I have been doing photography for about 45 years. Most of it being rock and tree photography. Rocks and trees don't hit you. Very safe. I am truly longing to get into street photography but I am just too shy and timid...translation: scared shitless!

Two questions:

1. Can anyone who is really experienced in this provide some tips...equipment, how to approach people, hiding behind bushes or up front and personal?, do you tip your subjects, and all those kinds of things.

2. I live in the San Jose CA area (South San Francisco Bay Area) and I would really like to link up, as a shadow, to someone in my area for a day or two, just to observe and be a pack horse...any serious takers on this...I really want to learn by observing?

-- Todd Frederick (fredrick@hotcity.com), January 23, 2002

Answers

Todd,

I'm in a similar situation. Although there is not a direct answer, this thread that I found on PN covers different perspectives on unobtrusive street photography:

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=000vws

-- Kenneth Darling Soerensen (kenneth@darling.dk), January 24, 2002.

I've been hit by rocks several times.

My impression is that the best street photography is done when there is a well-defined, non-threatening relationship between the photographer and their subject. That means either getting to know the people you are photographing really well, or, paradoxically, being a complete stranger who is outside the usual power structures. Somewhere in the middle is where you get all those suspicous glances and angry boyfriends.

I must dig out the slide my wife took from our hotel window in central Madrid, with me sitting on a railing pointing the camera up at her, and a group of local women self-consciously prinking and preening in the foreground, unaware that they are not in fact my main subject.

-- Struan Gray (struan.gray@sljus.lu.se), January 24, 2002.

Me again :-)

Slow day at work so while browsing I found the following thread with a nice comment by Dave Jenkins:

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=000jCY

Also a comment in there that contains a few other links..

-- Kenneth Darling Soerensen (kenneth@darling.dk), January 24, 2002.

Sounds like I'm one or two outings in front of you Todd. I generally wander around taking my "rocks and trees", occasionly sneaking a pic of a human! Couple of times I've wanted to ask someone if I could take their pic but haven't worked up the courage. The other day I was taking some pics of a 'park' bench (actually by the sea) with camera sitting on tripod, cable release in hand, etc and someone sat on another bench nearby. I had taken a couple of shots and could tell she was watching me so the next time I went and rearranged my scene (I had a novel I was using as a prop) I asked her if she could pretend to read my book for me. She agreed and we had a nice chat about cameras (Her Husband had a Voigtlander and son a new SLR). Her family wandered back from the pier and she wandered off with a wave. Another couple wandered by and asked what I was doing. Getting bold I said "waiting for interesting people to sit on the seat to take a picture of" The lady replied "Well I'm interesting" and sat down ready to be photographed! hehe! Don't know if I'm any closer to actually taking 'in their face' pics though cause later I saw a girl with very unusual and eye catching tattoo's sitting feeding seagulls but I didn't get the courage to ask to take some pics.

-- Nigel Smith (nlandgl@unite.com.au), January 24, 2002.

people are not as distant as you think they are... be brave and live....shoot....dont regret, do what you feel you need to do...theres no other way...

-- grant (g4lamos@yahoo.com), January 24, 2002.

Street Photography

Someone in one of the forums posted this address a while back:

www.in-public.com

The site is excellent, offering street photography in the best sense of the word.

Don't forget that street photography, as it comes to us from Henri Cartier-Bresson, was originally a surrealist enterprise: noting incongruities and humor in public (and therefore human) space. HCB was a man in the crowd. He didn't so much sneak up on people as wait patiently and silently ready to spring. He believed he could, and apparently did, become "invisible." He also shot very little and said that if you produced 10 worthy photos a year you were doing very well. His genius was to convey intimacy without seeming like a spymaster.

All of that said, I agree with you--street photography is terrifying!

-- Preston Merchant (merchant@speakeasy.org), January 24, 2002.

Equipment: as stated in the previous thread, whatever you're comfortable using. I prefer my M3 most of the time, but I've also used a Canon F1 and Pentax 645.

Hiding behind bushes is a good way to make people very suspicious and possibly hostile. If you act like you're doing something wrong, people will probably think that you're doing something wrong. Sometimes I'll shoot from the hip (though I'm not as adept at it as Jeff) in order to get a different perspective or to insure a candid expression, but I don't look guilty when I'm doing it. : )

Why would I tip my subjects? Seriously, what's the basis for this question?

And why would people try to hit you? I've had people ask me about this a few times, and I've always found it a somewhat puzzling. Of course, there are some people out there who are always looking for trouble, but I figure they'll be less likely to go after the guy with the big metal brick in his hand.

Grant gives the most essential advice: just do it! You'll never find out what works for you if you don't try things out.

-- Mike Dixon (mike@mikedixonphotography.com), January 25, 2002.

Mike,

My issue on this is one of "invasion of privacy."

If those who I photograph are professional street performers (coins in the hat), kids playing in fountains, and such, I have no problem.

It's the down and outs, the homeless, the hookers, the hobos....that I have problems with. I think that I am either taking advantage of their plight for photographic purposes, or that I should give them some food money in exchange for a photo. That's my problem. Does that make sense?

I don't want to ecploit anyone simply for my photographic enjoyment.

-- Todd Frederick (fredrick@hotcity.com), January 25, 2002.

dont shoot those people if it makes you uneasy...simple as that

-- grant (g4lamos@yahoo.com), January 25, 2002.

I understand what you're saying. I don't seek out homeless people to photograph, but if they're plainly visible in common areas, then I feel that avoiding photographing is intentionally misrepresenting the overall scene.

I have one homeless acquaintance I speak to on a regular basis. Even homeless people generally have relatively private areas they go to when they don't want to be seen.

In the strictest logical sense, though, no, it doesn't make sense to tip them for taking their photo. Give them money if it eases your conscience, but I don't really see it as a reward for services rendered.

Again, I agree with Grant. You're certainly under no obligation to photograph a subject if it makes you genuinely uncomfortable.

-- Mike Dixon (mike@mikedixonphotography.com), January 25, 2002.

Thanks, I think that's what I needed to hear.

-- Todd Frederick (fredrick@hotcity.com), January 25, 2002.

Three different scenarios - three different shots:

1. They don't know you are shooting (at least in time to react).

2. They notice you shooting and the reaction is part of the shot.

3. You approach them and ask them to be the subject of your shot.

Don't forget - if you get hit, you can sue and get a brand new camera!

-- John Kantor (jkantor@mindspring.com), January 25, 2002.

Todd - I don't think there are any magic tricks that you haven't heard about already. I believe that to get started in this type of photography, you just have to want to do it badly enough.

Compare street photography to when you had to ask a girl out on a date for the very first time: scary to contemplate, but once you get the hang of it, not really too bad! It's up to you to take the first step ...

-- Chris Marolf (70214.2664@compuserve.com), January 26, 2002.

Willaim Klein
try that link...talk about in your face street photography...

-- grant (g4lamos@yahoo.com), January 26, 2002.

"How To Do Street Photography?"

Some traits that will help you: arrogance, assertiveness, sneakiness, being a good liar, etc. Timidity in photography, as in life, is something to get over. Just do it!

-- Peter Hughes (ravenart@pacbell.net), January 30, 2002.

Hi

The first time I did this was in Savannah, Georgia. I spotted a homeless person sitting beside a huge waste bin and I politely approached him and asked if I could take some pictures of him for a project I was doing. He agreed and out of kindness I offerend him $10. He did not mind in the slightest even before I offered him the money. I guess no one really minds having their photograph taken and if you manage to find the courage to approach them then you could get exactly the picture you are wanting. Another occassion in Savannah I spotted two little girls dancing to a street entertainer who was playing the accordian. I began to smile back at them as if I was enjoying their dancing. I then moved closer and began snapping away, continuing to laugh with them and this made them perform even more to the camera and smile directly at it with their faces alight with enjoyment!

-- Lorna Simpson (lornasimpson1@hotmail.com), February 06, 2002.