Traditional Street Photography

[klauskunkel]

siesta

[Goompa]

I would like to thank everyone for my viewing pleasure with the outstanding images here on this thread , unfortunately I do not have enough likes to deliver in one time.

As a silent participant and reviewing I am finally gaining an understanding to the term " Street Photography " . The capture of life !

Thank you fimgirl for creating this platform for all to stand upon, a fantastic journey for all who view , I applaud you .

Maybe this image will fit in here ?

[tangaroa67]

Very fitting, Goompa ... you (and your images) are welcome indeed

Nice start!

Edited September 15, 2014 by tangaroa67

[sunshine51]

@ Goomps....your image fits perfectly...Keep shooting! BTW....+5!

[Dancealot]

I share your enthousiasm, Goompa.

[rhythmworx]

^^^^ Took a while looking at that.

My eyes went from the faces to what they were looking at and then to the feet.

It was the feet that kept me, good kind of unison moment with the legs.

Triangulation with the viewing points.

I will PM you a simple short book I think you may appreciate.

[rhythmworx]

^^^^Forget my above comment for now, I'm on painkillers and not sure which book out of 189 of them it is.

It just Illustrates better what I was trying to say in my post.

[Dancealot]

^^^^ Took a while looking at that.

Funny man... Thanks for the offer, I'll appreciate it.. Just want to share I realise I don't see enough which is quite challenging in this learning process...

Edited September 16, 2014 by Dancealot

[rhythmworx]

^^^^ Took a while looking at that.

Funny man... Thanks for the offer, I'll appreciate it.. Just want to share I realise I don't see enough which is quite challenging in this learning process...

Please be aware my comment was a positive one.

I think you do see very well, maybe you don't realize it or cant explain it, but you don't need to, the photograph will speak for itself.

If only I could find that bloody ebook...will look properly tomorrow.

[klauskunkel]

[klauskunkel]

[Goompa]

Thank you all for your welcome guys , this is really a struggle . I am finding a fine line between emotive compilation and staged capture.

I admire all of you that have this disassociation already , this is not easy !

Cheers

[sunshine51]

When there is nothing left but a dream ...

Enhance the dream .

Goomps...this is your best shot to date as far as I'm concerned...+5!

Yeah...it is tough taking pix such as this, especially if she really was

down & out & those mats were "home". I spent 35 years doing this

type of photography in many of Asia's shitholes just so people back

in the first world could feel that no matter how bad they thought their

miserable lives were...others had it worse elsewhere.

Did you ever think to try and find this woman and give her a print of

the photo? Try it if you haven't...you may be surprised to find a new

friend.

Many photogs don't do this (seek out a subject & give em a pic) and

I admit that at one time I was the same. Then for some reason I changed

and time permitting I'd seek out a subject and pass a couple pix & if

the pic made made the press, I'd give them a copy of the article and

the magazine or newspaper that said article appeared in if I had it on

hand.Mind you, at least they received the pix.

Just a very simple gesture...and it made their day/life & I made some

new friends.

And Goomps...this type of photgraphy is not easy. Believe me it is not,

because one day all the horror & uglies & reality return to haunt you.

There is no escape...not even in a bottle nor in illegal substances.

Believe me OK...been there & still recovering today.

NB...edit to add the last passage.

g

Edited November 17, 2014 by MJP

[tangaroa67]

Sunshine,

Great post ... wholeheartedly agree that this type of photography isn't easy. I can only imagine.

I too will try to give people a print if I've captured their image and I know I can easily find them again. I just wanted to share a couple of experiences I've had whilst doing so. The woman in the first picture remembered me taking her picture and was genuinely shocked and delighted that I'd returned to give her a print. By contrast, the woman in the second picture looked at it briefly, tore it in half and handed me the pieces. It kinda knocked my confidence for a while. Just goes to show a beautiful smile can hide an ugly soul.

[phuketrichard]

I have placed many of my street shots here

but heres something by one of my favorite unknown artist

How to overcome fear in the street?

It is very obvious that you will be very uncomfortable at the beginning. But after some time you will be okay with it. But of course you have to overcome your fear. You have to overcome the feeling that everyone is noticing you and you might have to face several rejections. Stay focus, accept rejections, enjoy walking and be very confident!

Introducing with strangers:

You will meet three kinds of people in the street:

a) Persons who are very welcoming for taking images and definitely you will more explore this opportunity. While meeting them you can feel it easily so it will be very comfortable for you to take images with time and to do experiment.

There are some people who act as hesitant, they will not refuse or say no to you directly but you can feel a discomfort, then it is your responsibility to make them comfortable, talk about weather, hi/hello, basic of you, and you will discover after few minutes they will be easier.

C) Go away faces, they are very challenging, you have to respect your subject, if they do not approve to take their pictures you have to respect it without feeling bad, the most you can do to make them understand that there images are fully secured and you are an aspiring photographer, talk about your passion and dream. Even after that they say NO just accept it. We cannot force someone for anything!

https://gmbakash.wordpress.com/2014/09/22/an-invasive-mind-more-on-street-photography/

Edited September 22, 2014 by phuketrichard

[sunshine51]

^^^ PR...You can also be very quick and grab their photo without them even noticing. It takes practice.

One way is to never bring the camera to to your eye, just take the shot "in stride" ensuring that your

aperture & shutter speed are "kinda" properly set beforehand. Luck may be with you. Another

way is to use a small camera...yeah I know, not everybody can afford a Leica but a Leica is not

needed if you know how to use a "happy snap camera" to its utmost. It's the shot that is important

not what the photog used to get it with. Then there's the "Damn the torpedoes, Full speed ahead" attitude

where no matter what may happen, good or bad...usually bad...happens and the photog is the

centrepiece of anything the subject, in a microsecond, decides to do. I have had meat cleavers

thrown at me and ducked, got ottta the way...just in time...and even have had pistols drawn...

I'm still alive & have the pix. Worst case was in HK one very early morning when a street sweeper

attacked me with a rake....the bulging eyes & snarl on her face told her story. She actually believed

that I had captured her soul/spirit & she was pissed off. But I got the shot I wanted...plus more.

Many aspiring photogs cannot do "street photography" because of the possibility that they may

upset or anger the prospective subject in the photogs mind. . Just do it and be done.

Quickly. The camera should already be "preset". 98% of street subjects don't care, 1% may give

the evil eye, .5% may yell & scream and the last .5% will do whatever they please and not in a

friendly manner. It helps to be able to "read" a scene but the scene may change in less time than

the blink of an eye to something nasty. Just be polite in the onset...but be prepared to run like the

hell-hounds are chasing you in an instant.

Smiles help heaps too....both ways.

Don't advertise you wanna take the pic...just take the pic be done with it. You may only get one or

two shots off...be content with that and move on down the line.

I have never asked anybody on the streets if I could take their pic, most times the pic has already

been taken before they know it. If the pic works...great. If it doesn't...there's always tomorrow.

Such is life. Big brass gonads help also....and either ya have em or ya don't.

Street photography is really nothing more than photographically capturing people on the streets

going about their daily lives naturally...perhaps including that "decisive moment" as HCB

once mentioned. If you advertise your intent then your picture becomes a posed studio shot

and the "natural" bit goes out the window. And here's a rub...people do not have to be in the

frame either....but that makes it more difficult .

NB..edit to add the last paragraph.

Edited September 22, 2014 by sunshine51

[tangaroa67]

Another Mae Sai sleeper

[rhythmworx]

Many aspiring photogs cannot do "street photography" because of the possibility that they may

upset or anger the prospective subject in the photogs mind. . Just do it and be done.

Quickly.

@Phuket Richard

Have you seen the documentary Everybody Street yet?

There's a trailer on the link below.

http://everybodystreet.com/

[MJP]

I have placed many of my street shots here

but heres something by one of my favorite unknown artist

How to overcome fear in the street?

It is very obvious that you will be very uncomfortable at the beginning. But after some time you will be okay with it. But of course you have to overcome your fear. You have to overcome the feeling that everyone is noticing you and you might have to face several rejections. Stay focus, accept rejections, enjoy walking and be very confident!

Introducing with strangers:

You will meet three kinds of people in the street:

a) Persons who are very welcoming for taking images and definitely you will more explore this opportunity. While meeting them you can feel it easily so it will be very comfortable for you to take images with time and to do experiment.

There are some people who act as hesitant, they will not refuse or say no to you directly but you can feel a discomfort, then it is your responsibility to make them comfortable, talk about weather, hi/hello, basic of you, and you will discover after few minutes they will be easier.

C) Go away faces, they are very challenging, you have to respect your subject, if they do not approve to take their pictures you have to respect it without feeling bad, the most you can do to make them understand that there images are fully secured and you are an aspiring photographer, talk about your passion and dream. Even after that they say NO just accept it. We cannot force someone for anything!

https://gmbakash.wordpress.com/2014/09/22/an-invasive-mind-more-on-street-photography/

Just watch a few YouTube vids on Bruce Gilden. Now there's fearless.

[phuketrichard]

i disagree with this,

^^^ PR...You can also be very quick and grab their photo without them even noticing. It takes practice.

One way is to never bring the camera to to your eye, just take the shot "in stride" ensuring that your

aperture & shutter speed are "kinda" properly set beforehand. Luck may be with you

Robert Franks shot like this and 50% of his photos are out of focus or under/over exposed.

Many of my best shots are when the person is looking directly at me, I want the connection an often will wait patiently till they look up ;

some situations u raise ur camera an they lower their heads or look away but all their friends start in on them joking an eventually they will look up smiling, SNAP, u got a great photo an everyone is smiling. a nod of the head and u move on or show them the pic ( one thing digital has over film)

Sometimes they will tell u by their body language, move on an move on is what you do.

You have to learn to read every situation and react accordingly

Maybe 20% of my people photos are situations where i dont want them looking at me ( i have been doing a series on Asians sleeping going on for over 10 years now)

One thing i have never been afraid, learned that long ago on the streets of DC and SF

Everyone shoots their own way.

Yep saw it, very nice

also good stuff from Gary Winogrand and Lee Friendlander

[sunshine51]

^^^ PR....Yes everyone has their own style doing streets. And I would only hope so

as if I shot streets like Winogrand or Gilden then I'd just be copying them wouldn't I.

Also...I don't always like people to "smile" in my street shots since life isn't always

happy & rosey is it? Shots taken in stride as I mentioned don't always work, as

I also mentioned, but when they work, they work. Hint...use a UWA or WA with

a working aperture of around f8 to f11. f5.6 at the minimum and a fast shutter

speed. Back in the days of film I'd shoot Tri-X between 400-800, today I bump

the ISO around the same...it works and if the end result is a little over exposed

fix it in post. As for focus...well...instead of carrying around a tape measure get

used to what 2 meters distance looks like with your eyes first, then begin to work

it out further...or closer.

Then again...you can also mount a 70-200, take a seat with your favourite bevvie

and fire away...go sniping!

Then again at times I also do the same thing you described...it works too...except

when I don't want smiles. And most times...I don't want smiles because then the

shot looks posed...to me anyway.

[Goompa]

I value the insight of all those that have the ability to be able to shoot this dimension of photography , I also value their ability as well.

I figure the final result will somehow be an adaptation of many different methods combined to achieve this. Everyone has their comfort zone and their own ability to work in the environment they choose to contribute in , this is what makes us individual , the sense of morals , self protection , invasion etc. is limited to the individual taking the photograph.

Personally I enjoy all genres of photography , I just find an emotive connection to the image in the same way one would read a painting , no one person ever would read the same thing , maybe this is why I like Street Photography.

[phuketrichard]

good one from Bruce Gilden

http://www.vice.com/Take-it-or-Leave-it-with-Bruce-Gilden/bruce-critiques-art-photography

[phuketrichard]

heres 3 of my last Burma (Myanmar) Trip

[tangaroa67]

Spend a penny?

[Dancealot]

Phetchabun town daily market

[shaggy1969]

Pla-ra the beginning.

[MJP]

Pla-ra the beginning.

Oh look. Shaggy's bought himself a Leica.

Magnum material.

[tangaroa67]

I wasn't sure whether to post this in the 'night shots outdoor Thailand' forum instead, as it's a bit of both.

[klauskunkel]