Rude to photograph people?

bellaPictures · Sep 14, 2005

or use them for my portfolio?

Artemis · Sep 14, 2005

I wouldnt, kids are a VERY sinsitive subject...would have gotten permission myself...for kids that is...

eydryan · Sep 14, 2005

well, what you really should do first of all is take your tripod and post it in the middle of a crowded plaza where people tend to walk towards you. adjust the tripod so it fits snuggly at an eye-level and then just look through the viewfinder. telephoto lens are best, because beyond letting you get close it also provides shallow depth of field ideal for isolating your subject and also makes people look at it curiously. Ok, then just start snapping away what you want, track people as they move along, maybe even capture more people. this has been the first step. now you have to get out and actually meet people. Step two is two take a picture of a guy you like on the street, because it is motivational and where a normal subject would make you say better not here your other interests help you. and of course the last step would be to take photos of people who are morally indebted to you, say a shopkeeper who wants to sell you something.

one thing however you must never forget: if you smile at a person not only will it make it easier for you to ask him to pose(especially that you're a girl

), but also 9 out of 10 cases he will smile back with a natural smile.

usually people pose because they think that is what they should or, of course, don't know what to do. they are as shy as you but a little proud too. So if at first the expression is not the one you werre looking for (it rarely is) take the shot anyway. That willl bridge the gap between you two. he will get used to the camera and you to looking at him through it. the next shot will be better. But the really golden trick here is to talk to the person, make him feel like a friend, not a test subject.

and of course try to ask a photographer friend (if wsuch one exists) to target you for portraits for maybe an hour or more, so that you can understand what someone in the street or w.e feels when their pic is taken.

look here how nice a pic gets when you just smile and keep them busy from thinking of posing. the first pic was a disaster of this girl but while walking talking and especially smiling her expression got in the end to this:

hope i helped and that you will lose your shyness as quickly as possible

eydryan · Sep 14, 2005

ps: you can also hit and run

'Daniel' · Sep 15, 2005

I read up on this and In Britain and I believe its the same in America there is no issue with children. Anyone who is in a public place can have there hptoo taken. The parents can do nothing about it and in Britian you can even publish and sell pictures without release form by law but very few printers would take the risk that they could get sued.

303villain · Sep 15, 2005

danalec99 said:
Do you pay attention to the tourists snapping away at every nook and corner?

Be a tourist.

there you go! khaki shorst, a funny hat, sunglasses and a flowery shirt with a map sticking out of your pocket and youre set!

personally ive had the best luck with either striking up a conversation and telling them you want to photograph them doing whatver it was that they were diong before hand or zooooom way in from afar and make sure your Chevrolegs are ready to run!

Artemis · Sep 17, 2005

Daniel said:
I read up on this and In Britain and I believe its the same in America there is no issue with children. Anyone who is in a public place can have there hptoo taken. The parents can do nothing about it and in Britian you can even publish and sell pictures without release form by law but very few printers would take the risk that they could get sued.

I still believe there is a law, the 33% law... but maybe thats only in america...whatever it is, there is a law to protec people...

Ant · Sep 17, 2005

Artemis said:
I still believe there is a law, the 33% law... but maybe thats only in america...whatever it is, there is a law to protec people...

I think that 33% law was quoted on here by someone from Poland. Either way, there's no such law in the UK. We have some of the most lax photography laws in the world and you're pretty much free to photograph anyone in a public place and do whatever you want with it, within reason of course.

FlashSpeedo · Oct 2, 2005

I read up on the legal issues some time ago, and in US here's the scoop as I understand it. It's perfectly legal to take photos of people in public space. But not legal where they have a reasonable expectation of privacy (such as in a public restroom, or over the fence in their backyard).

But you're still not allowed to sell the pictures or use them to promote a commercial product or business unless you have a signed model release. So it's legal to photograph kids in a park, but you will get sued if you use the photograph in a Huggies advertisement without permission. Technically you're not even allowed to post pictures of people on a commercial (for profit) photography site without a model release, but I expect the worst thing that would happen is if somebody makes a stink about it you just take their picture down.

With that understanding of the rules, though, I don't get how people can shoot pictures of movie stars for magazines in public, or sell pictures of sports stars in action on a website.

toruonu · Oct 5, 2005

Well as far as I know you can post and sell the photos as editorial. For example some photo stock sites differentiate on wether you have a release form or you have an editorial picture. The latter one just means that you took the picture, didn't ask permission and it might have to be treated with care by anyone who wishes to use the shot for some commercial purpose. But I guess showing it here or at your website would be ok I guess...