I Reversed My Street Tactics And A Good Start.

ruben said:
Each of us, from his own approcha to photography, can lear a lot from this image. You can get different conclusions than mine, and it is ok. But I find hard to believe that through long observation you will not learn anything new.

We have a masterpiece of street photography. Don't let it pass by unattended.

Cheers
Ruben
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Ruben,

How about keeping your opinions as opinions instead of presenting them as "the truth"?
 
I do a lot of "shoot and scoot" photos w/ a 21 or 25 w/o focusing. As I'm moving past my subject(s) (scooting) I often hear "why me" in Korean. Pretty funny because the native population almost never takes photos of each other. I think it's considered rude or some sort of a socio-economic put-down (rich guy/gal w/ a camera kind of thing).

Most of the photographers here shoot landscapes and they're good, but not my cup of tea. Others here shoot ONLY their family and consider it wasting film or even crazy to shoot anyone not in your family.

My style is to carry my camera discretely at my side on my Leicagoodies sling/ slide and then throw it up and shoot.
 
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Sounds familiar to me ... When a Japanese photographer asks me, which kind of photos I usually take and I reply "some kind of street photography, photos of people in the public, daily life" the usual reply is " you are taking photos of strangers !?" None of my (Japanese) friends would ever do it. They take lots of photos of each other, in situations where I wouldn't take a photo, but a photo of a stranger in the street ...
 
I'm very aware if I'm at a construction site, for example, many of the workers there will be here illegally and do not want to be photographed.

Often in various situations people have seen my camera around my neck and have run to hide away.

I'm not here to cause any grief so I clearly walk right away.
 
Ahh ... the dichotomy of the twenty first century right to 'privacy'. We are in imminent danger of not being able to photograph people, or buildings for that matter, candidly in the streets any more as 'big brother' tightens the noose ... yet we have reality TV shows that put people into controlled situations and environments expecting them to behave abnormally and chronical their every movement with hidden cameras to the waiting salivating public! :rolleyes:
 
maddoc said:
ClaremontPhoto: I like your avatar :)
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Thank you.

And just when I was thinking this morning of updating.

Winter clothing now, and different photos on the wall (not that they are at all clear in the avatar), and maybe with a different camera.

It's made with the camera included in the iMac.
 
This discussion is very valuable, as it focuses on how we work... rather than with what gear. As Jon mentioned, I've also encountered resistance on construction sites, with potential illegal workers. And yet, 14 year old Arab workers in the souk [who should be in school], like to be photographed.

As I've come to know my colleagues in RFF, there are few, if any, who aggressively photograph against a subject's wishes.

Ruben's "revelation" is not the Torah from Sinai... as we say in local slang ;-) For me, the value in it is: Being seen or observed by your subject, can make for a memorable decisive moment. Here's a well known anecdote... Karsh, the Canadian portrait photographer asked Churchill to remove his cigar stub, and Churchill refused. Whereupon, Karsh removed it from the subject's mouth and got that famous, glowering gaze in the Churchill capture.
 
pau3 said:
Ruben,
Could you show the results? I am curious, because my first interpretation
after reading your post is that you were looking for eye contact (something
that can give life to many photographies), but I am not really sure that you
meant it.

Best regards,
Pau
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I am at mid roll now.

Fortunately we have got from heaven a master piece of the same, that although with many surrounding gifts, you will get it if you isolete the head:

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=74639&cpage=2

Cheers,
Ruben
 
Doug said:
It does take some courage, polite assertiveness, to approach strangers with the camera, but the subject agreement and the interaction between shooter and subject I think makes for a more powerful photo. The viewer then may share in that interaction.

Best wishes for further success with subject-aware street photos, Ruben!
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About the fear element
Take into account your own psycological status, when you are hiding. Project it to a scene of war.
Now within our war projection, imagine a small group attacking by surprise a larger army. Project it to yourself

Once you go for it, you will be in a totally different state of mind. YOU will be taking the initiative in the psycological internal war. YOU will be waiting for the suject to react. YOU will be mastering the initiative of the process.

For what is it good ?
When I saw Beniliam pics of this type, and I repeat this is just a portion of his pictures as he uses to picture unawared people as well, it is like you suddenly are passing a TV crew microphone to the subject: "what do you have to say to life ?" . It is a mini process of the like.

There are a lot of people around there, with lots of things to say without words.

Is this a forever tactic ?
No doubt that as a beginner I may be exaggerating the amount of these type of shots in the next future, until by some natural development it will get its proper proportions.
Not every situation and subject is suitable. I believe that with time one will be able to immediately smell the suitable situation and subject.
And I think that with an extra dexterousity, with a lot of exercise, I will be able to make two photos of the same subject, the first one while it is unaware.

Cheers,
Ruben
 
I think Beniliam photographed people who wanted to be seen. And so welcomed his presence. I mean if you dress eccentrically and sit in the city center you're a sitting duck for street photographers. I loved Beniliam's photos and am sorry that he can no longer show them. I had hoped we could have a Madrid meet and learn his techniques first hand.

In the same way that Beniliam photographs people in public typically on a bench or in the Metro, BACK ALLEY largely photographs in a local tourist trap, memphis often photographs musicians in bars.

Myself, I stick to my locale and everybody knows me. Occasionally somebody asks 'Are you from the newspapers?' To which I reply 'I'm a photographer'. Which is not really any sort of answer at all. Often somebody who knows me explains to my subject 'He's English.' Which is even sillier but seems to satisfy them.
 
Keith said:
Just an aside and not totally relevant to what is being discussed here ... but sometimes when we take a photograph of someone we don't know, there are cultural issues to be taken into consideration ... not to mention personal beliefs.

The 'true' Australians, the Aboriginals of this country ... have a belief (more the older generation) that a photograph taken of them ... is actually taking something from them and they are not comfortable with it at all.
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This is a factual truth, and an Universal one.

Along this thread I forgot to mention a special element: The photographer as viewed by the subject. We aficionados, have no reason to go mad about loosing a good image.

We aficiandos enjoy the benefit of walking relaxed, Raise our camera to eyelevel in the most relaxed possible way, and adopt a kind relaxed approach to our subject.

Once and if the sujbect signals us not to photograph, weather we have or not clicked, we can always lower our camera, offer our best smile and symphaty, and signal with a slight movement of our hand and head: "OK, no problem, have a good day".

We can also raise our camera with the sujbect already aware, again in a slow and relaxed way.

Cheers,
Ruben
 
ClaremontPhoto said:
I think Beniliam photographed people who wanted to be seen. And so welcomed his presence.
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This is one of my most intriguing speculations. Mine is that the subjects reacted to Beniliam the way they did, due to Beniliam being of kind facial expression himself, and young.

But let's not forget the experience element. He pictures a lot.

Cheers,
Ruben
 
NB23 said:
Ruben,

How about keeping your opinions as opinions instead of presenting them as "the truth"?
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Hi NB23,

You are right, and I am wrong.

It is buit in in the very human process of understanding and learning. When we start to know something new, we have no choice but making generalizations and eternal truths.

Afterwards, we learn the borders of our new knowledge and become more reserved about it.

Cheers,
Ruben
 
Bill58 said:
I do a lot of "shoot and scoot" photos w/ a 21 or 25 w/o focusing. As I'm moving past my subject(s) (scooting) I often hear "why me" in Korean. Pretty funny because the native population almost never takes photos of each other. I think it's considered rude or some sort of a socio-economic put-down (rich guy/gal w/ a camera kind of thing).

Most of the photographers here shoot landscapes and they're good but not my cup of tea.
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When I was there we were always told the people thought we were making fun of them or just making them feel we thought they were different in a not complimentry way. I wonder how we would feel if we constantly found ourselves singled out by a particular group of tourists.

I don't know that that would make me want to stop doing what I always considered a sort of documentary photography when in Korea. In fact, much of the Korea that I knew in the mid-70s is either gone or harder to find.

I don't know that that applies to the idea of street photography. They may not be the same, or at least all aspects of it.

Ruben, thanks for the insight. Very interesting. I never considered myself a street photographer. If I ever decide to take it up, I will be interested in using the approach you mention.
 
sitemistic said:
I suspect that governments everywhere will eventually attempt to restrict photography by citizens. Governments like to keep an eye on the people; but, don't want the people to keep an eye on them.

Modern times.
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Which leads to the sort of possibly well intentioned, but obviously misguided confrontation reported by the BBC yesterday...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/7143496.stm
 
To be honest, and not wanting to sidetrack this thread, even before I took up photography again i would have told the park warden to *&*!! himself and carried on photographing my child. On certain points of principle like this I am quite prepared to be arrested and have my day in court, because I shall be the one contacting every right minded media person i can come across to cover the story. (rant over)

Cheers, Lol
 
sitemistic said:
A broad expectation of privacy while in public places is something I've seen develop over the last 10 years or so. I've concluded it's a conceit people have adopted to deal with the "always connectedness" that has turned us from individuals into social extensions of everyone on our cell phone and Blackberry address lists. Somehow pretending that hundreds of surveillance cameras and high resolution cameras in space (google earth, for example) are not watching our every move seems to give comfort to many.

The result of all of this is to hear the person in the restaurant booth next to yours discussing extremely personal or private information in a normal level of voice with someone on the other end of their cell phone conversation. I actually had one lady in just this situation bark at me to mind my own business when I looked over at her. As if I had entered some private space of hers uninvited.

My approach as a PJ is to assume people doing things in public places are doing public things. If I, personally, consider my words or actions private, I'll not say or do these things in a public place, so I care less if someone photographs me or listens to my conversations.
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Although it may sound absurd. One of the main reasons of aggresisve behaviour is loneliness and the bitter perception that every time someone on the street is adressing you it is with the intention to take something from you: be it some change, or yoour signature or your picture.
As often stated some friendly words are always OK. Too often a short explanation will be the only friendly word a person will get for days.
 
NB23 said:
Ruben,

How about keeping your opinions as opinions instead of presenting them as "the truth"?
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and how about you to stop talking like that on rff. you always have that agressive tone. ...
 
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and how about you to stop talking like that on rff.


You made a point ... but should have pulled up before the red zone ... you're adding fuel to the fire!

Just my opinion! :)
 
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