taking pics in public.

[invisibledemon]

how do most of you go about taking pics of random people in public.

say a random pose between two people, or a little kid. something that just looks like it would make a good pic. how do you go about taking the pic, seeing as to how a lot of people are sensitive to this kinda thing in public.

im just wondering how to go about it, i dont want to piss people off by taking pics.

thanks.

 

[jstuedle]

how do most of you go about taking pics of random people in public.

say a random pose between two people, or a little kid. something that just looks like it would make a good pic. how do you go about taking the pic,

thanks.

Usually I just raise the camera to my eye, compose and push the shutter button. I might look at the LCD and shoot another, then walk away.

 

[Sarah Elizabeth]

Usually I just raise the camera to my eye, compose and push the shutter button. I might look at the LCD and shoot another, then walk away.

touché

 

[Sideburns]

Mostly you just have to have confidence. If you look creepy, you'll be assumed to be creepy.

 

[bhop]

I have good and bad days. On a good day, i'm like jstuedle. I just snap away and not think about it. On a bad day, I get self conscious about it and then I get angry at myself for not taking the shots I want. I think jstuedle has the right idea... I figure, if I have any confrontation, I'll just say i'm a tourist or something, luckily there are a lot of tourists in L.A.

 

[mrodgers]

I don't. I wouldn't purposefully take pictures of someone I don't know specifically. The professionals can come here and bark all the "photographer's rights" BS all they want, I think it is rude, inconsiderate, and disrespectful. You have no idea how that person may feel if they had known. Especially with children. Yes, children can make some fantastic shots, but think about how the parents feel when they catch some stranger taking pictures of their little girl with something like a dSLR. Then think about how the parents might feel searching for something on google images and finding their little girl's picture on the internet.

 

[JerryPH]

I can see both sides of the issue and understand why someone may want to do candid street photography and why not to do it.

For me, I would think going to locations where a camera is less obtrusive would be easier to shoot candid child/adult shots. Amusement parks, oceans and beaches, tourist locations do offer the same opportunities for wonderful shots, however taking a pic of someone's child as they are exiting a grocery store... well that falls into the "looking creepy" side.

I have no issues raising the camera to eye and snapping ANYWHERE, but I would expect to have a mother running out all worried if I had taken a shot of her child while he or she was sitting on the steps of their home and I was randomly walking by, stopped and took a picture and continued to walk away.

Though one may have the right to do it near anywhere/anytime, there is a personal sense of appropriateness that needs to be accepted, and if one doesn't, and you do take that pic and someone bumrushes you... have the courtesy to talk to them, explain what you are doing and delete the "offending picture" as they chimp with you, if that is their wish.

Personal appearance is also going to have a huge impact on how people perceive you. Try this test (if male that is... lol). Walk around with a shirt and tie snappng away, watch people's reactions. Then come back in torn jeans and a t-shirt and unshaven... and watch the reactions.

That person in a tie will have a MUCH higher level of acceptance in most cases. Mind you, I am not saying that if you go into the heart of the Bronx or a ghetto after dark, that wearing a tie is going to make you credible... it will get your hiney shot... lol. We're talking average afternoon downtown, just clicking away.

 

[jstuedle]

I don't. I wouldn't purposefully take pictures of someone I don't know specifically. The professionals can come here and bark all the "photographer's rights" BS all they want, I think it is rude, inconsiderate, and disrespectful. You have no idea how that person may feel if they had known. Especially with children. Yes, children can make some fantastic shots, but think about how the parents feel when they catch some stranger taking pictures of their little girl with something like a dSLR. Then think about how the parents might feel searching for something on google images and finding their little girl's picture on the internet.

The question was "how do you take pictures of people?". Not, "how can I shoot kiddy porn in public?". Your leap of logic and assumption of intent is somewhat bewildering to me. Street photography is an art. Often the best street art is of peoples acts, not faces. And yes, in todays climate children need special consideration. And if I were shooting for an advertising campaign I would ask permission and get model releases. But to make the leap to posting little girls pictures as almost kiddy porn is an insult to myself and great photographers for a hundred years of street art in the public domain.

 

[jstuedle]

Personal appearance is also going to have a huge impact on how people perceive you. Try this test (if male that is... lol). Walk around with a shirt and tie snappng away, watch people's reactions. Then come back in torn jeans and a t-shirt and unshaven... and watch the reactions.

That person in a tie will have a MUCH higher level of acceptance in most cases.

Self confidence is a big part of the visual image a photographer projects. I have not worn a tie except to funerals since retiring a manager a few years back. My attire is almost always black Dickies and a dark shirt of some type, often a polo. But with self confidence and a assured attitude, I walk around in a printed Tee and B-Jeans with the same results. The location also makes a big impact in your acceptance. Bluejeans are OK at the county fair, or beach front. Something slightly more professional works better on city streets and events. JMHO.

 

[mrodgers]

But to make the leap to posting little girls pictures as almost kiddy porn is an insult to myself and great photographers for a hundred years of street art in the public domain.

Where in my post did I say "kiddy porn"? I do not want images of my children on the internet or anywhere else other than my house. There are countless people who have images they have taken randomly of people and they are all over the flickr and other sites. Thus, I do not want people I don't know taking pictures of my children and posting them on the internet.

It has absolutely nothing to do with "kiddy porn", nor did I state anything of the sort in my post.

I do not agree with the "photographer's rights" and the lack of "privacy rights". Unfortunately, there's no money to be made with privacy, thus there are very few lobbyists for privacy. There is lots of money to be made with photography, so there are powerful lobbyists for photography to keep the "rights" in the law....

 

[Arch]

ok calm it down.... mrogers you did make the leap from taking pictures in public to children, thats why its got messy. It is a problem that people tend to Immediately put the 2 together.

If you look at one of my fav photogs on this boards work (Tuna), you will see all kinds of public/street photog. There is no reason to call this kind of photog disrespectful.

 

[jstuedle]

One fact many of us fail to consider, there is no such thing as privacy outside our home anymore. I any medium to large city we are on video dozens of times a day. The average Brit is captured by public CCTV and stop light cams over a hundred times a day I read recently. I live in a town of 619 and I know of 6 cameras I pass 4 or more times a day. The bank, post office and local store have had CCTV for longer than I care to remember. That would not include the 4 cams I have on our studio and parrot rooms. Privacy today simply does not exist in a way it once did.

 

[mrodgers]

how do most of you go about taking pics of random people in public.

say a random pose between two people, or a little kid.

Not sure where I made the connection between shooting in public to shooting people or children in public.

Don't get me wrong, children playing in the park and capturing that in a photo candidly is probably the best subject for photography. This isn't just children, but I know my wife would not want her photo taken or to find it in someone's "internet photo blog" as well. But, I see all the time, photos posted on forums I'm now visiting with the statements that "I don't know who that is, but it was a great shot. Here it is...." kind of thing. But, it never seems to be that these people think about what the people who are the subject feel about it. No one thinks to respect other people in this world (not only with this subject but just in general.)

My thoughts are not just with children, but respect to everyone, kids and adults.

 

[shorty6049]

i'm scared to take pictures of people in public unless i know they wont see me or i could make it look like i wasnt taking THIER picture. partially it comes from the fact that it feels pretty awkward if you notice someone taking your picture, or someone videotaping you , and i dont want to put that on other people and make them wonder what i'll be using it for, or just why i'm taking their picture

 

[bhop]

This isn't just children, but I know my wife would not want her photo taken or to find it in someone's "internet photo blog" as well. But, I see all the time, photos posted on forums I'm now visiting with the statements that "I don't know who that is, but it was a great shot. Here it is...." kind of thing. But, it never seems to be that these people think about what the people who are the subject feel about it. No one thinks to respect other people in this world (not only with this subject but just in general.)

What's the difference in someone looking at you (not you specifically) on the street and someone looking at the exact same scene on a public web page? What fear do you have about it?

Personally, if I found my pic on a website (and I have) it doesn't bother me. I'm not really a paranoid kinda guy or anything... I just don't see what the problem is. Of course, there are boundaries, if the pic was of me inside my apt. window, that'd be a problem.