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03-05-2018, 10:59 AM   #1
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1st try at Street Photography. Bad anxiety shooting people ?

Yesterday myself and Helen Jo (new member) went to an Auction and took our cameras !
She asked if I had ever done any Street Photography....Nope , I hadn't.
She had ZERO problems at all , was at ease , friendly , and so outgoing...Click....Click...Click !
It was a joy just watching her so at ease , working the entire Auction , and not inhibited one Iota getting whatever shot she wanted .... of whomever , and whatever.

Myself on the other hand really struggled...BAD.
I felt so sneaky , and underhanded getting people shots.....And God forbid if they noticed !
Helen said I even looked STRESSED......lol.

I will attempt this again , but want to know ?
Is this anxiety and stress shooting strangers something that will pass ?
I'm a very friendly outgoing person in general , but I felt like I was stealing something from them without their permission , and if they noticed me....OMG !

Anyone else experience this ?
How do you overcome it ?

03-05-2018, 11:14 AM - 1 Like   #2
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QuoteOriginally posted by Ronald Oakes Quote
Anyone else experience this ?
Yes, all the time.

QuoteOriginally posted by Ronald Oakes Quote
How do you overcome it ?
Photograph things other than people......

I know how self conscious people can be when having their photograph taken and I personally assume most people
don't want their picture taken. The rational part of me knows this to be partly true and partly not; I am the self conscious
one and while I know there are other's like me, many people don't mind at all having a stranger take their picture in a
public place.

I do enjoy street photography, but prefer to do it in open spaces where I can either mask what I'm shooting at or where
people would ordinarily expect to have their picture taken. As soon as I'm in a situation where the subject is consciously
aware of my presence, I find I'm uncomfortable and I sense their tension as well. And thus I gravitate towards subjects
and situations where I don't have that tension.

It's a personal thing. You may be able to train yourself to overcome or ignore the feeling; I really don't know. I personally
have never been able to ignore it.

Some photographers are able to naturally project a sense of confidence and non-threat and those individuals are typically
very good at photographing strangers. Not me, but I admire those who can.

Last edited by tvdtvdtvd; 03-05-2018 at 11:20 AM.
03-05-2018, 11:58 AM - 5 Likes   #3
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Street photography is a funny thing. You can literally take a picture of a street.




You can also take pictures of people striking a pose in public.




I think the secret here to be quick and nimble. When you see something you should react spontaneously and photograph instinctively. Raise the camera, aim, and shoot. Don't overthink the composition or technical bits. A small camera is easier to use and attracts less attention. Even better is to use Live View vs. the OVF. Using the OVF makes people nervous.

Hold the camera to your chest and photograph as you walk. If your screen can flip up then raise it so you can peek down every now and then. The first few shots could be off but you'll quickly figure out how to tilt and aim the camera just right. And, even if the composition is off then be creative in post processing and recompose there. You mean to get a full figure shot but lost the legs? No problem ... see if you can make a torso shot out of it.

Also, shoot a little wide and crop to taste later. It's ok to crop down from 12MP or 24MP to 6MP. A good shot is a good shot regardless of pixel count.

And if people aren't your thing then photograph everything else ... like stray cats.




Street photography, and any photography, is what you make of it. The definition is wide open.
03-05-2018, 12:08 PM - 2 Likes   #4
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Years ago Amateur Photographer had a little article on Street Photography and they used the Pentax 15mm. The trick was to shoot in manual, focused just short of infinity and at f/11. You could then aim at something slightly off want you wanted to shoot so as not to let people know and then crop out what you wanted. With practice you could even shoot from the hip. I attached a shot I did using this method.

I love street photography, but have never been comfortable doing it.

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03-05-2018, 12:12 PM - 3 Likes   #5
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QuoteOriginally posted by Ronald Oakes Quote
snip....

Anyone else experience this ?
How do you overcome it ?
If you find yourself having problems taking street photos, I suggest that you go to 'friendly' places like Tokyo, Japan. Here are a few shots taken when I just bought the DA 20-40 lens and took it out for a spin. Just relax and focus on your techniques and enjoy!!

This one I was trying to take a shot of the narrow street, but I waited for the group of school teens to come into the picture to make it more interesting composition wise.


Another one, while I was framing a shot, a 'no-smoking' enforcer senior just walked passed me into my view, and I took a shot of that.


Here is a couple more...


There is no secret to it... just be yourself and do it. you may also want to act like you know what you are doing. If someone ask you why you take the pictures, just smile and tell them you are testing your new lens.
03-05-2018, 12:12 PM - 1 Like   #6
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This is kind of why I've wondered about getting a black DA 21 and a cosmetically ugly K-01 to repaint a bit so that it would blend in more. It's also hard to take a K-01 seriously based on appearances...

I have the same sort of unease when taking pictures of people. Something that helped with this was taking the camera to a bar where there was often a band playing. Bands don't really seem to care as much and maybe feel a bit more "of interest" when people take pictures of them.

Watching this thread to see what others suggest.
03-05-2018, 12:34 PM - 1 Like   #7
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I'm glad to see I am not the only person to feel this kind of anxiety.

03-05-2018, 12:38 PM - 2 Likes   #8
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Helen Jo was more into everything at the Auction. If something interesting or funny was going on , she was right there getting the shots !
I swear a couple of people were actually aware she was shooting them and didn't care one bit.

Of course there may be a huge difference of a petite cute little Senior lady with a smile and Camera "clicking" away....... than a pudgy , middle aged , hairy man that's nervously snapping photos ....lol.

I'm more of a people person , so that's my interest. If there isn't a main "someone" interesting looking in the scene somewhere, I'm not much interested .

We will be back at it next Sunday.

---------- Post added 03-05-18 at 01:39 PM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by grog85361 Quote
I'm glad to see I am not the only person to feel this kind of anxiety.
Mee too !
03-05-2018, 12:41 PM - 1 Like   #9
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QuoteOriginally posted by Ronald Oakes Quote
... Is this anxiety and stress shooting strangers something that will pass? ... Anyone else experience this? ... How do you overcome it? ...
I assume photography is a hobby for you, so if you feel too stressed taking photos of strangers, don't do that. A bit of stress is to be expected learning something new and only you can determine whether it's good stress or bad stress.

There are many different types of "street photography". You can engage with people beforehand and ask to take their photos; that requires more interaction but you are only taking photos after asking permission. You can avoid engagement with a wider angle lens and shoot without careful aim and without talking; commonly referred to as "shooting from the hip". You can try a telephoto. You might find some of those styles less stressful than others.

Personally, I avoid stress during street photography by shooting from the hip. I take my photo and move on. Or, if there's a very good backdrop, I'll stay in one spot and try to time shots as interesting looking people enter the scene. I don't ask permission because then it becomes a posed portrait instead of candid. I avoid taking photos that are likely to be exploitative or embarrassing to the subject.

Don't be Bruce Gilden. His style tries to create stress in his subjects. He pushes a camera near someone's face and fires the flash.
03-05-2018, 12:44 PM - 1 Like   #10
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The further I am from home, the easier I find it

As @MikeStnly says, it helps a lot to have a wider lens (the 31mm on FF is fine) and frame the subject towards to edge - not pointing the camera straight at a person makes you feel much less aggressive about it.

The other trick is to find an interesting scene and sit there, waiting for people to come along.That way it feels like they are entering your space rather than you intruding on theirs.
03-05-2018, 12:52 PM   #11
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QuoteOriginally posted by DeadJohn Quote
There are many different types of "street photography". You can engage with people beforehand and ask to take their photos; that requires more interaction but you are only taking photos after asking permission. .... Don't be Bruce Gilden. His style tries to create stress in his subjects. He pushes a camera near someone's face and fires the flash.
I some what like the first part above. Will have to pursue this a bit further . It didn't help build my confidence either that the first and only person I asked said...... "NO" !

I would expect to "Tick" someone off real bad by sticking it right in their face , could never get the nerve to do that !.....NEVER !
Someone actually does that ?
I would punch someone right in the face in about 1/1000th of a second if they tried that on me !
03-05-2018, 01:01 PM - 3 Likes   #12
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Cartier-Bresson didn't seem to be bothered. I sometimes wonder with pictures like that, "What happened next?".


03-05-2018, 03:00 PM - 1 Like   #13
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QuoteOriginally posted by MikeStnly Quote
they used the Pentax 15mm. The trick was to shoot in manual, focused just short of infinity and at f/11.
This is a workable idea. I may try with A 24mm f2.8 lens. It is really tiny lens.
03-05-2018, 03:14 PM - 1 Like   #14
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Street photography requires a skill I haven't quite mastered yet too. For me I have to get rid of my hang up about what people think of me when I take their picture. For the most part I'd like to believe they don't care, however having never asked anyone I don't know the truth. I do find the more I do it the easier it gets. In the Daily Challenge thread we had a week where we had the challenge to shoot a stranger and as the week progressed it got a bit easier. Will I be rushing out to do more? Probably not without a reason, but when it comes up again in a challenge I won't be so sick feeling at the prospect.
03-05-2018, 04:51 PM - 1 Like   #15
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About 20 years ago I went to a photoshop with Anders Petersen, I did not really know what I was going in to. It was a 5 day course, after the first full day we got the evening's task: take a pictures of your best property. Take as many Tri-X as you want, but submit them before midnight (develop at night and review in the morning).
It's about getting to know yourself first and taking pictures of strangers after.

Perhaps problematic to take pictures of people in Muslim countries where they can believe you take their soul
Anders Petersen's best photograph: the denizens of Cafe Lehmitz | Art and design | The Guardian
Cafe lehmitz was in reeperbahn Hamburg Germany.
Pictures: anders petersen cafe lehmitz - Google Search
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