A scroll of mail from "lbparis" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> on Sat, 17 Nov 2001 09:49:52 -0600 Read it? y >That's just your interpretation of the facts. In actuality, >they are just hoping that, if they pretend you're not there, >perhaps they'll be able to escape with their lives.
I think this is a very harsh response. I'm guessing you find it very difficult to get natural, candid shots of people doing their normal everyday stuff. I'm similar: I think people will object to me sticking a camera in their faces and so they do. Friends who believe that people like being photographed get much better results. I think it's a sort of personality projection. If you radiate a field of 'harmless photographer, just an ordinary bloke' you get on better with people than if you radiate 'big-nose camera man'. >I find that hard to believe. It's just not the picture of the >"Shel Bellicose" I've seen in action here in the PDML. But I'll >grant the possibility that you are unaware of how intimidating >you are. The most amazing people are capable of 'stealth photography'. I've got a friend who's a real dour Scot. He uses an F5. He can wander through a market in Beijing and get real candid shots, even with an enormous camera rig and the fact that his face doesn't fit. It's very subtle, the difference in approach/personality, but it's enough to let my friend get pictures of an old woman stirring roasting chestnuts in a Hong Kong market, and I just get pictures of her attacking me with a stick! If you look at yer typical Photo Journalist (PJ) shot (http://www.dirckhalstead.com the seven by seven article has some superb examples), a PJ uses a 24mm lens and gets really close to the subject, certainly close enough to get thumped. How come all these PJs get great pictures? I think they're projecting a vibe which says "Your job is unbelieavably important. It's so important that the presence of a guy like me is of no importance and you should pay me no attention." And they fade into the background. >Probably more like an eye-closing experience, isn't that what >you mean? No thanks, I have to wear glasses in order to see. >The shards would be way too sharp and painful. Once I was out with my friend mentioned above. We were taking pictures in one of Hong Kong's red light zones. Two large men covered in tattoos came up and asked us to stop taking pictures. (Covered in tattoos in HK means Triads, organised crime.) My friend puts on a dopey face and goes "we wanted to take some pictures of the night market and someone told us it was here, but we can't find it." Now bear in mind that we both have 6 foot tall tripods, huge bags (Domke J2) full of cameras, at least one camera slung around the neck, light meters, etc. A blind man would decide that we were a pair of pro photogs on a job. So this thug, with a knife in his belt, who would normally kill anyone who talks back, gives us directions back to the night market (a big tourist attraction) and, with a big smile, says "I hope you like Hong Kong!" It's a skill. Blending in, getting the "it's that bloke with the camera again!" rather than "get that F@#$ing thing out of my F%$^ing face!" response. It's a tremendous talent and, from seeing pics on Shel in action, I think he has it. Indeed, from seeing his pictures where his subjects are aware of him and draw him in, he definitely has it. dave - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
