The Online Photographer

Happy Juneteenth! Especially to anyone who is gathering today.

The previous post got a lot of interest, and a large number of relevant and interesting comments—just the Featured Comments and my inline responses are up to almost 1,900 words (!) as of this morning. Not everything was about the effect of a small vs. a large camera on subjects, though, so I thought I'd continue the subject of photographing people in public in a new post.

I remembered another of Cartier-Bresson's tricks. Again, don't recall where I read this. But apparently if someone got too antagonistic to him in a crowd, he would fling his camera right in the person's face! It was attached to his wrist with a lanyard, and he would jerk it back before it hit them, and then, before they could recover, abruptly turn on his heels and disappear into the crowd (something he was also apparently very good at doing—several eyewitness accounts mention that he seemed to be there one moment and gone the next).

I couldn't do that. Not that I wouldn't, just that I couldn't. Not coordinated or quick enough. With any of this, you have to accommodate to the skills as well as to the authentic personality you happen to have. You need to know who you are, how people react and respond to you, and then adjust your methods and expectations to match. Here are few more tips for photographing in public, from which you'll have to pick and choose:

—>Shoot first, then ask permission. When you see a picture, it seldom lasts for long. Someone will move or turn away or something will get in your way, etc. So take the picture while it's there. Then go up  and ask if it's okay. If they say yes, take a few more and thank them. If they say no, agree respectfully.

—>Be fast. If you stand there adjusting your camera like an idiot for minutes on end, it's more likely that you'll call attention to yourself.

—>We mentioned in the other post the advantage of a waist-level finder of some sort. People aren't threatened unless they feel they're being stared at; we're sensitive to others paying undue attention to us. If you've never shot with a TLR, it's kind of magical. You're always looking down, looking like you're distracted with whatever that device is. People aren't put on alert.

—>Own it! That is, if you're a photographer, be blatant about the fact that you are. Draping yourself with a few extra cameras helps. I have friends who have used fake ID cards in holders on those little fabric necklaces, or just used an old one from a show or a job or something. This is also the utility of vests, in my opinion, although I've never worn one. For men, a bucket hat doesn't hurt. Nothing says "I'm a photographer and I'm not hiding it" like a photo vest and a dorky hat.

—>Have a friend with you. I can only report that if you're a larger male, being in the company of another person—especially a female—works wonders. People, women in particular, seem to think, well, she trusts him, so he's probably all right.

—>Take rejection. Some people will say no just because they live miserable little lives and they want to lay some of their intense inner misery on others, and now it's your turn. Be impervious. You have to hear "no" to get to "yes."

—>Of course, engaging with people isn't forbidden. As I said the other day, most good people photographers are friendly, confident, casual, assured, natural, and good at engaging. (Most of these tips are for those of us who aren't.)

—>Get started. This is a big one for me, and might not be for you. I feel self-conscious and awkward for the first few dozen shots, before I get into it and things start flowing. So I'm ready for this. I get those initial shots done and out of the way as soon as possible. YMMV.

—>Have a job. I mean, if you've been hired to be somewhere photographing, then you have permission, and is there anything stopping you from taking your own pictures along the way? A lot of pros will probably respond here by saying yes, there certainly is: it's that you need to focus on what you were hired for and not do your own sh*t on your client's time. I won't disagree. My problem is that I do it inadvertently, because sometimes I can't distinguish one from the other—that is, the pictures I've been hired to take from the pictures I just think are good. So I end up occasionally making a personal picture on someone else's dime. Not ideal, I guess, but there it is. You never know when the good pictures are going to come.

—>An obvious one is that when a crowd has gathered because something is going on, people expect photographers to be there taking pictures. Peoples' normal vigilance relaxes. Any place where the mood is festive and people have gathered is an opportunity. Exception: when there's some sort of barrier to entry. You can't crash a family reunion or a birthday party in a public park, for instance—or a Juneteenth gathering of families or friends who know each other, for that matter.

—>Be young and hip-looking. If you're young and hip, you're probably doing something new and blazing new trails on social media! People will want to get on board. If you're an old grayhair, you're doggedly pursuing a hopeless dream and already haven't amounted to anything, like a middle-aged guy with rock-and-roll hair struggling to show off to teenagers at Guitar Center.

—>Speaking of which, there are now many "influencers" who make videos of themselves taking pictures on the street, like this guy. Watch those videos and see what's working for them. What they say, their tone of voice. (But note the above.)

—>Hang out with better shooters and watch them work. Imitate what you can, if you can. See if anything they do is something you can adapt for yourself.

—>If anyone challenges you, be forthright. Walk right up to them with a smile, offer your hand for a handshake, and tell them your name. Have a line ready that explains what you're doing. I learned this during the photographers-are-terrorists years. Offering your card is also a good touch (the guy at the link above shows his work on his phone, which is obviously the modern version). I guess people assume that terrorists don't identify themselves, so, if you do, it's reassuring.  :-)

Mike

Original contents copyright 2023 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. (To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below or on the title of this post.)

Featured Comments from:

David Raboin: "The hardest part of getting started with street photography is getting started. Those first few outings feel about as comfortable as a suit made of wasps. When I first went out with the intent of shooting candid photos of strangers, not only did I feel like a bumbling, unwanted oaf, but my first street photos were rotten, hundreds of boring pictures sent to the recycling bin.

"I'm not sure why I kept at it, but I did. In a short time, figured out a way of being on the streets with a camera. My photos got better and street photography became fun. My advice to aspiring street photographers: embrace the discomfort. That discomfort is the feeling of change happening. The discomfort is also a barrier to entry. Not everyone will become a street photographer."

Juan Buhler: "The waist-level finder thing is relative in my opinion. I find that whether I am comfortable or not making pictures in the street is mostly a state of mind. Some times I’m in the zone, and I will quickly compose and focus in the viewfinder. Some other times I am more in the mood for a Ricoh GR-style, from the hip (in my case this is mostly next to my face instead), not looking through viewfinder or screen, and composing by feel. And yet some other times, I feel super shy, and no amount of looking down into the screen of my X100V can fix it.

"It’s all in your mind. Convince yourself you are a street photographer, and you will be."

Ed. note: Juan, who worked for Pixar when I knew him, is a talented and accomplished street photographer.

Kye Wood: "Of course, the other way to get to take any photo you ever want to take is to have a warm heart like Peter Turnley. He has a presence that inspires collaboration—because his intentions are pure and he radiates that."

David Saxe: "I have been doing this for years and I would offer the following suggestions. Just hang around for a few moments when you see something interesting. If people notice you they will lose interest in you very quickly and then you can take your shot. Never make direct eye contact with your subject. Move slowly but deliberately when raising the camera to your eye. (fast, jerky movements attract the subject's attention.) Don't linger. Take one one or two shots and quickly move on."

Bob Gordon: "I’ve been shooting street for almost 60 years. Age and health require me to walk with a cane. Old guy, gray hair, camera. No threat."