Street Photography


cheryl852

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Mar 30, 2009
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Hi, just wondering if you guys have seen this site before : The Sartorialist

i've been playing with the idea of doing street photography in Singapore for some time.

anyone of you guys tried approaching strangers, asking for permission to take pictures of them?

and street photography is challenging in the aspect that you have very little time to perfect the portraiture, so if you guys ever venture into street photography, will you venture straight into it or practice in group shoots beforehand?

ah street photographers like scott and bill cunningham are so inspiring :heart::heart::heart:
 

done it before. you just need to make sure you don't scare the person away.

i usually chat with the people, strike up a conversation before i ask if i could snap a picture of them. sometimes i just wave at them, point at my camera and they pose for me. the latter usually works better on non-locals :bsmilie:

but if i don't do street portraiture, i'm just trying to capture candid moments that are nice. or just shots of people at their most unglam moment :bsmilie:

and i usually shoot alone
 

but what i'm worried most is that the inability to deliver in a couple of shots. like generally speaking, are you satisfied with the shots you take?

wa i damn scared Singaporeans may think i'm crazy also.. our society is pretty pretty conservative to begin with
 

yea i am. basically my settings are all done. after all, once you start shooting in Manual, your shots are all gonna turn out with the same exposure (if the lighting doesn't change).

sometimes, while i talk to my subject, i'm already tweaking the settings.

once you overcome the fear of talking to strangers, you've got all it takes to grab their photos.
 

but what i'm worried most is that the inability to deliver in a couple of shots. like generally speaking, are you satisfied with the shots you take?

wa i damn scared Singaporeans may think i'm crazy also.. our society is pretty pretty conservative to begin with

actually... i'm more worried about the oft-times anal security guards at many public buildings, who take it upon themselves to chase people holding anything bigger than a PnS away, even if you are standing outside the building. :rolleyes:
 

Street photography in Singapore.. Is kinda limited. Locals get very self conscious and paranoid unless you're in places like little India etc. Hmm..
 

seriously hate it when im carrying a camera (bigger than PNS compact) and everybody just look and stare at me like im a alien. Maybe places like Chinatown..Little india isnt too bad maybe because its a norm already. On the other hand i see many enjoying it..Most hobbyist i guess..they dont even carry a camera bag!
 

Diver: that's a really funny and cute way/reply :)

Bonrya: I'm actually thinking of town area... It's the place whereby most people dress up fashionably. Wonder if it will be difficult since it's so packed and all.. But the locations u mentioned do sound like an interesting take as well :)

Milktea: haha I think they are casting you glances of envy. I mean hey who doesn't want a cool camera like a dslr instead of digital cameras or smth :) yeah I see many hobbyists just hanging the strap around the neck and off they are on the streets. I wanna be like those!
 

If you're planning to do places like orchard while it's crowded I guess it could work (wanna try this too, :bsmilie: ). Just suggest that you don't go in their faces to shoot. Just in case.

You don't have to limit yourself to any particular focal length, but it will be good to be inconspicuous when shooting. :)

Then again, if they look friendly enough you can approach them and ask for permission to shoot. :)

Really depends on which style works better for you. You can do anything you like really, it's your camera and no one can tell you how to use it. Hehe

For me I use a fixed 28mm and play around with the distance scale etc. :)
 

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dress like a tourist ;)

they won't bother you. i've taken shots at point blank of security guards without them coming after me
 

Bon bon likes to sneak up behind their head with a 116 then shoot and run :bsmilie:
 

I don't like to ask for permission as I prefer candids.

Nothing wrong with asking for posed shots though.

I'd say, just go ahead and give it a shot. :)
BTW, your username seems to suggest you are female, and that can be an advantage when approaching ppl.
 

I don't like to ask for permission as I prefer candids.

Nothing wrong with asking for posed shots though.

I'd say, just go ahead and give it a shot. :)
BTW, your username seems to suggest you are female, and that can be an advantage when approaching ppl.

i'm a female too :bsmilie:
 

Taking pictures on the streets is not street photography.

People posing for your on the street is not street photography.

Street photography is un-orchestrated, un-posed, unaware of any photography going on, catching an candid moment or a unique scene or element that comes to place. It involves mainly people and less on objects and stray cats. It must not be any common snapshots, it must be a photo that tells a story, sends a message, depict a social situation, etc. It need not be big news that affects the world and makes into the news (journalism) but it can simply be daily life's occurences.

Read this:

http://fc08.deviantart.com/fs11/f/2006/227/e/2/street_photography_for_the_purist.pdf
 

Diver: that's a really funny and cute way/reply :)


No trying to be funny or cute... I use EF 100-400mm for Street... I can shoot from some distance without asking for permission or make eye contact with the person being photograph. As others had told you... S'poreans are a very self-conscious brunch. Did have a much easier time at villages in counties like Cambodia, Philippines, Thailand.... :)
 

Diver: haha I know you're serious but the way you put it is nonetheless endearing at that moment. Ate there any legal issues when it comes to shooting someone without permission? I do want to give them a choice whether they wanna be shot or not... Least respect I can provide IMO :(

Sjackal: I think there's no real definition when it comes to street photographers. Bill Cunningham, the trend starter, is a street photographer but he do take photos of people - posed or candid. But on my part, my idea of street photography is capturing regular people on the streets, regardless of what they are doing, so long they are fashionable. :) but that's just for me of course

Kei: Would never have guessed :)

Bon: thank you for your kind replies. Your ideas are really thoughtful and helpful :) I took a sneak peek at your flickr - awesome stuffs you have there!
 

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Diver: haha I know you're serious but the way you put it is nonetheless endearing at that moment. Are there any legal issues when it comes to shooting someone without permission?


IIRC.... no problem as long as the photo is taken in a public area. But since I'm not a lawyer or have yet to need one, it might be better for some other ClubSNAP-er to answer your question. :think:
 

Thanks Cheryl! :) really glad someone appreciates my work. :)

I think there are quite a few threads discussing the legal implications of shooting. So far, no one can legally prevent you from shooting in a public place, however I'm guessing the general consensus is that you be polite and stop when asked. Other than that, you should be fine shooting anything you want. :) except models of cos.. Cos by then you'll need model release and papers etc. But that's entirely different. :bsmilie:
 

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