As a relative newcomer to photography I have recently purchased my first film cameras. A 35mm rangefinder and a medium format camera.

This forum has been a treasure trove of advice in helping me to decide which equipment and film to use so I thank you all for the wonderful knowledge and tips that can be found here

I have an interest in street photography and have been out a fair few times with my rangefinder and managed to take shots with little or no notice paid to me or the camera. I have taken my medium format out and although it drew more attention than my 35mm, I was again left to my own devices and left to shoot what I wanted to. However today I went out to shoot a roll and I received quite a few comments most of them aggressive along the lines of what’s he doing/what’s he pointing that camera at ? On all but one of my shots I was shooting general street scenes with many people in as opposed to focusing on one particular person and these comments really took me aback and made me feel very uncomfortable and all of a sudden I felt very visible with the camera, something I have never felt before in the relatively short time I have been shooting

I realize that there is quite a lot out there about the ethics/rules of street photography but I would like to ask you all for a few tips and general etiquette on how you go about street photography ?

Thanks

I force myself to do not care about what people say and to be a bit arrogant.

Just be Bruce

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRBARi09je8&feature=related

:-)

Just be polite and respectful to people and expect the same from them. It's just a matter of attitude.

All what a street photographer does is to capture the world we're living through his/her photographs for others to see/understand something new or overlooked. Street Photography speaks with the face of people and of public places, our habitat as human being. It's for some reasons close to naturalistic photography and it is also a cultural activity, apart from being gratifying to the photog and somehow artistic. There is nothing to be ashamed in taking photos of people in the streets.

But, If you go like Bruce Gilden, you are only interested in taking good pictures and you don't care about people that much. If that is your attitude (which can lead to flash elderly people 1mt away from their faces, as you can see from the youtube video) well, then I think people are right to be aggressive with you, because that is way too intrusive and close to a form of violence. First come the people, then comes photography.

F.

Hi Andrew

Fabio made good points and summed it up well,

To be more specific with what has happened to you I think your reaction is very sane and normal. It just means that for you photographing involve connecting people and the surrounding world in some way, that you are not shooting from an ivory tower and I believe that street photography is also about that, connecting the world. And we all have our peculiar way to do that. I understand your doubts and that you felt the situation unsettling, that it has blocked your photographing at least temporary because it is important to be relax. Just think you had a bad day, that happens... This is also part of the experience so it has a good side. It will help you to build up your instinct, to "feel" when the situation is OK as opposed to other moments that are not, which also will help to build your eye/vision (that primarily comes from the brain).

Hope to see some of your pics published here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFY4kfqXl2Q

David Solomons seems to have a better approach. Than Brucey anway. . .

He's also got the Winogrand 'pass the camera over the eye' quick shot technique. There's almost no time for someone to get offended.

I just bought an old 80s/90s rangefnder from ebay to see how I like street shooting with film, so I am in a similar situation to you. I guess it's a matter of finding a style and a mode of operation that sits OK with your conscience. . .
Jon
( a Vivitar 35ES if anyone is interested )

If you want to shoot people without being seen or looking at you, the best is to always have the camera in the hand with a strap so that nobody see you as a photographer.
My technique is also to shoot people and to pretend to shoot something else (building, architecture etc...) or looking at the settings of your camera before and after THE shot that interest you, so that people won't care about you, they will think you're just a tourist shooting everything or someone testing his camera :-)
Don't hide yourself, it is worse, and people will focus on you.

You can also ask people before, but it is not the same, it looses a bit of reality, even if by staying with a person some time, you can also shot some natural reactions.

And about this famous Bruce Gilden, I love his images even if his approach is very special and intrusive.
I can't do that but I respect that. Why ? Because he didn't kill anybody and 5 minutes after the shots, people has forgotten, it is just a photo.

You don't exactly know this, do you?
;))

...but, Julien, seriously:


suppose that old lady at 0.30 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRBARi09je8&feature=related) were your grandma. She doesn't know Bruce is about to take a picture of her, she just see a man coming very close, and all of a sudden a big flash in her eyes (look how close he is from the subject and look at her reaction).
And what if this old lady suffered from heart-attacks?

PS. by the way, not because he is in Magnum, but I like Gilden's work, I just don't agree with his method. And by the way, Gilden is now popular for this way of shooting but he made some great really shots without that flash too.

I can't edit my PS anymore, so excuse my awful English.. :/

No problem Fabio, I'm worse ;-)
I agree about your example of heart attack, but this example is the only one I can find about real problem that this way of shooting can make.
I think the main risks are for Bruce himself :-)

But I repeat, I cannot do that........ I'm too scared lol !

and I don't like to bother people of course ;-)

Great advice given above. I would stress the points; be polite, try to smile (look friendly) and don't be furtive.

This article may be helpful: (old article might need to scroll down a fair way)

http://news.deviantart.com/article/19649/

I hope you've not been too put off by the unfortunate altercation and continue to enjoy street shooting.

Cheers.

Hi all

Thanks for your advice and tips everyone.

Fabio, your advice is very true and what you describe is exactly what I'm trying to capture in my street photos

Jacques thanks for your words, you're right I think it was a just bad day and I have realized that this will happen to me from time to time. However I hope to be back out this weekend taking pictures again.

Julien thanks for your advice on how you shoot, a techinique I'll have to try at some point

I think I've ruined the roll of film that I shot on Saturday. Last time was my first time in the darkroom and I made a complete mess of winding the film onto the reel to put in the tank. I will find out tomorrow if I can salvage any pictures from the roll

I look forward to having some photos published on 1x and to more great advice from everyone here

Cheers

If you do not like Bruce Gilden approach you may adopt the technique used by Philip-Lorca diCorcia . He used a long focal lens and a flash hidden somewhere.
His subjects are isolated by the context and depicted with a dramatic light (which reminds of Caravaggio) and they do not know where is the photographer.
Mind you, he was anyway sued by some moron, although unsuccessfully.

He was sued by a Hassidic jewish guy who claimed that taking his image was against his religion. Which it might well be for all I know. In which case you can understand him being somewhat angry about it.
I think Walker Evans did something similar with a camera set up to catch passers by, and also some concealed camera tube train shots of passengers. . .

Hey Andrew.

You are not so far from me, I'm in Lancashire.

I think we are at a funny place right now with street photography in the UK and, due to fear (generated by the media IMO) people are very suspicious of each other.

Now, not that I'm one to talk at the moment, I honestly think that, the way people react to you is very much related to you 'energy'.
If you are nervous about what you are doing then you will give off that energy. If you are calm and confident the same applies.
As you are shooting film, this doesn't really apply, but what I would do with a digital camera is, should someone look put out, give them a big smile and show them the image. Some complimentary words go a long way. If for any reason they are unhappy, offer to delete it and apologize for the intrusion. Alternatively I would give them a card for my website and offer to send them the image by email. Most people are ok once they know you are a nice guy.

Regards
Bob

Yep that makes sense. If you are very calm and relax you can take photograph almost under people nose and they even don't notice (unless you use a flash...) That being said having an eye contact is generally nice and sometimes makes the shot.

"Getting close doesn't necessarily mean so many feet away, but getting into the heart and mind of the person you are photographing"
Albert Maysles

A few years ago I watched a five part documentary on all different types of photography, bios on photographers, the history of photography and so much more. It was very impressive, and I watched it more than once. However, weeks later only a few people - who are still alive - stayed with me. One of those people was Albert Maysles who you may know from his filming of Grey Gardens. Of course he is also a photographer. He lives in Harlem, NYC which is known for being a rough area filled with racial tension, drugs, and poverty. His home is very beautiful, and he lives there with his family in peace. The neighborhood loves him. How does he do it? ( I put a separate link to a NY Times article which shows his house)

In this documentary I saw him on the streets of Harlem taking pictures of people with a little point and shoot camera. He was so gentle with the people, but direct, yet loving. People wanted to stop and talk to him. He did not have to jump in front of them, scare them, or be rude in any way to get a good picture. He just had to be kind. There is a small part of that clip below and you can see it and decide for youself. For me watching him in action is shocking if you compare him with Gilden. When I watched Gilden, I felt sick to my stomach frankly - I found him obnoxious. It is no wonder he gets the reactions he does. Fortunately in NYC people are very tolerant, so he is still alive. :) Gilden probably gets many photos of surprised people, with strange emotions on their faces. The point I want to really make about him - is that when he almost knocks someone over he is not taking an authentic photo of that person and their world. He is taking a picture which HE created by his behavior. Well, you do not need much talent to make someone angry or to surprise them - now do you?

I hope this link works...to hear Albert Maysles voice and his own words about how to take pictures of people is far better than my words..

http://films.nfb.ca/capturing-reality/#/104/

The entire website is very interesting...and other voices to hear here also...which you may enjoy..lots of good thoughts from many filmakers on different topics.

http://films.nfb.ca/capturing-reality/
Back to Maysles...

A clip of him talking to people on the Streets of Harlem...he never takes his eyes off the person..he is a listener..This is a man I would want to learn from:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mocQmOihmIs&NR=1

A very tiny bit of a clip I saw of him..on that photography show..not the whole thing..but it shows him talking pictures on the street.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yV_VZ1prhAs&feature=related

The New York Times Article with images of Maysles house in Harlem...gorgeous artwork!

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/02/realestate/02habi.html?_r=1

In the end, how to approach people on the street is an individual decision because when you go home - at the end of your day - only you know how you feel and how you want to feel.

Phyllis

Phyllis,

Interesting thoughts and links. That makes sense indeed. I would add that it is what makes the genre great to practice whatever the photo quality you get in the end. I myself have pleasant experiences when I go out for doing photo, such as sometimes lovely smile in return. And fun as well.

About Bruce Gilden what you say ...

... is absolutely correct, and he is doing it very consciously IMO. But Bruce Gilden comes too often in street photo discussions today, and quite often in a counterproductive way IMO. Too many people take that as a sort of sport (i.e. shooting people the closest with widest angles), it does not serves well the genre.

One thing though. I don't believe street photography is really about documenting, nor it is about knowing people or getting into their heart or soul. What did the most successful masters of the genre (Levitt, HCB, Winogrand...) was much closer to poetry than documenting or portrait-ing and maybe told much more about themselves than what they would photograph. And the medium is powerful for that, if used with talented brain and eyes.

Hi again everyone,

Phyliss - thanks for the links they are great and definitely a master at work.

I've been out a few times since and followed the advice and tips you have all given and I have been left alone without any of the hassle I encountered the other week. It did really knock my confidence but I dunno maybe it was a bad day but had it not happened I wouldn't have benfitted from all this advice.

For one of my college projects I spent one day this week documenting a day in the life of the city and used most of the 'rules' above apart from being Bruce Gilden

Cheers again