taking street shots


amoscbh

New Member
Jan 6, 2011
20
0
0
hi all!

i have been taking landscape photography for quite some time now and will like to explore taking street shots, especially the facial expressions of people. ( some examples are portraits shots taken in India shown in some of the threads in the forum ). However, i personally find it abit intrusive and also most people were pretty unwilling when i asked to take a picture of them during my 6months stay in china.

Need some tips and advice from the more experienced members here! thanks in advance!
 

hi all!

i have been taking landscape photography for quite some time now and will like to explore taking street shots, especially the facial expressions of people. ( some examples are portraits shots taken in India shown in some of the threads in the forum ). However, i personally find it abit intrusive and also most people were pretty unwilling when i asked to take a picture of them during my 6months stay in china.

Need some tips and advice from the more experienced members here! thanks in advance!

Take out your camera and shoot, thats it... no trick down there. You walk around, keeping an eye on interesting things, when you spot them, shoot.

If afraid that people will become hostile... well... aim at a general direction, keep your aperture smaller so that everything will be in focus. When that fella walked into your frame and you captured them. That is his/her own business... not yours.

5933159291_a92299b987_b.jpg


5933720696_9c9710cc3b_b.jpg


That two photos are taken with me shooting in a general direction, and the people that happen to walk into my frame... well... is also being captured inside my frame. (PS. the person in the first photo even felt very bad for 'spoiling' my shot.

Anyway, in street photography, if someone was to approach you and request his or her photos to be deleted, well... delete them, just don't do what you would not want other to do to you.
 

Just have to be confident and get close. Always smile always say hi. And shoot very fast, matter of 3-5 seconds, get your shots, say thank you , wave and leave. I find it very useful to make hand motions, funny faces or funny words at children, to get a response like a laugh or a V sign. The following are shot very wide and very very close. I am maybe 30-50cm from the closest subjects.

6355924815_e99eda6558.jpg


6355925605_232bc54e7a.jpg


When taking this photo, I was doing the same expression as the kid on the left. He was just mimicking what I am doing.
6363168205_af03294d52.jpg


The other approach is to introduce yourself, chat with people, get to know them and ask if you can take a photo of them. It works too! The following is shot after we chatted with him and got to know him. He posed for us for this shot. And he gave us his email for us to email the photos to him.

6158328844_3407e0a4d6.jpg
 

Last edited:
And every once in a while, someone will chase you because you took their photo. Do get ready to run or delete.
 

And every once in a while, someone will chase you because you took their photo. Do get ready to run or delete.

If you promise not to misuse it, give your name card and offers not to misuse it?
 

If you promise not to misuse it, give your name card and offers not to misuse it?

well if you're in a good mood, then delete and use a recovery software when you're home. if not, then under the Common Laws of the streets, the photographer has the rights to all photos whoever the model is as long as it does not violates the person's personal rights, which of course only includes sexual content and the likes. it doesn't matters what you shoot. it's more of from where you shoot it. btw MRT is one place where photography isn't allowed
 

seezhijie said:
well if you're in a good mood, then delete and use a recovery software when you're home. if not, then under the Common Laws of the streets, the photographer has the rights to all photos whoever the model is as long as it does not violates the person's personal rights, which of course only includes sexual content and the likes. it doesn't matters what you shoot. it's more of from where you shoot it. btw MRT is one place where photography isn't allowed

yea.. that's the law because most common law countries dun practise privacy act. but i'm kinda looking at law vs being nice..

by right private property too IF owner doesnt allow, and private property includes shopping malls..

if u tk photo of a police, soldier, fireman on duty, n u are caught, pls dun insist.. just delete it. according to the copyright act, no one shall take photos/videos of govt officers performing a lawful duty..
 

yea.. that's the law because most common law countries dun practise privacy act. but i'm kinda looking at law vs being nice..
by right private property too IF owner doesnt allow, and private property includes shopping malls..
Even in countries not practicing common law and having a privacy act in place you can shoot away on streets and public places. Many European countries do not practice the Common Law according British style.
if u tk photo of a police, soldier, fireman on duty, n u are caught, pls dun insist.. just delete it. according to the copyright act, no one shall take photos/videos of govt officers performing a lawful duty..
That sounds really funny .. or weird .. must to be Singapore style.
 

And every once in a while, someone will chase you because you took their photo. Do get ready to run or delete.

I received tons of request to view/ delete the photos I took, especially shots on people. All the time I just obey and show them the picture, delete them if requested.

Never do they know some camera bodies have more than 1 memory card slot :bsmilie:

Daredevil has posted some very useful tips. My advice is: let everyone around you know and feel your presence, say thanks whenever people allowed you to take their shots. I usually take my street shots with just my trusty 50mm.
 

I do delete if I'm asked in a nice, polite way. Sure legally (in SG anyway) I'm not obliged to, but out of common courtesy I do.
It's all about respect.
 

hi all!

i have been taking landscape photography for quite some time now and will like to explore taking street shots, especially the facial expressions of people. ( some examples are portraits shots taken in India shown in some of the threads in the forum ). However, i personally find it abit intrusive and also most people were pretty unwilling when i asked to take a picture of them during my 6months stay in china.

Need some tips and advice from the more experienced members here! thanks in advance!

There are many different types of street photography.
Candids or with Permission
Isolated Portraits or Environmental Portraits
Serious/Funny/Beautiful ppl/Unique ppl/etc

Here are two e-books which may help you out.
85mm Street Photography


There are many types of techniques for street and candids, imho, here are some :
1. The Happy Camper : waits at a spot (perhaps an interesting bkgnd) waiting for the right subject to pass
2. The Prowler : strolls along, looking ahead to see any interesting subjects/occurrences (note : looks ahead before the frame of photo, else its too late to react)
3. Sniper : Long lens dude (some say he's a coward, but the isolating effects of long lens produces nice results too.. )
4. The Assault Warrior : In your face approach (google Bruce Gilden to see an example ) :D
5. Sneaky guy : Camera hidden/ Chest level shots/ Fake lens that shoots side ways/ etc
6. 'Confidence' Man : tries to persuade subjects to give him a pict
7. Hit and Run speciallist : Shoot from car or motorcycle (or shoot at ppl in Bus/Car/Motorcycle )
8. The Great Pretender : Pretends to shoot something else, while in fact the wide FOV of the lens has the subject in place on the sides.
9. The Quick Draw : "f8 and be there dude"; lens prefocused for hyper-focusing distance; just take up camera> shoot > down camera (subject does not even know it happened)



Choose your character and/or mix and match.
Enjoy your journey ;)
 

Last edited:
I convinced a Japanese air stewardess to let me take a shot of her last week at Chinatown :bsmilie:
 

I convinced a Japanese air stewardess to let me take a shot of her last week at Chinatown :bsmilie:

if you are a Japanese girl speaking Japanese, i suppose they won't refuse. If it's me speaking English, they might agree too.. :bsmilie:
 

if you are a Japanese girl speaking Japanese, i suppose they won't refuse. If it's me speaking English, they might agree too.. :bsmilie:

my Japanese is pretty rusty. after all... i'm a half-blood. well, they mistook me for a tourist too.
 

kei1309 said:
my Japanese is pretty rusty. after all... i'm a half-blood. well, they mistook me for a tourist too.

haha.. i see.. did u offer to send them pix, or did they ask?
 

There are many types of techniques for street and candids, imho, here are some :
1. The Happy Camper : waits at a spot (perhaps an interesting bkgnd) waiting for the right subject to pass
2. The Prowler : strolls along, looking ahead to see any interesting subjects/occurrences (note : looks ahead before the frame of photo, else its too late to react)
3. Sniper : Long lens dude (some say he's a coward, but the isolating effects of long lens produces nice results too.. )
4. The Assault Warrior : In your face approach (google Bruce Gilden to see an example ) :D
5. Sneaky guy : Camera hidden/ Chest level shots/ Fake lens that shoots side ways/ etc
6. 'Confidence' Man : tries to persuade subjects to give him a pict
7. Hit and Run speciallist : Shoot from car or motorcycle (or shoot at ppl in Bus/Car/Motorcycle )
8. The Great Pretender : Pretends to shoot something else, while in fact the wide FOV of the lens has the subject in place on the sides.
9. The Quick Draw : "f8 and be there dude"; lens prefocused for hyper-focusing distance; just take up camera> shoot > down camera (subject does not even know it happened)

Hm... Looks like I'm a camper + pretender. Interesting list of personalities.