How Street Photographers Are INVISIBLE
Вставка
- Опубліковано 6 чер 2024
- Sometimes you just have to be sneaky and not get noticed while doing street photography. Here's how you can get closer to your subject while not being seen, which is a super useful skill in all different photographic genres.
→ Join my free email community:
email.huntercreatesthings.com/ 💌
→ Beginner's Film Photography Course: learnphotography.thinkific.co...
Follow me on instagram:
/ huntercreatesthings 📷
Merch is new and now available (more coming soon) : shop.huntercreatesthings.com/
Get Your Gear From Moment to Support Me
bit.ly/MomentStaysHydrated ❤️
I Lit This Video With Zhiyun Lights
bit.ly/ZhiyunStayHydrated 🔦
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you'd like to buy me a coffee, or contribute to my production budget, why not become a channel member?
Thank you for watching x - Фільми й анімація
Hey! I have just launched a course that will teach you how to shoot your first roll of film! It's designed for complete beginners, so if you've been wanting to go Analogue but haven't started yet, check it out! learnphotography.thinkific.com/courses/film-basics 🎞
technique 1 cool guys dont look at explosions
technique 2 the mr bean
technique 3 professor trelawney
got it thank you
LMAOOO
3 probably works best if you really seem interested in what's behind and focusing on one spot. Not just letting your eyes wander. One makes you seem just interested in something else, the other nervous and therefore creepy
*As a retired - X War-Photographer* --- here are 6 more important tips - *No 1 - Don't waste time*
2 - Use a moderate wide-angle lens - 35mm ~ 28mm - if you're not in close - you're not in close enough.
3 - Use the viewer just briefly - then flip the mirror out of the way - so that when you press the shutter - it makes almost no sound.
4 - Stop down the Aperture to maximize the amount of the image that is in focus. Also practice framing the shot without looking through the viewfinder.
5 - A good photographer 'knows' the angle of coverage in the shot - without needing to look into the view-finder. Practice this technique until it becomes second nature.
6 - In dicey situations that required stealth - I would sling the camera over my shoulder - with the 'timer' set & the mirror in the up position. These shots were often dramatic.
Fantastic tips!
@@huntercreatesthings
You're welcome -- Mostly shot B&W - slide film was fugitive & affected by humidity.
Nam 71~73 - Yom Kippur - Mujaheddin - Afghanistan - 79-80 - Serbia - Kosovo & others
I'm 75 now - sold most of my gear - but still keep an Agfa Optima 1035 handy along with a Nikon L35-AF - mostly for fun.
Wow - that's quite a career. Anywhere online we can see your work?
@@huntercreatesthings Honestly - I'll keep myself to myself. I only opened up because I enjoyed your ideas & wanted to help. 20 years of shooting that stuff - left me with pretty bad PTSD as well as other symptoms including deafness. If you look up Duncan - you'll be close - his story was a thousand times longer & greater than mine.. All the best.
@@Pax.Alotin wow... I'd really like to hear your story grandpa
how was it to work as war photographer? What made you to do that?
As an experienced introvert, I realized that I intuitively found out the base forms of those techniques by myself 😂 great video! Now I can be a professional introvert!
Hahahaha yes!
hey. can I see your photos by any chance?
Not to mention that with my constant kilometer stare it always looks like I'm looking past people even if I'm looking directly at them.
as an old man i am very excited about technique 2 since it will not be a stretch for me
Even better hahaha
im not a photographer, im just a normal human being or a normal pedestrian, now i will see every street photographer i come across.
Say hi when you do! We don't bite
oh no, our secrets are revealed...
Here's one I found the most useful: use stereotypes to your advantage. People generally love artists but hate paparazzi, understandably so. If a guy wearing beanie, fishing jackets and sandles carrying a large camera with a big bag, I don't like to be in front of that camera. But if someone dresses like a gentleman with a Hasselblad pointing at me, I feel like I must be a very artistic subject worthy of his attention. Using this perspective you can get so much more opportunities and even very friendly dialogues with people on the streets, which I think is the best part of street photography.
It turns out the carhartt beanie meme was a bad idea this whole time lmaoooo
I occasionally use my "stand out like a sore thumb and be obvious" technique. I'll bring my ols 4×5 Graphlex or Speedgraphic plate camera. Within minutes youl have a small croud around you admiring a vintage camera and asking questions about it. Here's the fun part - these people are perfect cover for you to take candids. People will notice the small crowd before they notice your camera. And if tgey do notice you've taken their photo, they usually join the crowd. The best part is that ypu can tell people exactly what ypu are doing.
Street photography on 4x5 is my kind of crazy hahaha
That's how I unintentionaly started street photography. I've always tried to capture scenes and mood of my daily life just so that I can express what I was feeling at the moment and I fell in love with those characters that came in the frame. As you said it, it's quite easy to take a photo of people if you make it look natural, as if you aren't trying to shoot them.
Nice! Completely agree
change the word photography to shootings and it changes the whole meaning 💀
I love the bumbling old grandpa one!😂
It's my fave for sure
I've finally found a positive to my aging.
@@mgscheue me too I’m 75
When you get old, you become invisible anyway.
I do the bumbling old grandma variant... though much of it is due to actually being uncomfortable in crowds and trying to look busy so nobody will try to talk to me.
The fact that it took me 1 1/2 minutes to notice your microphone is a testament to your magic skills.
Hahaha thank you 😂
or your perception skills 😂 cheers!
Have you noticed the wooden spoon?
@@svt8376 yep. i use those wooden spatulas for pushing the tongue down
That was rather odd, but also captivating. Quite unique. I was thinking why not just clip it on your shirt? 😆
1. Dress up while dressing down your colors.
Blacks, browns, greys. Nice khakis, a clean button-down shirt, maybe even a sportscoat. People are less likely to get nervous or suspicious of a person dressed nice using a camera.
2. Don't make eye contact.
The minute you make eye contact with a subject, they are acutely aware of you.
3. No rapid movements.
Don't jerk the camera to your eye. Don't dance around the subject. Move like a panther. Slow, steady. Stand still. On a crowded street people will walk right passed you standing still and never notice you.
Great tips!! Any excuse to dress well is a good one haha
A technique I use a lot is simply have the camera hanging on my neck with a strap and take the photos without looking through the viewfinder. I use a zone focus at f/5.6 to f/11. I shoot in manual mode so I can control the shutter speed and aperture but I use auto ISO. I'm usual at 1/500 speed. I focus on a spot on the ground in front of me. Anything that comes into the zone will be in focus. I can be looking the other way and take a photo. I use a 28mm on a full frame. I have a 40mm lens I also use but it's a little trickier using the no look method.
Nice, I do this too!
Another tip that I find really useful. Take a picture using your screen but do it from the hip while pretending to be looking at your phone with your other hand
Nice one - sometimes I've even pretended to be taking a selfie with my phone while taking a photo of someone hahaha
@@huntercreatesthingsStreet photography *with* a smartphone is obviously easier in general, but another one I've done is bring the phone up to my face and squint while blocking out the sun from it with my other hand, as if trying to read small text .
I'll also sometimes take a picture of something up high, then pretend I'm bringing my phone up to my eye level to preview (also blocking the sun from the screen with my other hand). A bit ridiculous, but it seems to work and it might even work with a proper camera.
Smartphones are an excellent prop for almost any occasion!
I connect the phone to the camera while shooting from the hip to make sure you have the person framed, then take the shot using the phone
I think you're spot on about everything.. except the assumption people are reasonable and good humored. Here in the US, the opposite is true for about 49.5 of these 50 states 😅
The first time I saw Garry doing the bumble, I couldn't believe it. Now it's like my main technique. One time someone asked me if I took their picture, clearly agitated, and I just said "DID IT FINALLY TAKE? DID YOU SEE WHAT BUTTON I PRESSED?" Situation over, guy actually tried to help me find my shutter.
That's actually genius hahahaha
I just like that the guy tried to help you after all that! 😂😂
@@Just_Call_Me_Tim He switched to pitying me for being a casual idiot lol. I'll certainly take that over a smackdown.
Lol I just realized that I use method 3 naturally because of my social anxiety + to avoid eye contact. I love photography, but I hate conflict, so I just act like I'm an idiot with a camera, works for me and makes me practice my passion without overthinking.
Thanks for the tips though, love your style, just subbed.
Thank you :) Means a lot!
Dress normal. Camera strap wrapped around your hand, not around your neck. Flow through the streets along with the flow of other people and learn to blend taking photos into your motion. And if anyone does speak to you, be open and willing to engage.
Great advice!
I use number 3 A LOT. It's sooo easy. People never think I'm taking their photo. I'll also set up in a spot with a scene I like and wait for someone interesting to pass by. I'll be taking pictures in that direction the whole time so they think nothing of it.
Number three is definitely underrated!
My problem with modern street photography : 99% of street photography are just snapshots without any value and story.
Story is the most important factor for a good photo IMO
Stories are everywhere. History is everywhere. A living being to me is well enough a story just by knowing they’ve lived and are living - experiencing this life all the same as you or myself, except with their own views, memories, feelings, etc. All citizens, people, are so interesting and special to me. I believe it is the job of the photographer or artist to be able to highlight that specialness within every subject.
Another is letting the subject walk into your frame pretending to focus on something else. This way, it creates a feeling that even if they realised that you took the photo, it was their mistake and normally you get a "I'm sorry".
Ooh that's a good one!
@@huntercreatesthings I do a variation on this. I focus on the subject and hold the camera in position very still taking cues from the background on the subject's actual position. I pop my head from behind the camera, smile and pretend that I'm letting them walk-by. Then, at the right moment, click, and I go back to pretending like I'm taking a picture of the background. Works surprisingly well.
People are so self-centered, shy and perceptive where I live that they almost always walk around the shot whenever I post up somewhere. People don’t just walk through the shot because they think they’re messing up a video or photo ur taking… tried it alot, didn’t work most the time
This method is a great one. I started photography doing landscape photos and when I started taking photos of people this came naturally to me. In the transition I also ended up effectively combining this with the third tip from the video. I was taking pictures of interesting scenery in spots that people would often walk past. This made it seem like I wasn't focusing on the people I was taking photos of and gave me a good mix of landscape photos and candid photos. The only problem that I have with this approach is that people often wait for me to finish taking photos or go out of their way to not block the shot.
The approach of taking actual landscape photos alongside the ones with people also helped a lot with my lack of confidence in taking photos of people. I didn't need to work very hard to sell the idea that I was taking photos of landscapes and I could also kind of lie to myself and say that that was all that I was doing.
@@GMTA_jacobin my experience, that's not them being self centered or shy, but more often them trying to be considerate and not block your shot. My advice to partially get around this is to take photos of people at intersections, or on sidewalks or park paths. Try to stand somewhere where it would be inconvenient for people to walk around you. This way more people will just walk through the frame rather than walking around you. Some people will still wait for you to finish, in those cases just snap a photo and lower the camera to let them pass. Also consider where and when you are taking photos. During rush hour and the evening commute more people are going to be concentrating on getting to work/home than on anything else so you get more candid photos at that time. They also are more likely to just ignore you even if they do notice you as they are more focused on getting to their destination. Taking photos in more crowded environments is also good, try a main shopping street or busy intersection. I would also employ one of the techniques found in the video to be less noticable. The third one wouldn't really help but I find fiddling with the camera as if you don't know what you are doing to be very effective in that regard. Try to make it seem like you are struggling with your settings or the camera as a whole and people will assume you aren't really taking photos. This can be really good if you are taking pictures on your phone and your camera app has manual settings as most people wouldn't recognize that you are taking pictures if they see you fiddling with the screen.
I’ve used a variation of technique iii. Take a stance facing subject but turn your torso facing something interesting to photograph. Come to the spot looking around so that when you stop you are not facing your subject if digital you will have already set a delay timer. Take the fake photo then turn towards the subject and appear to be looking at the screen for the fake photo while the timer triggers the actual photo. When I first did this it was out side of a coffee shop/ice cream place in Toronto on Roncy call the Cherry Bomb above the door was a great big red cherry bomb. The guy I shot was a huge guy, looked like a biker, eating an ice cream while looking straight at me, non the wiser.
Nice!
That is really a great idea!!
Definitely agree with this, most people will be cool with public photo. Return the favor by avoiding the shot if someone appears uncomfortable, to be deliberately looking away or covering their face, and always be willing to delete a shot by a subject if asked.
Of course! Being generally chill and willing to chat to people is key
This.
I am actively uncomfortable having my photo taken without explicit consent and all these examples in the video would be red flags to me. I refuse to be ANYWHERE near the front of someone's camera, regardless of how they're acting.
Me and my 15 yr old kid are both wheelchair users and my 12 yr old rides on my lap a lot of the time. I also have blue hair and facial piercings, so I'm very recognisable. One day, I had someone see us and then openly pull his camera up and take a photo. My discomfort was obvious, but instead of stopping to check if it was okay to have taken it, he disappeared too quickly for me to be able to confront him.
If he'd bothered to stop and ask, I would've explained that it's a danger to me and my kids to post that image online and he needs to delete it. What he doesn't know is that I have had abusive people in my life who may recognise me in that photo and become motivated to insert themselves back into our lives. It could also lead to people targeting me with violence or using my recognisability to target my kids. My kids' faces aren't online for a reason.
If I ever find that photo online.... May the odds be ever in his favour.
When Vivien Maier was using a twin-lens reflex camera (held at chest-level), she'd be looking down at it to frame and focus. This is way less "in your face" so people wouldn't be as aware of her camera. Plus the slight upward angle had several advantages.
100%! I've been thinking about picking up a TLR for a while now...
Talking into a spoon with a mini microphone on it is so perfect.
I might start doing that at my friend's house randomly to get smiles out of them.❤
It literally started as a joke and now it's my whole personality lmao
The somewhat lost tourist works every time in Melbourne. Day backpack, an old Akubra hat and a touch of confusion in the big smoke. Even had a city tourism volunteer ask me where I was from & how I liked Melbourne. Got the full rundown of what was where but it worked. Had an Olympus Stylus 1 for most of my street work. It’s ideal, small, 28-300mm, viewfinder & 10 fps. After that I dragged out a DSLR which is my preferred option…no drama. Just gotta follow your gut feeling.
The other persona is the pro at work with the DSLR & small tripod…ostensibly shooting great architecture & arcades. No one gives it a second look. Shooting from the hip with a DSLR is fun or just sitting with the camera in my lap gets some shots but nothing beats asking people for a candid shot. The more ‘out there’ the better the hit rate. Thanks for the video. Well done.
Great techniques! Thanks for watching :)
That spoon is the greatest mic holder I've seen! ❤️
Hahaha thank you
My technique... Hanging cam...
I connect my camera to my phone, hang it to my neck, and just pretend I'm texting while the viewfinder and the shooting button are literally on my phone 😂
Only works on days with very fast shutter speed and bright surroundings.
It'll also be better if u use a flat pancake lens.
Personally , i use a pinhole, so it's very unassuming.
Oh the camera control app is genius I actually hadn't thought of that!
I do a lot of street photography for my school’s photography club.
my main way of taking pictures of people is always to stay far away from them or when they are busy lookking at something else.
I would also do the second technique. pretending that my camera was bugging out or there was a smudge on the lense.
The only time I was confronted is when a cop had to check my camera because I had accidentally took a picture of the US Ambassador’s residence at Suropati park. :]
When I had first moved to London I was unfamiliar with the civilised world and got rather curtly told off for taking photos of what I thought was just a nice building and ended up actually being the Embassy of Qatar
One thing of note is to use camera that's obviously not "pro" - in common person's eye, that is. Something like big and bulky top range camera with extra grip, or somewhat longer lens (not even telephoto, longer 85mm is usually enough to standout) and you are suddenly suspicious.
Instead, you want to go smaller, which is (luckily for street photographers) easier today. Compacts or mirrorless cameras, or even smaller DSLRs are way to go. Pancake lenses are great, because for non-photographers small equals amateur - better not tell them about those Zeiss and Voigtländer pancakes!
You can also work with your camera - is your camera boring pro black? Get a leather case and look more like a tourist that wants their camera to be pretty (and get extra protection with that). Put a silly sticker on your camera. Use a strap that's not default (because they usually suck ergonomically), but it's in jarring colour, because purple is your wife's favourite colour and she picked it, you see? Misdirection is everything here~
Definitely - but in some situations, in certain places (London) I feel like my big pro gripped up Nikon with a jumbo lens is almost more camo and unnoticeable than a Leica since it looks like I'm working rather than just taking photos, although I guess my subpar wardrobe also helps with that look haha
I hold the camera in front of me at chest height staring at the back screen talking to myself. People assume you are live-streaming or shooting a video.
Also a great technique!
Incredible my dude ! And you have a great sens of humor. Loved it
Glad you enjoyed it!
I do use trick 3 and it definitely does work. But I'm quite bad at being stealth or sneaky in a public place I'm too aware of myself. I'll sometimes do the drive by, but like I'm shooting everything and I've got nothing to hide, just take the picture and walk away. If I spot someone whose portrait I want to take, I usually make eye contact and smile and just shoot. If I'm shooting digital, sometimes I will show my images to whoever it is I'm shooting on the street, specially if we make eye contact. It usually makes them feel good to be involved in the photo and you can have a bit of a chat. Just today, I had a flower seller in the bazaar strike up a conversation, about what I do with the pictures I was taking, I showed him some pictures I'd taken in the past and he was really nice about it. I have a friend who brings his mini printer with him sometimes when traveling and gives pictures to folks.
100%. Photography is dialogic, and street candids count!
These are actually extremely useful! It’s so smart but I wouldn’t have thought of that myself 😅 That will definitely help me feel more confident when I take photos in the future
I'm so glad I could help!!
There was a really interesting video where a guy masters how to shoot from the hip in street photography. He had the exposure, the DOF and the process to aim all ironed out. It was really interesting. You get angles from it you might not get with holding it up to your eye as well
Shooting from the hip is awesome - I recently did a video about all the different ways I shoot without looking, you should check it out!
The advice in this video is simply brilliant, as well as brilliantly simple.
Thank you so much!!!
thanks for the great video man! love the microphone!
Glad you like it!
I kinda appreciate knowing these now as someone who hates being in photos. Lets me know what to dodge 💀
I totally get you hahaha but it's sad to hear you hate being in photos! Happy to do a free portrait shoot for you until you're happy with one.
just picked up a old canon, T80 thanks for all the tips. So far i just have a 50mm and have only gone through 1 roll. cant wait to take some more shots.
Awesome!! Get some 400TX in there!
okay, second technic is the best 😂😂😂
Hahaha it's my favorite - and it works so well!
Great tips and tricks my man. Keep it up!
Thank you so much!!
Great tips, especially at the end!
Glad you enjoyed it!
the winogrand technique is fantastic.
I have definitely missed photos in the past because I felt I was too close to my subject. It doesnt help that I usually shoot on a camera that has a pretty loud shutter as well.
Will have to try this one out next time I am on the street.
Good video!
Thanks for watching!
Thank you for the video! I have been on street photography for years, but my experience with people photography has been so low due to my anxiety disorders and frustrations, constantly worrying about getting yelled at after getting noticed (and I did once get yelled at... for taking photos of a 20+ years old Hyundai).
So far my attempts at being invisible was "holding and looking at my phone while focusing the camera to the subject", hip shot, and pretend like I'm testing out the camera with sony a7's silent shooting. But those attempts usually ended up with unfocused and shaken images.
Not only techniques, but now I feel less anxious for the shots I take and will take, and realized that just dying in anxiety will lead me to nowhere. Hoping to try out these techniques asap with new attitude in photos. Subscribed!
So glad I could help! Practice makes perfect, keep going!
I don't really do street per-se, but I'm keen to give it a go as I try new subjects to capture. My shoots are mostly done whilst urban exploring, so my subjects are typically inanimate.
But anyway your story of getting yelled at for shooting a car is a bit surprising. I love snapping unusual cars, but I always ask if there's an obvious owner nearby (not sure why ... probably equal parts being respectful and opening up opportunity for a chat) - and I've never had someone say no, and most times I get a quick history of the vehicle too!
@@KristovMars tbh, for car spots I used to think 'people might look at me suspiciously if I get busy taking photos of 20-30+ years old cars' and I think that made me behave suspiciously for those car photos 😅
Nowadays I try to be more open about it - going around the car, take about 4-5 shots, and then leave. Sometimes owners come to me wondering for the shots, and I also have been going honest about my intentions which thankfully all lead to good talks. Definitely feels great to be more confident about my photography instead of feeling like I'm illegally taking pictures!
The ambiance, the tips, the spoon : you're my new favorite content creator
Thank you so much hahaha!
The final tip is a key to success with the first three in this nicely done video.
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed
Really like this video! I’ll use the tips my wildlife techniques! Seriously though this is really helpful, I think the last point about not looking creepy is the most importantly one. Thank you!
You're so welcome! Glad I could help.
as a 6ft 1in indian kid in Pennsylvania people were suspicious before I even touched my camera, I think i'll stay away from street photography
Don't give up so easily! There will be a way.
I did the first technique subconsciously while I was taking photographs around Barcelona, though at other times, I believe that I looked a bit nervous while I was trying to photograph a large building with tonnes of people in front of it.
Being relaxed and confident takes time but it makes a huge difference!
Ok. The mic clipped to the wooden spoon adds a certain je ne sais quoi to the whole video.
Hahaha I do what I can
Good video man, informative and entertaining
Thank you :) that's great to hear
Great tips I'd never heard before or knew I needed. The bonus tips from the war photog in the comments are also priceless!
Glad to hear it! Agreed, what a legend
Great tips, just getting into film photography propper and was looking for some way to get more comfy at shooting street and events!
Yuss!! You can do it!
Very neat techniques... Love the wooden spoon!
Thank you! Cheers!
Ultymate stealth technique is make photo without directly look into back of camera.
Problem is obvious, only half or less controll over finnale image but sometime when there is a really lot of people, it can be less noticable.
I agree... keep an eye out for Friday's video, I think you might like it.... for no particular reason
Please keep in mind people's privacy. In Germany, using these tricks to take secret photos is illegal (according to my non-lawyer perspective). If the person is primary subject to the photo, you usually have to ask first.
Respecting local laws is step zero which goes without saying
My favorite technique for large crowds and events I used just last night: being as non-challant as possible. If you're at a large local event, or gathering of people, especially around a specific time of year (IE graduation time here in the US like it is right now), and you happen to see a large group of people dressed up and congregated in public place ( in front of the local ice cream joint for instance), and just don't photograph anyone in particular, then get in and get out after a few minutes, most people will probably assume "oh, he works for the local paper or something", and no one's the wiser.
100% yes. This is also why I think the big DSLR gets a pass too!
@@huntercreatesthings I'm all film and shoot with a Nikon F5. Looks juuuuuuust DSLR'y enough to pass (since it is the grand-daddy of DSLR's, after all ;) )
lol, before the 3rd one was mentioned, I took out my phone camera and did the same thing to see what other methods were viable XD
Active participation is encouraged hahaha
I'm an amateur, but taking photos with the camera on a short tripod, hand held and using a remote control for the shutter tends to leave folk looking at you, then at the lens then back to you...I've had some fun with this even indoors and very close up.
Pairing my smartphone to my Sony a6500 has allowed me to be looking at my phone while shooting (shutter release on the phone) - also works.
then you forget to silence the shutter
Very solid tips in a concise video! Thank you!
Thank you for watching!
Good advice, I'll try them and see which suits me better. Thanks!
Glad I could help!
These are some cool tips, thank you. I thought "aimbot" meant something else though, thought it was something similar to what I sometimes do, which is to gauge the focus distance of my subject on something else of similar distance, half press, and then steal a shot at the subject without looking into the VF.
Nice! Zone focus is such a gamechanger
I'm 46, and got my first "real" camera this past Xmas. I'm counting on the phenomenon that women become invisible as they get older, 😂😂
Some of the best photographers to have ever lived have been women your age!!! Check out work by Sally Mann, Mary Ellen Mark, and Jill Friedman
@huntercreatesthings Thanks! I'm definitely going to look those women up, and check out their work.
As a magician I can tell you. These misdirection tips are very good. Very good!
Thank you!
I just get familiar with my focal length and hold the camera flush with my chest. Hands on either side of the camera and when they get within the range I like let my thumb hit shutter button. And they just think I'm carrying my camera across my chest. I get about 60% hit rate of success.
That's a great one!!
This is fantastic - thank you
You're very welcome!
As a person with a camera that makes a VERY noticeable shutter sound from the mechanical(ish) shutter, I can not do anything invisible.
In that case you just gotta own it!
I have no idea if I'll use this, but this was quite interesting! Wonder if this sort of stuff would work with phones...
Worth a crack!
i just use my zoom lens and do the drive by method, works great when you see something but its across the street and moving
The amount of times I've cursed myself for not using the 24-70 honestly
I haven't done much in terms of street photography, but I took my first early steps in it during the eclipse earlier this year. The first picture I took with my dinky OnePlus6t was of a vintage mailbox in a historic area of a Texas town at night with some excellent string lights and a restaurant behind it. It was almost a macro shot, but I managed a nice bokeh. While I was taking a shot my dad yelled my name, jolting me back to reality. Then I heard "Excuse me sir, what are you doing?" from a lady eating dinner with her family 30 feet from the mailbox, and they happen to be dead-center behind it from my shot. Apparently it was maybe the 3rd or 4th time they tried to ask, but I was in the zone. After stuttering for a bit, I just answered "oh, I'm trying to get into photography. I took a picture of the mailbox" I didn't have much more of an answer than that, but they accepted it, probably realizing I was a tourist.
I will say, probably didn't help that I was using a smartphone. My dad heavily advised me against trying to take more pictures with people in the shot (which also ruined another shot I tried to line up, which wasn't even directly at people, but ehh). I plan to just get smarter with it, and just use it as an opener for conversation in the future, cus it doesn't have to be awkward when you have nothing to hide. Probably will get a real pocket sized camera though. I feel that'd put more people at ease.
That's a rough start - but it happens to all of us. Keep going! If you're young, one of the best excuses is "I'm a photography student".
I use a different technique. My small Ricoh street photography camera doesn't have a viewfinder. I bought a thumb rest grip and can take pictures while holding the camera in one hand. No one can even understand what I'm filming because it looks like I'm just holding the camera in my hand. To ensure I don't miss my subject, I use burst mode and snap distance mode.
It was difficult at first, but after some time you can feel the correct direction of the camera and the correct distance to the subject.
Snap distance mode on the GR3 is so good!
I have no idea why this was recommended, I don't do photography, but it's interesting
Guess the algorithm thinks we'll get along
Great techniques! Thanks for sharing. I'll definitely try to use them :)
Glad you found it useful!
I love the spoon. 😂
Hahaha thank you
Love the spoon!
Thank you hahaha
Great tips. Subscribed 🤩👍
Thanks!
I use technique 3 the most. It really works!
It's so effective!
I just realized that I subconsciously use this skills to take picture of strangers in the streets without their knowledge. Except the bumbling grandpa one. Maybe I'll use it when I'm old enough. 😂 Thanks btw. 👍
Glad you enjoyed!
the "being clueless" technique sounds good. I'm not a good actor, but I'll try it some day :)
Works even better if you are genuinely clueless hahaha
Stealth and being invisible when shooting street is imho extremely overrated and often more like a beginners mistake.
Agreed - that was my point at the end of the video :)
5:40 in some countries taking a picture of a stranger is doing something wrong and it is punishable by fine or even jail time. So check Your Countries law first, before You listen to a stranger on UA-cam.
Goes without saying
the massive catchonk!! of the mirror clapping harder than dads belt would probably destroy the first two methods
loud busy streets required for SLR users hahaha
I agree. even the older digital cameras sound loud.
Great! I'll try the grandpa method, looks like fun. Unless they call an ambulance. Or the police 🤣...
I add to your tips:
• Use ANOTHER -inanimate or animal- subject, like a bird, an empty bench that it's at similar distance to your intended subject, to set up focus, speed, aperture. Then switch casually to your subject and shoot 😉
• Use a mirrorless and turn the electronic shutter on, and all sounds off. Cons are rolling shutter, and banding from fluorescent lights, but you gain a 100% silent shoot
Great tips as well :)
The mic on the wooden spoon is a nice touch! The images are nice too, thanks for the tips!
Glad you liked it!
Meanwhile you may have missed another great shot 😂😂
Some basic 50s and 60s viewfinder cameras have the shutter button on the front not the top so you wont look like you’re taking a picture at all
I had an old Agfa with a front shutter!
@@huntercreatesthings they also often employ zone focussing
the best tip. Be confident. Not just with taking photos. It helps with EVERYTHING
Very real. Absolutely life changing growing more confident ... May or may not be what next week's video is all about 🤫
I love this sm omg
Thank you! :)
Very funny but very TRUE. Great video!!!!
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed
Confidence is a major element.
100%, confidence is key. It's one of the main things I focus on in workshops and with students, because once you're not scared it's like you've taken the photographer's Limitless Pill
I just found your videos. I will be waiting for more of your work. Great tips
Awesome, thank you!
Currently nailing method number two with the film camera I got two weeks ago, because I just kinda don't fully understand it
That's the most fun hahaha - I hope you enjoy!
I use the "tourist" method. Go around in a small group. Everyone should be taking photos, chattting and having a good time. If you look like tourists you don't look like a threat
This is also great fun! Good way to make friends with local photographers too
I've used the first and last one a whole lot, it really works lol
100%!
I pretend I’m trying to shoot something else behind them. I look through the viewfinder and pretend I’m just framing the shot and actually take the photo of them and pretend I haven’t taken it yet, and am waiting for them to move.
That's a great way - like technique 3 but different!
I have used the 3rd one for years as long as you just never make eye contact with the person you should never have any trouble.
Perfect for me since I don't do that anyway
Thankfully, I'm a bumbling old man and have become increasingly invisible. Also, look like a tourist, take pictures of buildings and quirky stuff, basically mix it up. Finally don't be afraid to have a chat. Great video delivery.
Thanks!
@grant - I pretty much AM a tourist in my own city, so it's easy for me to look the part.
And yeah, great video - gained a new subscriber in me.
Great tips! I actually got assaulted once for taking a guys photo, and while the dude was clearly unhinged and I probably would have set him off no matter what, I think it was the fact I tried to take a sneaky hip shot that he noticed that made everything worse (unfortunately he began by grabbing for my camera and yelling at me to delet it so it wasn't really possible to de-escalate or talk him down =(
Ah that sounds horrible - hope you managed to get out of it ok!
When people don’t know the lens whether it be wide or narrow, you’ll be stationary with a scene, have your designated subject walk in, take the photo, but don’t follow through until after they pass you. My instructor back in high school trained us on this tactic and it freaking worked. There’s been times where I just stayed put as if I was still focusing on the “shot”. Ultimately, a waist level viewfinder on a Pentax 67 is so much easier than an eye level viewfinder.
Street on 6x7! Arm day every day haha
@@huntercreatesthings I’ve had the 67 since my sophomore year (2008), and I have to say that arm fatigue is never an issue but the loud clack brings too much curiosity in some folks. As much as you want to stay invisible, you just can’t with this camera sometimes. 😆
You really spoon fed us that information.
oh stop it 😂
Great info. thanks
Good tips! Trying to get into more street photography, sometimes you just have to take it and deal with the consequences later haha
One hundred percent!