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Photographing anywhere...


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As much as I'd like to, I don't take pictures of children either, John . . . just as I wouldn't pet a cub with the mother bear standing nearby. 

 

When shooting strangers on the street, I go with my intuition with regard to asking permission or not. I believe in "double-exposure." That is the photographer has to expose him/herself to make a good image of a subject—no hiding in a doorway with a telephoto. There is no reality or intimacy in a shot like that. The downside of asking permission is that the subject's attention is in the wrong place and they too often give us a big, false smile. That's not the picture I want. 

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Most of my normal day walking around and shooting, I'm wearing my shirt, tie and trousers combo. Some smarties shout from vans at me. I just give them the nod and move on. A lot of the younger guys jump in front of your shot, but that's expected. The gear does the attracting of folk. it's too bold. 

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Photographing people at work/in the street/doing stuff is what i spend most of my time doing....

 

it gets easier the more you do it.......and certainly a big lens is not the way to go about it

 

km

Keith,

 

When someone (either the subject or an onlooker) asks "what are you taking the pictures for"  how do you tackle the answer so that everyone feels good about the situation rather than suspicious?

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'For the historical record'.

Two schools of thought then- small lens to be inconspicuous, big lens to make you look like a pro and not a paedo.

 

Confucius say, "Person with big camera look like pro and get big attention. Person with small camera look like nobody and blend in with crowd."

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And I think it is probably harder on guys than us women as people are wary of men with cameras, especially if their are any kids around.

 

When kids are about, I don't think about my photographic rights. The camera goes straight back in the bag...

 

Yeah, they'll nick anything these days :D !

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I've been frustrated of late. I often pop in and out of peoples profiles. I often see images that I'd probably get slapped for taking, or reported to the authorities for. 

 

So how is this possible? 

 

A lot of pics of products in shops, bars, cafe's, restaurants and retail centres. I just wonder how people are able to take pictures in such places? I walked into Buchanan Galleries in Glasgow, a few weeks ago, and I didn't even have my camera on, it was slung over my shoulder, and a big bertha of a security guard ran up to me shouting "No photography in the centre!!" 

 

How are people getting shots in supermarkets? Pictures of people shopping and also pictures in IKEA of all places. I tried to take a picture of the name of a pillow (because it was funny) on my phone in IKEA, and some guy ran up to me and said I could take pictures of anything in the store. 

 

I also see pictures of staff posing in the stores for pictures. It's one getting the picture but it's another not telling them that you're going to be using the picture to earn money. How do people combat this? 

 

Small camera? sneaky shots? covert operations? 

 

If I walked into ASDA on a busy Saturday afternoon in Glasgow, and asked anyone in there if I could take their picture to then sell at a later date I'd be rushed out the store followed by an angry mob. 

 

I just don't know how you manage it...

 

Paul

 

Those are production shoots. All staged, models, actors, a restaurant hired for a few hours after close, etc. Thats how its done. They all wear label, and design free clothing. There is nothing in the background that is copyrighted, or its released. Perfect scenes. I have been talking to Dublin Airport and the Irish National Library, 150-200 euro per hour or part there of. Bring a few models, and off you go. The Library reading room will be my first production. My new Canon 6D low light and ISO performance is perfect for those shots. :)

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I find your comments on street photography in Glasgow timely as I will be going to a concert there at the end of October and booked an extra couple of nights in the hotel to explore and shoot some stock. Looks like I'd better be ready for the famous Glasgow handshake.

 

On the streets of Newcastle upon Tyne no one has ever caused a problem, even the police stopped so as not to get in my shot once, and as I prefer to shoot with an 18-50 f2.8 (on APS C) I am never that far from the action.

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i wouldn't worry about it joe, Glaswegians tend to be very friendly to folk down south. It's getting on with each other that causes problems. 

 

Anyhow I have a video shoot tomorrow during the day, a photo shoot at night and a wedding on saturday so if I'm not used to capturing strangers by then I'm taking up online knitting. 

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Before starting with stock, I used to still take photos but just for my own pleasure.

I was taking photo's in a shopping center in the north east, I was stopped by a security gaurd and told photography was prohibited, I might be a terrorist you see.

 

I went on my way, and when I got home, I sent an email to the owners of the centre, blasting them for their stupidity pointing out

 

a) there were no signs prohibiting photography.

B) there were no visible signs I could see relating ot their own cctv (which there should have been)

c) if I was a terrorist I would not be walking around with a obvious camera taking photo's

d) if I was a terrorist, I could use a covert camera

e) If I was a terrorist, I could just get photos of the place from their OWN website

f) if I was a terrorist I could go and get building plans anyway.

 

They replied, apologised and told me I could take photo's any time I wanted, just mention the managers name if stopped by security.

Shame its under new management now as far as I know.

 

Was once stopped by a member of the public in the street when doing street photography, he seemed paranoid that I was taking pictures of him (with his child) and convinced I worked for the daily mail or similar. Relaxed instantly and spent ages chatting with me once he realised I was not gutter press following him around.

 

The other day, I was out doing night shots (for my own use/flickr) late at night, with my dogs.

The police pulled me over as I lett the beach area,I thought they were going to want to question what I was up to, but they saw the camera, and the backpack with tripod sticking out of it

and said, you obviously have a camera bag, have you seen anyone shooting at us? Wanted to know if I had seen any laser lights, or heard any gun shots as someone was taking pot shots at them.

 

Normally I am fairly shy, depression means I often feel uncomfortable in crowded places, talking to people, or even going out, but I get days where I can literally walk into a supermarket with my dslr and just not care, taking as many photos as I feel like.

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Just read Mirco Vacca's post - In have recently returned from Poland - Krakow - and photographing people was NOT a problem. Sure, I asked, nodded to the camera and/or whatever means I had at my disposal (not polish!) and there was not the tiniest hint of an issue...
nj

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 Glaswegians tend to be very friendly to folk down south

 

Steady on Paul. We don't mind people taking photos in Newcastle but there could be problems if we are called southerners.

 

I was once engaged to a lass from Newcastle. She had a Scottish father and a Newcastle English mother. Trying to figure out if she was a Geordie (Jordi?) or not, I once suggested that, since there were both border collies and border terriers, she might refer to herself as a "border person."  So she bit me. 

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 Glaswegians tend to be very friendly to folk down south

 

Steady on Paul. We don't mind people taking photos in Newcastle but there could be problems if we are called southerners.

 

I was once engaged to a lass from Newcastle. She had a Scottish father and a Newcastle English mother. Trying to figure out if she was a Geordie (Jordi?) or not, I once suggested that, since there were both border collies and border terriers, she might refer to herself as a "border person."  So she bit me. 

:D :D :D

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