you all just suck with your mental processing of things.....stop and smell the roses sometimes and stop being so judgmental for gods sake.

MReid · Mar 9, 2012

............well you came on here and asked for advice.

If you don't like the advice you received don't get mad at us for giving it :scratch:

pgriz · Mar 9, 2012

Out of the responses you got, how do you construe that were being judgemental? Tirediron talked about showing these people respect. I said to focus on getting to know the people first before treating them as photographic subjects, since you said you were just about to start doing this. The Traveler again reiterated that these people should be treated with respect. DiskJoe shares his approach, which obviously works.

From those comments, you go to You act as though just because your homeless and possibly choose to live on the street is some kind of plague (sic) sent down by god or something. Where do any of these comments lead to the conclusion you seem to be drawing? :scratch:

apples · Mar 9, 2012

i'd feel more comfortable if i had someone who did street photography with me, sorta like showing me the ropes. street photography looks so interesting and im hoping that i can get a chance when i go up to DC to shoot some

one thing though, i looked through DiskoJoe's album and noticed a lot of his pictures of people are in poses. I always wanted to capture "everyday life" type scenes and it seems that if i would ask for permission i'd get poses as well...or it will ruin some of the interest in my shot (imo).

The_Traveler · Mar 9, 2012

If I were homeless, probably it wouldn't be by choice, I wouldn't like being treated like some object, having some people think they can tale pictures of me and I wouldn't care.
I may not be able to live better and I may not have much privacy but I still would be damned pissed if some guy with a fancy camera just saw me as a specimen that he could buy off with a couple of dollars.

I do a lot of street photography and, unless the picture had something more important to say than just capturing someone's bad luck, I don't take it.