Why you should be a street photographer

[PhotoWhoa]

In this interview with Thomas Leuthard, he explains why he does street photography and how it can help improve your skills as a photographer.

Thomas Leuthard Interview: Why You Should be a Street Photographer at PhotoWhoa Blog | Discover how you can be a better photographer

 

[nikT2i]

thanks for sharing! great article :sillysmi:

 

[CallMeBob]

He includes links to his three free ebooks there. I read through one of them which was great. In it, he has two links to two short videos showing him in his style of street shooting. A comment on one of his videos calls his style creepy. I have to agree. He doesn't ask for permission of close up face shots - he just gets in their face and shoots. Not my style, but it's interesting. His ebook was good though. If his other two ebooks are as informative as the first one, they're definitely worth a look.

 

[weepete]

Good interview, I downloaded the ebooks as well which look Look like a pretty Good read

 

[gsgary]

He includes links to his three free ebooks there. I read through one of them which was great. In it, he has two links to two short videos showing him in his style of street shooting. A comment on one of his videos calls his style creepy. I have to agree. He doesn't ask for permission of close up face shots - he just gets in their face and shoots. Not my style, but it's interesting. His ebook was good though. If his other two ebooks are as informative as the first one, they're definitely worth a look.

If you ask permission to take the shot you have missed the moment i never ask

 

[Awiserbud]

He includes links to his three free ebooks there. I read through one of them which was great. In it, he has two links to two short videos showing him in his style of street shooting. A comment on one of his videos calls his style creepy. I have to agree. He doesn't ask for permission of close up face shots - he just gets in their face and shoots. Not my style, but it's interesting. His ebook was good though. If his other two ebooks are as informative as the first one, they're definitely worth a look.

If you ask permission to take the shot you have missed the moment i never ask

I almost got into big trouble for that on new years eve in vegas, 99.9% of people were more than happy to either pose or be photographed, but there is always 1 that makes a huge deal over it. I can hold my own and while not being rude or offensive i explained that her threats to "call security" would be pointless since i had done nothing wrong. Her "boyfriend" tried to grab my camera and it was quickly explained to him that if he did it again he would regret it...I did delete the photo purely out of courtesy, but i think one of them was having an affair and was worried about where the photos might end up. Its not all plain sailing !

 

[gsgary]

He includes links to his three free ebooks there. I read through one of them which was great. In it, he has two links to two short videos showing him in his style of street shooting. A comment on one of his videos calls his style creepy. I have to agree. He doesn't ask for permission of close up face shots - he just gets in their face and shoots. Not my style, but it's interesting. His ebook was good though. If his other two ebooks are as informative as the first one, they're definitely worth a look.

If you ask permission to take the shot you have missed the moment i never ask

I almost got into big trouble for that on new years eve in vegas, 99.9% of people were more than happy to either pose or be photographed, but there is always 1 that makes a huge deal over it. I can hold my own and while not being rude or offensive i explained that her threats to "call security" would be pointless since i had done nothing wrong. Her "boyfriend" tried to grab my camera and it was quickly explained to him that if he did it again he would regret it...I did delete the photo purely out of courtesy, but i think one of them was having an affair and was worried about where the photos might end up. Its not all plain sailing !

A lot depends on the camera you use, most people dont know i have taken their photo i use an M4 prefocused at about 10 foot

 

[Awiserbud]

If you ask permission to take the shot you have missed the moment i never ask

I almost got into big trouble for that on new years eve in vegas, 99.9% of people were more than happy to either pose or be photographed, but there is always 1 that makes a huge deal over it. I can hold my own and while not being rude or offensive i explained that her threats to "call security" would be pointless since i had done nothing wrong. Her "boyfriend" tried to grab my camera and it was quickly explained to him that if he did it again he would regret it...I did delete the photo purely out of courtesy, but i think one of them was having an affair and was worried about where the photos might end up. Its not all plain sailing !

A lot depends on the camera you use, most people dont know i have taken their photo i use an M4 prefocused at about 10 foot

yes i agree in certain cases, much easier to get away with that "sneaky" shot, however the consequenses if caught could potentially be much worse, people might assume your up to no good, or just a general perv (people can be funny about being photographed by strangers) however with a large DSLR, battery grip, and speedlight attached people often assume your an official photographer and tend not to question your motives for taking pictures of them, yes some people do, but I explain my reasons by telling them i am a freelance photog and more often than not they then ask for another shot.
I think you need to be a bit streetwise, be able to predict situations and know when or when not to press the shutter, I'm a bit of a people watcher, and like to think i can read the situation reasonably well, but obviously we can't all be 100% right all the time.

 

[dbvirago]

I was surprised at his choice of lenses. A 20mm and a 45mm when he needed a 'longer lens.'

 

[FireMedic772]

I was surprised at his choice of lenses. A 20mm and a 45mm when he needed a 'longer lens.'

Well with the "free roam" effect you zoom with your feet. 45 or 50mm lenses are considered longer (especially for crop sensors) for street photography because it keeps things tight but still provides you with the distance you need to stay candid. At least that's how I've always thought of it and it's never given me a problem. I couldn't go with anything bigger, it would be much too narrow to accommodate framing such a quick opportunity

 

[sekhar]

I was surprised at his choice of lenses. A 20mm and a 45mm when he needed a 'longer lens.'

He was using a micro four-third (Olympus OM-D), which makes it a not-too-bad 90mm.

 

[flow]

I always worry about shooting people on the street. Actually, the way people are anymore, I worry about buildings, boats, and random trees too. Always concerned that someone is going to be offended or angry. I've had people question what I was doing before, ask who I'm "working for"...

 

[sekhar]

I always worry about shooting people on the street. Actually, the way people are anymore, I worry about buildings, boats, and random trees too. Always concerned that someone is going to be offended or angry. I've had people question what I was doing before, ask who I'm "working for"...

Were you using a big (i.e., conspicuous) gear or a P/S? I just got back from shooting some people at a street crossing with a DSLR and a long zoom that is highly visible, and even people way back would look at me if I point the camera at them. Not sure they minded, but it made me hesitate a bit. I'm hoping people accept it the way Awiserbud is saying they would when they see a bigger camera.

 

[_HH_]

As he said, he likes to shot in train stations, safety in numbers ...

 

[flow]

No, an old Minolta SLR (when I was doing film) or D40 after I switched. No ginormous lenses either, but apparently big enough that it would be easy to see what I was doing. Maybe it's just me being paranoid, & they're just curious, not offended.