So, who has the balls to do it, inspire me with pics and what length lens do you use to avoid being in peoples faces? Do you have reservations about privacy issues too?

I’ve recently started doing a bit to push myself out of my comfort zone a bit… Just to throw myself at the deep end, I tried it at Hull Fair. Didn’t get hit though, which was a bonus.

I was using a Nikon D700 for the high ISO capabilities (it was dark!) with a 24-120 lens on it.

Some pics:

Hull Fair (7 of 21) by Will Slater, on Flickr

Hull Fair (5 of 21) by Will Slater, on Flickr

Hull Fair (3 of 21) by Will Slater, on Flickr

More on my Flickr.

Ha – the woman with the hood in pic #2 doesn’t look too happy

Nope – I didn’t realise that till going through the photos either!

I don’t really think using a long lens is the way to go – bit creepy. Just be bold and upfront about it IMO. If you make eye contact just give them a smile and/or say thanks.

Pyrenees Road Trip-4 by Grum Wynne, on Flickr

Pyrenees Road Trip-3 by Grum Wynne, on Flickr

Pyrenees Road Trip-2 by Grum Wynne, on Flickr

Bordeaux-4 by Grum Wynne, on Flickr

20110310-IMG_3474 by Grum Wynne, on Flickr

20110310-IMG_3501 by Grum Wynne, on Flickr

i’ve added you, fmc. 🙂

Great work Grum! Do like your stuff!

24.02.2011 by Will – B, on Flickr

03.03.2011 by Will – B, on Flickr

04.03.2011 by Will – B, on Flickr

13.06.2011 by Will – B, on Flickr

20.07.2011 by Will – B, on Flickr

I have to say I love street photography. But don’t do anywhere near enough!

Cheers will – yeah I would like to do more of it too. For some reason it seems dull in my home town.

Couple more from Barcelona….

Pyrenees Road Trip-28 by Grum Wynne, on Flickr

Pyrenees Road Trip-24 by Grum Wynne, on Flickr

Liking the last one. I have no excuse, I live in London 😆

I should go around pretending to be a tourist one day!

I should go around pretending to be a tourist one day!

Well, it’s not like you can do any mountain biking down there so you might as well. 😛

Cracking pics there from Grum! 🙂

I jolly well have not got any to show, but with candids, the trick is to have the camera ready to get that quick shot; the longer you’re holding it up, the more aware your ‘subjects’ will become, and that ‘natural’ look will be lost.

A cam with a fast shutter release is essential; many have to hunt to focus and that, and the moment can be lost. Good camera handling skills are vital too; Grum obviously knows how to wield a cam.

Those with flip out adjustable angle screen could be useful, but not essential.

Another trick is to point the cam at something else, then swing round and grab the shot you were really after, lightening quick. Focussing is the issue; manual focusing with a DSLR could well give you an advantage.

And be prepared for people being pissed off. This kind of photography is easier in crowds and busy places, where you can pretend to be a ‘tourist’, and a reasonable explanation/showing the subject the pic on your cam can placate most folk, as most people enjoy a nice candid photo, but some people will react angrily and possibly even with violence. It’s down to your judgement of the potential for danger in the situation.

But generally, anything goes in a public place, pretty much, and no-one can legally stop you taking pics.

The only thing that could cause problems is if the picture is deemed to be a deliberate attempt to identify an individual rather than just a ‘member of the public’; see Robert Doisneau’s The Kiss for such a case, but that was in France, where the Law is different. I don’t think you’ll run into too many problems here in the UK, speshly if it’s in a non-commercial capacity. Obviously be careful if photographing Babylonians, as some of them don’t understand Section 44 of the Anti-Terrorism Act quite clearly enough…

Grum – Out of interest what lens were most of those shot with.

Elfin – Like the point about pretending to photograph something else, then quickly turning around 😆

Edinburgh Saxist. by yodagoat, on Flickr

Bike show. by yodagoat, on Flickr

Cannaregio Beggar by yodagoat, on Flickr

Rialto Beggar by yodagoat, on Flickr

Jaked woman outside the Earl Of Marchmont by yodagoat, on Flickr
some of mine.

Grum – Out of interest what lens were most of those shot with.

I think most were with the GF1 and 20mm pancake – others were with the Sigma 50mm 1.4, Canon 85mm 1.8, or Samyang fisheye. I find something like the 20mm lens (40mm full frame equivalent) or 50mm on my 5D perfect. With the 85mm you’re getting into creepy territory. 🙂

Cracking pics there from Grum!

I jolly well have not got any to show, but with candids, the trick is to have the camera ready to get that quick shot; the longer you’re holding it up, the more aware your ‘subjects’ will become, and that ‘natural’ look will be lost.

Cheers 🙂 Yeah that’s why I like the GF1 and 20mm usually – pretty small and unobtrusive unlike a big SLR. I have a skin on mine which along with the styling makes it look old/not fancy. I sometimes use old manual focus lenses as well.

BTW another technique is to take the picture of the person you want, then carry on taking pictures at the same angle, so as they walk past so it looks like you were photographing something behind them. 😉

IMG_8944 by 5lab, on Flickr

IMG_1930 by 5lab, on Flickr

local waife by 5lab, on Flickr

I don’t bother taking the time to post-process my shots, but I probably should..

Where’s that 5lab? Hopefully I will be getting to flex my street photography steez in Iraqi Kurdistan soon. Going to try and go in what is apparently festival season in March hopefully.

top one was Damascus
Second was in Armenia or Georgia
Third is Morocco

I only have one and its not all that good TBH

Untitled by J@yk@y, on Flickr

Damn, that is one of the best bums I have seen for ages!

Edit: Possibly ever in fact.

Ewe… bit pointyouty ain’t it..

Good photos, anyone use mobiles?

That’s what they are supposed to be like, unless you like men of course.

Or you can go to somewhere like Turkey where the locals don’t give a flying whatsit about people taking snaps.

In this 360 pano of the entrance to the Spice Bazaar in Istanbul, there are just two people looking at the camera. I was there for approx 3 mins setting the camera up.

Not that I’d ever try such shots in London but I strongly suspect some jobsworth oik would try and claim it’s illegal to take pictures in a public place 🙄

hope you got model release forms from all of them lol

not a photographist myself, but my sister dabbles (quite a bit…)

Stalkers.

I was taking a load of pictures of a kid blowing huge soap bubbles, all refracting light in the sunshine, till my OH pointed out that perhaps taking pictures of someone else’s small child wasn’t particularly wise. Oops.

I haven’t got the nerve to do close up yet.

Week 24 – A kiss by simon ralli, on Flickr

yodagoat, love the picture of the Edinburgh saxist. Lovely

and that young ladys pert bottom is lovely too. 😀

Nice work grum

Great pics all

Few from me.

Waiting 2 by jake474, on Flickr

Taking a break by jake474, on Flickr

Ferry passengers by jake474, on Flickr

see it all before by jake474, on Flickr

180 by jake474, on Flickr

Thanks ski.

I was taking a load of pictures of a kid blowing huge soap bubbles, all refracting light in the sunshine, till my OH pointed out that perhaps taking pictures of someone else’s small child wasn’t particularly wise. Oops.

It’s a sad state of affairs that these things spring to mind though isn’t it. 😡

Maybe we need to get t-shirts printed.

“DO NOT BE ALARMED: I AM A PHOTOGRAPHER(*)

(*) – not a nonce or a pervert.”

My daughter took this from the back of the car..

Mean Looking Dude

Maybe we need to get t-shirts printed.

“DO NOT BE ALARMED: I AM A PHOTOGRAPHER(*)

(*) – not a nonce or a pervert.”

Or a high vis with BBC NEWS printed on the back 😆

There’s some interesting stuff associated with taking photos in public spaces on the campaign website I’m a Photographer Not a Terrorist (http://photographernotaterrorist.org/). This has been a long running saga following escalating harassment of photographers (both professional and amateur) mainly in London.

Some nice shots posted on this thread, keep up the good work, chaps!

All excellent pics – thanks. Grum, always excellent, but my fave has got to be yodagoats sax player.

These are brilliant.. this kind of photography moves me more than any other I think but I havne’t had the courage to do it apart from with my family…

I’ll look some out now.

Or a high vis with BBC NEWS printed on the back

if you want to become a target for every weirdo in town…

Might as well post a few more eh? 🙂

20110310-IMG_3490 by Grum Wynne, on Flickr

20110310-IMG_3445 by Grum Wynne, on Flickr

20100825-P1190544 by Grum Wynne, on Flickr

P1170353 by Grum Wynne, on Flickr

Warning – selective colour!!!

20100318-Lewis back to Lancaster-1070068 by Grum Wynne, on Flickr

20100825-P1190545 by Grum Wynne, on Flickr