On Sun, 21 Jul 2002, Cotty wrote:
5. Claim to be a photographic student. (this last one works for me - and
not a lie - i'm learning all the time!)
...all ways of guaranteeing people will ignore you.
Hey Cotty!
I liked your last advice. Let me try it out. :-)
Ayash.
Make sure you have rebuttals for questions like: 'Oh really, where?' and
'What's the name of the course?'. ('University of Greater Life', and
'Dilatation and Reportage')
Good point.
Yep, the answers are all ready.
Seriously though, I think that most incidents can be overcome completely
by attitude. I'm sure Shel Belinkof would be great at teaching us all
this one.
Hi Shel! Are you out there? Could you please teach us the basics of candid
street photography? What were the problems that you faced when you first
started candid street photography?
For true reportage, the idea is to remain hidden - though not in the true
meaning of the word, not hiding around a corner. What I mean is 'hidden
from the mind'. Blend into the background if you can. There should be
nothing at all to raise your 'street profile' such that it becomes
noticeable.
camoflage. I wished to become the liquid metal cyborg T-1000 in the movie,
Terminator II: The judgement day. :-)) Just joking.
A small rangefinder is ideal, carried without a strap, in the
hand. The movement up to the eye with the camera must be instinctive,
faultless, and brief. As if you were scratching your nose: the arm goes
up, is there for two seconds, and goes back down. Or shoot from the hip,
or anywhere.
That's quite fast but it is required to capture the desired moment.
Pre-focussed, I have made many shots this way. Some work,
some don't. All are interesting for what they are.
Since, I possess a manual focus SLR, I use this technique quite often.
Being well over six feet in height, I am instantly saddled with a great
weight for this kind of street photography in that I instantly draw
attention, even if slight. My 'cover' is blown even before I've begun!
This is why I opt for fully 'out' street. Hence I can use an SLR and a
relevant lens - approaching my subjects, or they approaching me, in full
knowledge that I am armed with a camera. A happy, smiley face doesn't go
amiss here.
I didn't expected this. You can not abandon the battlefield like this.
:-)
Confidence is the key. If you look like you know what you are doing, and
are chirpy and up-tempo about it, then this method seldom fails. If
someone does not want to be photographed, it will become evident very
quickly. But do they really want to be photographed, even though they say
'no'??
By this, let me give you an example. When filming street interviews for
tv (called 'vox pops' - Latin: voice of the people) the reporter and I
have to identify ourselves. The reporter will say something like: 'Hi,
we're from Central news, just asking people about the new shopping centre
plans - can I ask you?' In my experience there are several responses, but
the three main ones by far are:
1. 'Oh well, yeah...uh huh (etc)'
2. 'No thanks (possibly smiling or even giggling)'
3. (no words just a hand up and turns quickly away from the camera).
Sometimes: 'I'm in a hurry'.
Now number 1 is obvious, and so is number 3. But number 2 said 'no' - did
they actually mean 'yes'? In fact, in the majority of instances, this is
actually the case. After the 'no thanks', a further 'oh go on' from the
reporter, possibly interspersed with a quick 'pretty please with sugar on
top and a cherry' from me (all the while filming) the majority stop and
chat merrily away.
The point is, the said no, but meant yes. In fact in their own minds they
were saying: 'oh gosh, I really want to be interviewed, but I can't
possibly show such a conceited attitude as to actually say yes!!'
:-)), quite interesting.
These folk make up the majority of your average street population. I've
learned how to win them around, and it heavily involves drawing attention
to oneself. It took a few years before I could do it without thinking,
and to begin with I was appalled at the fact that I was actually being
the centre of attention, possibly to a whole street full of people.
This happens with me also when I go out in the street, not because I am
tall but because people see a long lens (F 100-300 f/4.5-5.6) hanging from
my neck along with a big camera bag on my shoulders.
However, it is perfectly do-able, and once the barrier is crossed, is a
whole lot of fun.
Yes, I understand that but I have not crossed the barrier yet but I have
not quit the battlefield. Probably one day, I may come out successful. God
knows.
Didn't mean for this to be a mini-primer on my attitude to street, but
hey, it's Sunday morning, the Mrs has gone off to a boot sale (flea
market), the coffee and croissants have settled nicely, the shower
beckons, and the French Grand Prix
