Capture a stranger street style : Part 2

Fivetide said:
My aim is to do street photography, need to learn the rules first :)
Click to expand...

Wide-ish prime - get right in the action!

The only real rule is get out and shoot. The more photographs you take on the street the better you get.
 
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Just a candid street style shot taken of a couple engrossed in a conversation.

X-T1, 55-200mm Lens, 1/500th @ F4.5, ISO-200, Handheld.
Conversation (1)-00265 by G.K.Jnr., on Flickr

:ty: for looking., (y)

George.
 
Slyelessar said:
Wide-ish prime - get right in the action!

The only real rule is get out and shoot. The more photographs you take on the street the better you get.
Click to expand...

35mm F1.8 only auto lens I have :)

What I mean by rules , is more "the rules of etiquette".

I'd be a little annoyed if someone just rocked up to me an starting snapping, of course I wouldn't do that, neither would I walk past someone and take a loose arm sly shot. So I'm trying to work out the middle ground.

So example, in the below shot which is my first sort of person orientated photo I was there photographing a charity event so I didn't feel intrusive about shooting them.

Admittedly its not street photography but I'm honing my skills with this type of event.

B&W by David Parker, on Flickr

The 2nd shot is more the fact I waited until they walked in front to add some interest.

DSC02766.jpg by David Parker, on Flickr
 
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Fivetide said:
35mm F1.8 only auto lens I have :)

What I mean by rules , is more "the rules of etiquette".

I'd be a little annoyed if someone just rocked up to me an starting snapping, of course I wouldn't do that, neither would I walk past someone and take a loose arm sly shot. So I'm trying to work out the middle ground.

So example, in the below shot which is my first sort of person orientated photo I was there photographing a charity event so I didn't feel intrusive about shooting them.

Admittedly its not street photography but I'm honing my skills with this type of event.

B&W by David Parker, on Flickr

The 2nd shot is more the fact I waited until they walked in front to add some interest.

g by David Parker, on Flickr
Click to expand...

I would first ask what are your goals? where did you want to get with your street photography, and what would be your ideal set of photographs?

Secondly, taking candid photographs is a lot more difficult than we give it credit for. You mention 'etiquette', I would perhaps call it moral implication. Do you like your photograph taken? Most people that don't like their photograph taken will struggle to take photos of strangers at first. The whole 'do unto others' side of things. I struggled with this at first, and would tend to take photographs from behind people or from further away. I had to teach myself by going out and shooting over and over to both gain experience getting closer and learning to socialise more with people.

I take more candid photographs, but I do interact and socialise with my subjects as well. Being positive and understanding you are doing nothing wrong, and that anyone has a given right to take photographs on the public property does help. You can always offer to delete the image or not use the exposure, usually this will deescalate any situation. You tend to find it is extremely rare anyone will object, and almost unheard of of physical violence happening (but of course not entirely out of the realm of possibility).

There is nothing wrong with using a zoom or standing farther away from subjects, but getting in closer is what gives the viewer that connection and opens up the situation (your 35mm is a great choice!). Practicing the 'waiting for people' to walk into the frame is a good place to start. If you are already there most people will not find this suspicious. Another technique is to not instantly remove the camera from your eye after taking a photograph, but try and re-frame elsewhere.

Be honest is the main thing. If someone asks 'did you take a photograph' tell them yes and why you did it. Why do you do street photography? What inspired you in that moment? If you can be honest with yourself why, it is a lot easier to tell people why you thought it was a great moment.

EDIT: The framing of the photographs is good. I like the building where you have it placed, and I like the wall entering a third of the first photograph- it can add a great abstract element. Try to capture a gesture or something unique, even if you aren't taking a front facing photograph. Something that tells a story.

I hope some of this helped. Please share more photos in the future, I would love to see how you progress and what you discover next :)
 
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Slyelessar said:
I would first ask what are your goals? where did you want to get with your street photography, and what would be your ideal set of photographs?

Secondly, taking candid photographs is a lot more difficult than we give it credit for. You mention 'etiquette', I would perhaps call it moral implication. Do you like your photograph taken? Most people that don't like their photograph taken will struggle to take photos of strangers at first. The whole 'do unto others' side of things. I struggled with this at first, and would tend to take photographs from behind people or from further away. I had to teach myself by going out and shooting over and over to both gain experience getting closer and learning to socialise more with people.

I take more candid photographs, but I do interact and socialise with my subjects as well. Being positive and understanding you are doing nothing wrong, and that anyone has a given right to take photographs on the public property does help. You can always offer to delete the image or not use the exposure, usually this will deescalate any situation. You tend to find it is extremely rare anyone will object, and almost unheard of of physical violence happening (but of course not entirely out of the realm of possibility).

There is nothing wrong with using a zoom or standing farther away from subjects, but getting in closer is what gives the viewer that connection and opens up the situation (your 35mm is a great choice!). Practicing the 'waiting for people' to walk into the frame is a good place to start. If you are already there most people will not find this suspicious. Another technique is to not instantly remove the camera from your eye after taking a photograph, but try and re-frame elsewhere.

Be honest is the main thing. If someone asks 'did you take a photograph' tell them yes and why you did it. Why do you do street photography? What inspired you in that moment? If you can be honest with yourself why, it is a lot easier to tell people why you thought it was a great moment.

EDIT: The framing of the photographs is good. I like the building where you have it placed, and I like the wall entering a third of the first photograph- it can add a great abstract element. Try to capture a gesture or something unique, even if you aren't taking a front facing photograph. Something that tells a story.

I hope some of this helped. Please share more photos in the future, I would love to see how you progress and what you discover next :)
Click to expand...

Slyelessar, thank you very much for the post.. wow some great tips and I really like that you may have "outed" my reluctance of shooting candidly lol No I don't particularly like having my picture taken, I'm 6" 3" and have been overweight for the last ten years although I've dropped down now to where the doctor says I might not die of heart disease right away :) , So yeah I was a fatty photo and I suppose I did have a bit of a complex.. I'm working on it though.
I know most photographers would roll their eyes up at this, but I decided to leave my 35mm on for 1 year. I need to to get to grips with one thing at a time, the A6000 and 35mm are 4 days old and swapping and changing lens will complicate my learning focus. I do have an adapter coming for a 28 and 50mm Yashica Manual that I will toy with.
Thank you for the encouragement on the first photo, I dd crop out some of the busyness on the left to try and isolate the subject, the wall just.. well it felt right to leave it in for some reason.
A street photographer on a youtube video said, "when you look at the picture, does it make you want to know more". I like that idea, that a photograph creates questions rather than answering them.. I mean in respects of art, that is ... some photos are exactly what it says on the box lol

This old guy looks like he would have a few tales to tell if you bought him a double low flyer (grouse) lol

DSC02816.jpg by David Parker, on Flickr
 
Fivetide said:
Slyelessar, thank you very much for the post.. wow some great tips and I really like that you may have "outed" my reluctance of shooting candidly lol No I don't particularly like having my picture taken, I'm 6" 3" and have been overweight for the last ten years although I've dropped down now to where the doctor says I might not die of heart disease right away :) , So yeah I was a fatty photo and I suppose I did have a bit of a complex.. I'm working on it though.
I know most photographers would roll their eyes up at this, but I decided to leave my 35mm on for 1 year. I need to to get to grips with one thing at a time, the A6000 and 35mm are 4 days old and swapping and changing lens will complicate my learning focus. I do have an adapter coming for a 28 and 50mm Yashica Manual that I will toy with.
Thank you for the encouragement on the first photo, I dd crop out some of the busyness on the left to try and isolate the subject, the wall just.. well it felt right to leave it in for some reason.
A street photographer on a youtube video said, "when you look at the picture, does it make you want to know more". I like that idea, that a photograph creates questions rather than answering them.. I mean in respects of art, that is ... some photos are exactly what it says on the box lol

This old guy looks like he would have a few tales to tell if you bought him a double low flyer (grouse) lol

DSC02816.jpg by David Parker, on Flickr
Click to expand...

Sorry to hear about health issues. I too am overweight and need to lose some extra baggage due to family prone health issues.

Street photography is something I shoot all the time, and I remember when I started out it was difficult to get useful tips. That is why I started my site. There is a lot of stuff out there now though, and you can find a lot of good info on the net.

I think it is great you are sticking with the 35mm. It is good to know the gear, and you should be able to make quicker judgements when you are used to using a specific focal length. 28mm and 24mm is my usual shooting focal length, but I started with a 50mm.

That is a nice shot, well framed, and good leading lines to the subject.
 
Just a simple candid street style shot taken of a young lady taking a snap with her Cell Phone.

X-T1, 55-200mm Lens, 1/70th @ F5.6, ISO-200, Handheld.
Togger (5)-03114 by G.K.Jnr., on Flickr

:ty: for looking., (y)

George.
 
Wow that last one Slyelessar is great .. looks like guy in the advert is pointing at the tourist lol ...
 
Fivetide said:
Wow that last one Slyelessar is great .. looks like guy in the advert is pointing at the tourist lol ...
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I couldn't resist! I thought it was rather humourous.

The first photo was a similar moment, the person in the middle randomly appeared and I dropped to my knee to try and get all 3 elements in the photograph.
 
On the first one I would have cropped it just left of the boy at the wall, to give the 3 rule and stop the eye wondering to the guy with his back to you. Just me, still a good shot :)
 
Fivetide said:
On the first one I would have cropped it just left of the boy at the wall, to give the 3 rule and stop the eye wondering to the guy with his back to you. Just me, still a good shot :)
Click to expand...

That element was important for me, as it kept all three things I was trying to capture happening- with the couple, the person in the middle, and the guy on the far left walking alongside the wall.

Cheers :)
 
Just a simple candid street style shot taken of a couple of guys deep in conversation.

X-T1, 55-200mm Lens, 1/450th @ F5.6, ISO-200, Handheld.
It Was This Big-03039 by G.K.Jnr., on Flickr

:ty: for looking.,(y)

George.
 
No Longer Available.

George.
 
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Just a candid street style shot taken of a young lady with her guitar about to start doing some busking with a couple of very contented dogs by her side.

X-T1, 18-55mm Lens, 1/130th @ F5.6, ISO-200, Handheld.
Ready For Busking-03083 by G.K.Jnr., on Flickr

:ty: for looking., (y)

George.
 
No Longer Available.

George.
 
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G.K.Jnr. said:
Just a candid street style shot of Brian (Budgie) or The Owl Man as all the locals know him. He's been running the self supported Folkestone Owl Rescue service for many years now and is highly respected in the Kent area for his work.

X-T1, 55-200mm Lens, 1/140th @ F5.6, ISO-200, Handheld.
Budgie ((The Owl Man)-03050 by G.K.Jnr., on Flickr

:ty: for looking., (y)

George.
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Zoom into his sunglasses, on the right (his left), it looks like something rude is sticking out :O
 
Fairly poor day for me today

Pulled this one out of the bunch

18615-1501354529-3945d4dd840db22e130bd18b184082e5.jpg
 
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