[clackers]

DFA 150-450. You will be so far away, you don't need stealth.

The danger is your photos will all have a 'police surveillance' feel to them.

Alex's photo is classic street photography … the tension and etiquette of city dwellers being in the same enclosed space really comes through - look at the confrontation with the guy in the middle - and good street photography has a social commentary of some kind.

From an art point of view, if you're on the same pavement as the subject, you can manoeuvre with just a couple of steps to get a clean background left or right- perhaps low pointing up to avoid distracting elements, or even held up overhead pointing down to do the same thing.

From forty metres away in your sniper position, moving a few steps sideways is not going to alter the angle, you're stuck with that background, and because of the ratios of subject to background to camera distances, it's hard to get bokeh as well. Clear signage or other people can spoil your shot.

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Last edited by clackers; 09-07-2018 at 02:13 PM.

[Wild Mark]

Having an interesting 'manual' lens on your camera that is not big is a talking point that can help break the ice. An Auto-Takumar 85mm 1.8 on FF or Auto-Takumar 55mm zebra on APS-C .......

The more conventional - A 100mm f2.8 (non-macro) - discrete and simply stunning.

[victormeldrew]

For best results, forget the paparazzi lenses and work on your people skills instead. Shoot wide angle at close range, give a smile, say thank you and move on...9/10 times you will get a smile back, 1/10 times you might need to tell them why you wanted the photo for them to be happy, 1/100 times you might need to delete the photo, 1/1000 times you might need to run. But your images will be 100 times better.

[stevebrot]

For best results, forget the paparazzi lenses and work on your people skills instead. Shoot wide angle at close range, give a smile, say thank you and move on...9/10 times you will get a smile back, 1/10 times you might need to tell them why you wanted the photo for them to be happy, 1/100 times you might need to delete the photo, 1/1000 times you might need to run. But your images will be 100 times better.

Well said!

My friend Javier (linked in my comment above) almost always engages his subjects, even when shooting from the hip or lap. His vulnerability in doing so charms all but the roughest subjects. BTW, some discretion is advised, particularly when the subject might be someone who is down and out; don't steal an image without compensation and maybe a bit of conversation.


Steve

(...only rarely does street stuff anymore...not so good at running at present...)

[UncleVanya]

Well said!

My friend Javier (linked in my comment above) almost always engages his subjects, even when shooting from the hip or lap. His vulnerability in doing so charms all but the roughest subjects. BTW, some discretion is advised, particularly when the subject might be someone who is down and out; don't steal an image without compensation and maybe a bit of conversation.


Steve

(...only rarely does street stuff anymore...not so good at running at present...)

I've done stealthy street with short lenses like the DA 40 - works well on live view set in front of me. But mostly I just engage the subject or engage them right after the shot.

I don't think there is anything wrong with telephoto street shots if they are done right. The voyeristic perspective can be very interesting. But if you go that way - be sure to actually be doing artistic photography and not be a peeping Tom or shoot inappropriate shots. You may have someone stop you and ask and you should be comfortable showing your shots and explaining your artistic ideals. Having a small portfolio of shots in a book or sleeves to show the intent may also help.

In the past when I have done this it was mostly head shots or even 3/4 of a head shots from a 400mm on APSC. Getting people in profile and unaware candid shots of faces is sometimes a really cool perspective. This is the other side of street photography that few associate with "street" since it removes a lot of the environment. It's really a candid portrait.

I can't find one right now that was that type but here's an example of an m43 with a 40-150 zoom at a Renaissance Festival. I was a good distance from these folks and got quite the stink eye but nothing more. Even a long lens (300mm ff equiv) can't hide your position if you are willing to take the shots.


Same lens, more willing subject, closer:

[dsmithhfx]

1 - 24mm (FF), keep the camera hanging at waistlevel (so no viewfinder), fast film, 1/250, prefocus to ~4 ft and snap unobtrusively while walking towards the subject (wait until you're fairly close. obviously). It helps if ambient noise masks the shutter & mirror slap. You will get a low percentage of 'keepers', but can obtain fairly interesting results if you are paying attention.


2- Shoot in crowds distracted by some spectacle (parade/busker/whatnot) or even just crossing the street.

3. What they ^^^ said.

[stevebrot]

I was a good distance from these folks and got quite the stink eye but nothing more.

Aside from once having to hastily get on a light rail train, the only really negative reaction I have gotten was from a vendor at the Pike Place Public Market in Seattle. Most of the vendors will pose with their wares. This guy reacted like maybe he was somewhere his ex-wife or PO might not approve of.




Steve

[UncleVanya]

I like using my LX-7 for street work too - very small and you can attach a EVF with right angle capability. These were all posed shots however:

[DeadJohn]

showing their standard attitude and expressions when arguing or talking to someone over a phone etc, obviously without knowing that I am shooting them

Others have suggested people skills. I feel that's mostly irrelevant because you prefer to*not* engage with subjects beforehand, for candid shots.

If a subject notices me, I usually don't even bother to press the shutter. People react when they notice a camera - some will pose, others get scared, embarrassed, annoyed - any of these reactions ruins the moment I was about to photograph.

It's not a matter of right and wrong. Some photographers get good quickly-posed "street portraits" of strangers, and that approach definitely benefits from people skills, but it's a different type of photo.

[dsmithhfx]

Aside from once having to hastily get on a light rail train, the only really negative reaction I have gotten was from a vendor at the Pike Place Public Market in Seattle. Most of the vendors will pose with their wares. This guy reacted like maybe he was somewhere his ex-wife or PO might not approve of.




Steve

[parole violator]

[Wasp]

I dabble in a bit of street photography myself. I wouldn't dream of venturing out with a great big telephoto lens, it would just attract too much attention. I also wouldn't use an SLR, too big and noisy. I have tried it and got good results with an M 20mm on a K-x, but that just made me want to go mirrorless.

To that end, I got a used Samsung NX100 with the folding 20-50mm kit lens. It is small enough to fit inside a coat pocket. To most people, it looks like I am a tourist with an old point-and-shoot, but it packs an APS-C sensor. Compared to newer cameras, it isn't great in low light but it gets the job done. Later generations of the NX family are definitely an improvement.

After the NX100, I also got an NX1 with a 16-50mm f/2-2.8 lens. This thing is big and heavy, but it excels in low light. The Pentax equivalent would be a K-3 with 16-50mm f/2.8, I guess.

[DeadJohn]

Every sample photo in this thread so far looks like the subject was aware of and reacting to the camera. That's not what the OP wants.

[victormeldrew]

Others have suggested people skills. I feel that's mostly irrelevant because you prefer to*not* engage with subjects beforehand, for candid shots.

I was suggesting people skills for after the shot, not before. Point the camera, take the shot and then engage your charm. Wanting to stand back and 'hide' suggests a reluctance to deal with people, which can be fixed in other ways than skulking in the bushes and whatnot.

[stevebrot]

Every sample photo in this thread so far looks like the subject was aware of and reacting to the camera. That's not what the OP wants.

18mm at waist level on APS-C. The stealth is in the technique and the kit was classic to the task. BTW, I betcha the guy in sunglasses at top was on to you.

I was suggesting people skills for after the shot, not before. Point the camera, take the shot and then engage your charm.

Yep...

Steve

[ramseybuckeye]

For inspiration, may I suggest you examine...

Thomas Leuthard | Flickr

...and his mentor...

Siegfried Hansen -Hamburg- photo- workshops | Flickr

Or this forum's own Javier Gutierrez (he hasn't posted here in a while)
Street Vision L.A. | Flickr
Juxtapoz Magazine - Los Angeles through the lens of Javier Gutierrez