What's your strategy for photographing strangers ?

[ed9119]

TS, if you treat your subjects like 'targets' ........ you might end up being treated like a target yourself

i used to employ quite a few of the tactics above and even had a 'WTF is your problem? Call Police la!!' reply all ready when confronted by subjects. I even went to the extent of understanding what my legal rights are when shooting in public.

Nowadays..... an understanding has sunk into my thick skull....

To shoot on the streets well....... first rule is.......... put away the camera....

I find that showing some respect, understanding and interest in the subject and the situation helps tremendously. Ice-breaking is important to me as well as getting the chance to find out a little more about the situation I wish to photograph.

Therefore, for me, to shoot well, I almost always nowadays put away the camera first

You really do not need to do this ALL THE TIME..... if its a general scene with activity all around ...... I usually let loose with a UWA

But for situations where the subject matter is one or a few persons, it pays well to first... be a curious human.

Nothing great below ..... but it could have been worse if I'd just walked up and piak piak piak and walked off without a word. Shot yesterday.

Urguh (?sp) from south india near Chennai having his lunch with friend Argum (?sp) back alley behind the Indian restauraunt where he works. Been in Sg for about 3 years now and loves it here.

Bunch of buddies sinking a bottle of scotch .... this required all of a smile and a nod of the head before I shot them

Self confessed resident wino and currently still out of work Nathan having his afternoon beer. Nathan is a Singaporean.

 

[night86mare]

I think its rude to be photographed. I dont do it to others and i dont want others to do it to me.

not really, a lot of people want to be photographed sometimes. i also don't know why.

when they ask me to do so, i usually refuse nicely though. :bsmilie:

 

[night86mare]

yup...no one can ask u to delete their pics in ur camera..even if they call the police.

unless its some unappropriate shots.

theoretically, they can, if you are on private property.

if you are on a public walkway shooting private property, that's a grey area, i think.

anyways, got so many situations, i think it's equally retarded for photographers to go around yelling "I HAVE MY RIGHTS" and shooting policemen who are misguided but still, trying to do their job point blank just because they do have rights to do so.

there is no need to counter ignorance with such antics. a calm, measured explanation and asking them to clarify the situation always works. if it fails, then you can always forward it up to their superiors to address their misguided mentality, and you can warn them beforehand that this will be done. it's only fair.

 

[ed9119]

I think its rude to be photographed. I dont do it to others and i dont want others to do it to me.

duhhh..... so you shoot landscapes, nature and/or macro with rangefinders ?

 

[gommy]

TS, if you treat your subjects like 'targets' ........ you might end up being treated like a target yourself

i used to employ quite a few of the tactics above and even had a 'WTF is your problem? Call Police la!!' reply all ready when confronted by subjects. I even went to the extent of understanding what my legal rights are when shooting in public.

Nowadays..... an understanding has sunk into my thick skull....

To shoot on the streets well....... first rule is.......... put away the camera....

I find that showing some respect, understanding and interest in the subject and the situation helps tremendously. Ice-breaking is important to me as well as getting the chance to find out a little more about the situation I wish to photograph.

Therefore, for me, to shoot well, I almost always nowadays put away the camera first

You really do not need to do this ALL THE TIME..... if its a general scene with activity all around ...... I usually let loose with a UWA

But for situations where the subject matter is one or a few persons, it pays well to first... be a curious human.

Nothing great below ..... but it could have been worse if I'd just walked up and piak piak piak and walked off without a word. shot yesterday.

Urguh (?sp) from south india near Chennai having his lunch with friend Argum (?sp) back alley behind the Indian restauraunt where he works. Been in Sg for about 3 years now and loves it here.

Bunch of buddies sinking a bottle of scotch .... this required all of a smile and a nod of the head before I shot them

Self confessed resident wino and currently still out of work Nathan having his afternoon beer. Nathan is a Singaporean.

Well said & GREAT shots! especially the first one.:thumbsup:

 

[wildcat]

TS, if you treat your subjects like 'targets' ........ you might end up being treated like a target yourself

i used to employ quite a few of the tactics above and even had a 'WTF is your problem? Call Police la!!' reply all ready when confronted by subjects. I even went to the extent of understanding what my legal rights are when shooting in public.

Nowadays..... an understanding has sunk into my thick skull....

To shoot on the streets well....... first rule is.......... put away the camera....

I find that showing some respect, understanding and interest in the subject and the situation helps tremendously. Ice-breaking is important to me as well as getting the chance to find out a little more about the situation I wish to photograph.

Therefore, for me, to shoot well, I almost always nowadays put away the camera first

You really do not need to do this ALL THE TIME..... if its a general scene with activity all around ...... I usually let loose with a UWA

But for situations where the subject matter is one or a few persons, it pays well to first... be a curious human.

Nothing great below ..... but it could have been worse if I'd just walked up and piak piak piak and walked off without a word. shot yesterday.

Heh, interesting. I tried the same just this week and I find that a lot of people don't really mind being photographed (of course if they look menacing enough, I won't employ this tactic).

1. little kid in pram on the MRT with mom and sister. I smiled and started making funny faces at kid. Mom saw me and started encouraging kid to wave back, say hello to me... SNAP.

2. another older age women started playing with the kid also. the seat next to her vacated. I sat down next to her and she was also talking to the mom. Struck a conversation with her.. turns out she's the kid's grandma. Then she continued to play with her grandson while I... SNAP, SNAP, SNAP.

Apparently ten mins later it turned out they missed their stop and I saw them again and mom recognized me and told kid to wave bye bye to uncle :heart:

3. I was walking along streets when I saw two dogs being walked by owners (separately). SNAP.. then I smiled at the owners, asked can I take picture. They happily obliged. The dogs were not so willing. So one of the owners even took the dog up and placed it next to the other to "pose" them for me... SNAP! SNAP!

(unfortunately, dogs were really not posers and I didn't get good shots).

 

[gommy]

theoretically, they can, if you are on private property.

if you are on a public walkway shooting private property, that's a grey area, i think.

anyways, got so many situations, i think it's equally retarded for photographers to go around yelling "I HAVE MY RIGHTS" and shooting policemen who are misguided but still, trying to do their job point blank just because they do have rights to do so.

there is no need to counter ignorance with such antics. a calm, measured explanation and asking them to clarify the situation always works. if it fails, then you can always forward it up to their superiors to address their misguided mentality, and you can warn them beforehand that this will be done. it's only fair.

Woww...OT but Respect to you, night86mare,...>21k posts!!

 

[ed9119]

Woww...OT but Respect to you, night86mare,...>21k posts!!

gommy... dont kowtow to night86mare ..... he's got no life :bsmilie: :bsmilie:

but truth be told ..... night86mare is one of the key keepers of the flame in sorting out truth and BS here ..... for THAT I knowtow to him

 

[gommy]

gommy... dont kowtow to night86mare ..... he's got no life :bsmilie: :bsmilie:

but truth be told ..... night86mare is one of the key keepers of the flame in sorting out truth and BS here ..... for THAT I knowtow to him

Wow...more Respect...Keeper of Truth in CS!:angel:

 

[night86mare]

Woww...OT but Respect to you, night86mare,...>21k posts!!

gommy... dont kowtow to night86mare ..... he's got no life :bsmilie: :bsmilie:

but truth be told ..... night86mare is one of the key keepers of the flame in sorting out truth and BS here ..... for THAT I knowtow to him

Wow...more Respect...Keeper of Truth in CS!:angel:

:sweat:

 

[Srono]

sometimes i feel scared only after seeing my photos :bsmilie:

feel like he was going to take out a knife (but... of course not)

this "wtf" look

 

[Royale With Cheese]

sometimes i feel scared only after seeing my photos :bsmilie:

feel like he was going to take out a knife (but... of course not)

Awesome!

Adds on the danger with the "AWAS" word!

 

[third3rdwheel]

:sweat:

21,000 posts? You don't sleep ah? :bsmilie:

 

[night86mare]

21,000 posts? You don't sleep ah? :bsmilie:

going to be 22K soon, thx!

 

[third3rdwheel]

going to be 22K soon, thx!

Congratulations on crossing that mark. :thumbsup:

 

[raytoei]

heh...i usually start with a smile, and then tell them about the lovely lighting and that it will be very flattering to their image. Of course it helps if you buy something from them too..

 

[engrmariano]

im no RF user (only a fan), just want to share how i take strangers...

if they are walking, i pre-determine their path & i pre-focus. after i click, ill let them pass a few meters before i review the shot.

if they are static, shoot as normal then look at something behind them as if you took that some thing behind them.

 

[Nasty204]

im no RF user (only a fan), just want to share how i take strangers...

if they are walking, i pre-determine their path & i pre-focus. after i click, ill let them pass a few meters before i review the shot.

if they are static, shoot as normal then look at something behind them as if you took that some thing behind them.

Looks like a Danny Santos style

 

[engrmariano]

Looks like a Danny Santos style

the results may be, but the how to is different.:sweat:

 

[zoossh]

depends on
- who u r
- how u look
- who is your subjects
- where is the location
- what is your personality like
- what working distance do u shoot from
- what composition and focal length
- what camera gear u use
- what vantage u use (dep on type of cam), eye-level, waist-level look down, hip-level
- whether u use flash, AF-assisting illumination, and a loud mirror slapping.
- and for interaction, eye contact, gesture, smile, permission, conversation, language u use etc.

candid street may not be able to allow a pre-capture interaction but a post capture eye contact, smile etc can still be done. otherwise, the safest is to ask politely and be ready to be rejected without feeling too bad.

Hi all

This question must have been asked before. Looks like it can be tricky shooting pics of people in public in Singapore as I have heard of photographers being confronted by their "targets" to delete pics in their camera (assuming it is digital) after shots have been made.

Do you:

a) Ask before you shoot?

b) Fire and then run off?:bigeyes:

c) Choose your subject carefully i.e. potentially menacing types better avoid:bsmilie:

d) Avoid shooting strangers in general

I am asking because I have encountered some unfriendly faces (as well as some friendly faces of course) during shooting sessions, and hope to benefit from the experience of seasoned RF users.