The column by Alexander Merc
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As they say, “you’re not yet a street photographer if you’re not been yelled yet for taking pictures of strangers”. True! I had a man stopped and screamed at me for taking his photo. I felt scared and threatened then. I thought I will be punched in the nose. Luckily just deleting his picture was all it take to get him away. In another instance, I was in downtown, a mother told me not to take the picture of her kid or she will call a cop.
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My intent in writing this blog is not to scare you guys but to remind you that being cautious is better than to lament later on. As what like your doctor always tells you “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. Especially after that tragic event on 9/11 things have changed drastically. People became suspicious, distrustful and cautious of strangers.
Street Photography is fun and exciting. Don’t ruin your day by not being prepared for any circumstances that might come along in your way. I don’t advise you to bring a weapon when you go out in the streets. No! What you need is just a little common sense!
Here are some tips that will help you out of trouble when you’re doing street photography:
1) Dress appropriately. Avoid being suspected as a pervert, pedophile, criminal or terrorist. Dress appropriately, decently and the way most people do. Carry light things only. You don’t need tons of equipment, like big lenses, tripod or backpack. Try to become invisible as much as possible.
2) Make up some business cards with your name and title of “photographer” Put some link to google+, flickr or other website and give them out when people ask what you are doing. Maybe have a sample photobook with you.
3) Know the laws of the place (city, province or country) you are covering. The first thing to bear in mind is that the laws and customs in various countries are different. Not all places are friendly with street photographers. Make some research. For example, in Montreal City where I lived, it is prohibited to take pictures of children. Likewise, here, people have the right to complain if they have incurred damages brought about by the picture you have taken.
4) Watch out for people you are photographing. Avoid taking pictures of mean-looking guys and drug addicts. They may be just itching to lash out at somebody so be attentive and try to read their energy and body language.
5) Always smile, respect people and don’t argue. Street photography is not illegal. You are not doing anything wrong but when people stop you from having their picture taken, stop it! It’s not worth arguing, just don’t shoot, smile and leave. Always be respectful of others.
6) Photograph with a friend. If you are not yet confident with your craft, bring along a friend with you. This will embolden you since you have a bodyguard. You may also use your friend as a decoy, as if he or she is the one you are shooting but it’s another one.
7) Pretend that you are taking video and not photos. Most people don’t want to be photographed. One way of avoiding eye contact with strangers is to pretend that you are taking video and not photos. Aim your camera to some other subject or background and when you capture that person, keep the camera still like you are still capturing what is behind him.
8) Ask permission when doing street portraits. There is thrill and excitement in doing street portraits. However, people are annoyed when you directly pointed your camera to their face. There is no harm in asking permission first. Give them compliment as everyone enjoys a compliment. I consider street portrait or portraiture as chunk of street photography as it is done in public and not posed or directed.
9) Be confident. This is the key to being unnoticed. Make yourself look confident, even you don’t feel one, so that people will ignore you. If you look nervous, scared and tentative, people will get noticed you easily. They will think that you’re doing something wrong, but if you are doing right, they won’t bother.
10) Be attentive when on the streets or public places. Last but not least, be extremely careful when on the streets, observe the rules of the road properly, be mindful of snatchers, hold-uppers and other criminals. With your excitement to shoot that decisive moment you might forget that it’s not time for you to cross the street yet or you are jaywalking already. And those sophisticated cameras are very tempting to criminals. Avoid dubious places.
Have fun but stay safe.
Cheers!
Alexander Merc
Although most people I know use auto focus while shooting the streets, there are two more techniques that are interesting to use: Zone focusing and Range focusing. In this article I will try to explain both techniques and the pro's and con's of using them.
Prior to 1978 when Polaroid released it's SX-70 Sonar OneStep single lens reflex camera, there was no auto focus available and most street photographers used range focus or zone focus to get their images as sharp as possible. While those techniques will never produce the sharpness from using the auto focus, it does give you an "acceptable sharpness" which of course is a bit arbitrary. So why do I use it then? Auto focus tends to be way too slow for focusing on moving objects on the streets. Also if I see a scene evolving right before my eyes, auto focus can be a bit too slow and the moment has passed. By using the zone or range technique, I don't have that problem.
Prior to 1978 when Polaroid released it's SX-70 Sonar OneStep single lens reflex camera, there was no auto focus available and most street photographers used range focus or zone focus to get their images as sharp as possible. While those techniques will never produce the sharpness from using the auto focus, it does give you an "acceptable sharpness" which of course is a bit arbitrary. So why do I use it then? Auto focus tends to be way too slow for focusing on moving objects on the streets. Also if I see a scene evolving right before my eyes, auto focus can be a bit too slow and the moment has passed. By using the zone or range technique, I don't have that problem.
What is zone focusing?
By setting my camera to manual focus and my aperture to a certain setting,
I create a zone where everything will be in focus (approximately 90%). This can be from one meter away towards a maximum of two meters away, or 2 meter away towards a maximum of 4 meters away, etc. This sounds a bit strange, so let me clarify with an example using a DoF calculator (DoFmaster.com) where I use the Fuji X-Pro 1 which has the same crop factor (1.5) as my own X-T1. And use my Fujinon XF14mm lens which has a zone focus ring where I can set my distance to my subject and my aperture.
By setting my camera to manual focus and my aperture to a certain setting,
I create a zone where everything will be in focus (approximately 90%). This can be from one meter away towards a maximum of two meters away, or 2 meter away towards a maximum of 4 meters away, etc. This sounds a bit strange, so let me clarify with an example using a DoF calculator (DoFmaster.com) where I use the Fuji X-Pro 1 which has the same crop factor (1.5) as my own X-T1. And use my Fujinon XF14mm lens which has a zone focus ring where I can set my distance to my subject and my aperture.
So here you see that with my distance setting at 1 meter and my aperture at f8, I have a focal range of about 4.57 meters. If I'm at about 0.5 meter from my subject,
I can just click without focusing first and everything from that distance all the way up to approximately 5 meters away will be in focus. The wider I set my aperture, the less DoF or range I will have.
If I apply the same settings on my Fujinon XF23mm, I will get a much more narrow range which is much more difficult to use. In order to increase my range, I have to increase my f-stop as shown in the two examples below.
I can just click without focusing first and everything from that distance all the way up to approximately 5 meters away will be in focus. The wider I set my aperture, the less DoF or range I will have.
If I apply the same settings on my Fujinon XF23mm, I will get a much more narrow range which is much more difficult to use. In order to increase my range, I have to increase my f-stop as shown in the two examples below.
Increasing the distance to my subject on my focus ring will also increase the range as shown in the next example.
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- Curated pre-selection of submissions by 4 curators
- 100 shots will be selected, max. 1 per photographer
- A HQ-book will be made publicly available for order
- This is a NON-profit initiative!
For more details please visit the Facebook group:
We Street 2015
or Willem JONKERS blog:
We Street 2015 - A Public Street Photography Book Project For You!
So in general, the less wide your lens, the more difficult it is to use this technique. At about 35mm (full frame) is the maximum focal length in which you can use this, but then you would have to take a larger distance from your subject or an f-stop at 16 to get a workable range. Using my 8mm lens which has no auto focus, I just can set my f-stop at whatever I want, because that lens is so wide, everything will be in focus from a distance of 30cm and beyond.
Using this technique with a wide open aperture, you better know how to estimate the correct distance or else everything will be blurry. If you use a 23mm (35mm on my crop of 1.5) and an aperture of 1.4, you'll have a 60cm range which will be in focus, so you'll have to be very close.
Usually I use f8 or higher on my 14mm with 1 meter distance or f16 at my 23mm with 1 meter distance. Just to be on the safe side...
Using this technique with a wide open aperture, you better know how to estimate the correct distance or else everything will be blurry. If you use a 23mm (35mm on my crop of 1.5) and an aperture of 1.4, you'll have a 60cm range which will be in focus, so you'll have to be very close.
Usually I use f8 or higher on my 14mm with 1 meter distance or f16 at my 23mm with 1 meter distance. Just to be on the safe side...
What is range focusing or hyper focal distance?
When I set my lens distance at eternity, I will have a minimum distance towards my subject from where I can shoot (depending on my aperture setting). In the above examples you can see the hyper focal distances as well. Basically, from the minimum distance towards infinity will be sharp. This is an ideal way to go on the streets if you don't want a shallow DoF.
Pre-focusing
Sometimes if I see a nice background, I pre-focus. This is fairly easy by focusing (withing the range of my settings) on the background and wait until an interesting subject passes by to take the shot. Just focus on a point where you expect the subject will pass and take the shot as it happens.
When I set my lens distance at eternity, I will have a minimum distance towards my subject from where I can shoot (depending on my aperture setting). In the above examples you can see the hyper focal distances as well. Basically, from the minimum distance towards infinity will be sharp. This is an ideal way to go on the streets if you don't want a shallow DoF.
Pre-focusing
Sometimes if I see a nice background, I pre-focus. This is fairly easy by focusing (withing the range of my settings) on the background and wait until an interesting subject passes by to take the shot. Just focus on a point where you expect the subject will pass and take the shot as it happens.
Why use manual techniques?
Hope to have given you fellow street togs something inspiring or maybe you already knew all this, but still liked to read it just to freshen up a bit.
Feel free to contact me through the contact form, in the comment section below or through Facebook.
Have fun!
Willem
- No focus hunting;
- Much faster in reacting to situations or subjects;
- In full control;
- Saves time.
Hope to have given you fellow street togs something inspiring or maybe you already knew all this, but still liked to read it just to freshen up a bit.
Feel free to contact me through the contact form, in the comment section below or through Facebook.
Have fun!
Willem
If you like to read more exciting and informative stories by Willem, please visit him at:
http://www.willemjonkers.com
Or visit him on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/willemstreets
http://www.willemjonkers.com
Or visit him on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/willemstreets
by Alexander MERC, August 2015
Although everyone can hold a camera or cellphone and take photos, not all are the same when it comes to shooting street photography, aren't we? Of course, we are!
If you look at photos at different photography groups in the social networking site, you'll be amazed with the various style, forms and character that are out there. We see some are beautiful, some are ugly; some are funny, some are sad; some have story, some have none; some have people, some none; and so on. This is because street photographers have different level of skills, different understanding of meaning of street photography, different personality, different taste, different place or country, etc.
If you look at photos at different photography groups in the social networking site, you'll be amazed with the various style, forms and character that are out there. We see some are beautiful, some are ugly; some are funny, some are sad; some have story, some have none; some have people, some none; and so on. This is because street photographers have different level of skills, different understanding of meaning of street photography, different personality, different taste, different place or country, etc.
Here's my own little list of different types of street photographers:
1) Expert - These are street photographers who are very confident and knowledgeable of their niche. They managed to spread the word about street photography through their blogs and videos and held workshops and teach their methods and styles. These types of street photographers seldom post photos in social networking site, though.
2) Purist - These are street photographers who set their own rules and guidelines--- no long lens, no back of people photos, no homeless, beggars, children images, no street portrait, no post processing. Purists are very choosy about their subject but very serious street photographers.
3) Aggressive - These are street photographers who have no qualms in invading the personal space of people. They poke their cameras in front of your face whenever and wherever they like it. These type of street photographers have guts and very brave and mostly, have very good social skills.
4) Timid - Timid street photographers prefer not to be seen or visible when on the streets. They are very patient and willing to wait and wait until that "decisive moment" unfolds to their eyes. These types of street photographers are more perfectionist than the aggressive ones.
5) Wannabes - Sometimes called beginners, these types of street photographers shoot whatever (with people or without) or wherever (in public or private place) they like. They usually have sophisticated gears but mostly shoot in auto mode. They also read lots of manuals, books and blogs but often break the rules. Their biggest fans are their family and friends.
6) I-phonist - These street photographers don't want to carry their bulky cameras around, their shoulders hurt. They are more comfortable using their cell phones because they are less noticeable with it when shooting in public place. These type of street photographers post more photos in social networking site than their counterparts.
7) Fly-by-night street photographers - These are come and go street photographers. They join photographers group in social networking site but don't post so many photos there. When they don't received so many "likes" or favorable comment they quit easily.
Different authors have different ways of categorizing street photographers and /or their photos. Look at the myriad of photos being posted at various street photography groups in the Internet and you'll be surprised how different we are all!
Cheers!
Alexander MERC
1) Expert - These are street photographers who are very confident and knowledgeable of their niche. They managed to spread the word about street photography through their blogs and videos and held workshops and teach their methods and styles. These types of street photographers seldom post photos in social networking site, though.
2) Purist - These are street photographers who set their own rules and guidelines--- no long lens, no back of people photos, no homeless, beggars, children images, no street portrait, no post processing. Purists are very choosy about their subject but very serious street photographers.
3) Aggressive - These are street photographers who have no qualms in invading the personal space of people. They poke their cameras in front of your face whenever and wherever they like it. These type of street photographers have guts and very brave and mostly, have very good social skills.
4) Timid - Timid street photographers prefer not to be seen or visible when on the streets. They are very patient and willing to wait and wait until that "decisive moment" unfolds to their eyes. These types of street photographers are more perfectionist than the aggressive ones.
5) Wannabes - Sometimes called beginners, these types of street photographers shoot whatever (with people or without) or wherever (in public or private place) they like. They usually have sophisticated gears but mostly shoot in auto mode. They also read lots of manuals, books and blogs but often break the rules. Their biggest fans are their family and friends.
6) I-phonist - These street photographers don't want to carry their bulky cameras around, their shoulders hurt. They are more comfortable using their cell phones because they are less noticeable with it when shooting in public place. These type of street photographers post more photos in social networking site than their counterparts.
7) Fly-by-night street photographers - These are come and go street photographers. They join photographers group in social networking site but don't post so many photos there. When they don't received so many "likes" or favorable comment they quit easily.
Different authors have different ways of categorizing street photographers and /or their photos. Look at the myriad of photos being posted at various street photography groups in the Internet and you'll be surprised how different we are all!
Cheers!
Alexander MERC
I always love photography. And one of its genre that i really became obsessed with is street photography. It started when I first posted an image of mine in social networking site and received plenty of likes and comments instantly. Voila! Since then i just found myself swimming in the sea of street photography.
It's quite amusing that i fell in love with this genre when many say that it is just a waste of time, money and effort to engage in it. Why? Well, i guess it's simply you don't make money out of it, yet you spend so much for for sophisticated gears. Needless to mention, your transportation and food expenses in going from places to places and waiting for hours and hours in street corners awaiting to capture that decisive moment in people's life.
It's quite amusing that i fell in love with this genre when many say that it is just a waste of time, money and effort to engage in it. Why? Well, i guess it's simply you don't make money out of it, yet you spend so much for for sophisticated gears. Needless to mention, your transportation and food expenses in going from places to places and waiting for hours and hours in street corners awaiting to capture that decisive moment in people's life.
I've never been happy since i discovered this genre. Today, what i'm thinking is all about street photography. Most of my time is spent on shooting, editing, blogging and networking on street photography.
For me, street photography is not merely taking photos. It's a great hobby, art, sport, medicine, storytelling, and most of all, an attitude.
For me, street photography is not merely taking photos. It's a great hobby, art, sport, medicine, storytelling, and most of all, an attitude.
An hobby. One of the most important thing i derive from street photography is fun---fun in shooting, fun in meeting people, fun in in travelling, fun in networking in social media, and fun in viewing at other's photographs. Indeed, i don't notice time passes by when doing street photography.
An art. Creating beautiful images and manipulating it based on what is floating on my mind is always my goal in street photography. Street photographs should always contain form, balance, and harmony, which are the essential ingredients of art, as in street photography.
A sport. I consider street photography as a solitary sport where the players are you and your camera, and at the same time you are always in close contact with people. The challenge is limitless here and skill is very important. Your score is how many likes and favourable comments you got.
A medicine. Street photography is also therapeutic. When doing it, i feel relaxation and euphoria, thus eliminating those emotional condition pervading in me. Likewise, walking is a good exercise.
An art. Creating beautiful images and manipulating it based on what is floating on my mind is always my goal in street photography. Street photographs should always contain form, balance, and harmony, which are the essential ingredients of art, as in street photography.
A sport. I consider street photography as a solitary sport where the players are you and your camera, and at the same time you are always in close contact with people. The challenge is limitless here and skill is very important. Your score is how many likes and favourable comments you got.
A medicine. Street photography is also therapeutic. When doing it, i feel relaxation and euphoria, thus eliminating those emotional condition pervading in me. Likewise, walking is a good exercise.
A story-telling. I think street photography is less about what looks good and more about telling stories. Unless, an image possesses mystery, tension and meaning, it will have little or no impact on the viewers.
An attitude. More than anything else, street photography is an attitude, a mindset , a way of seeing the world. It is recognizing that beautiful and subtle stories are occurring in front to you in everyday of your life.
Peace and love...
An attitude. More than anything else, street photography is an attitude, a mindset , a way of seeing the world. It is recognizing that beautiful and subtle stories are occurring in front to you in everyday of your life.
Peace and love...
Nervousness...yes, that's what I felt when I first hit the street to shoot strangers. That was a very awkward moment in my life, mind you. My heart was like a drum being pounded profusely and my blood as if was not circulating around my body then. Nevertheless, after some prodding to myself... hehehe...I was able to take some pictures still but that was after doing it from the waistline. Guess what?...what I got after checking them, if not out-of-focus, they were headless...nyuk, nyuk, nyuk. Aha!...I had another option--- camp out. Needless to say, I ended up in a coffee shop, and there I seated near the windows where I can get a good vantage point of the people passing by outside. Again, I didn't get decent shots either. "What are you doing here, you're just waiting your thousand dollar worth gear?", I told to myself. "Be brave, man. Shooting from the waistline and camping out are cheating, if not stealing."
The next day with my firm resolve to become a truly serious street photographer, I returned to the same place. This time, I tried to become a little bit braver. And so that was the start of my adventures and misadventures in the land called...street photography...dadadan!
The next day with my firm resolve to become a truly serious street photographer, I returned to the same place. This time, I tried to become a little bit braver. And so that was the start of my adventures and misadventures in the land called...street photography...dadadan!
My being a street photographer didn't happen overnight. I had to learn this step-by- step, day-by- day. Until today, I'm still learning. Gaining confidence is not an easy task. You have to conquer your fear, first and foremost. This can be done by understanding that what you are doing is alright...smile and say "hi" to people...feel comfortable with your craft...and work closer to your subject. Working closely to people, however, does not mean to be in close distance with them, like as if invading their personal space, but rather expressing yourself well when you are out in the street. And most importantly, practice, practice, practice.
What brought me to street photography is not an accident by any means. I chose this path to my photographic journey because I love to take images of people at a decisive or poignant moment. I like to capture human emotions, how they behave and interact in the public in their day- to- day life candidly. That's what I enjoy most!
What brought me to street photography is not an accident by any means. I chose this path to my photographic journey because I love to take images of people at a decisive or poignant moment. I like to capture human emotions, how they behave and interact in the public in their day- to- day life candidly. That's what I enjoy most!
In passing, I would like to raise some issues related to street photography which my mind can not comprehend. Perhaps, my fellow street photographers or there are some out there who would want to pitch in.
1) Posting the same images in different and several street photography websites is like peddling cheap goods. Some say that this is akin to prostituting street photography.
2) Putting captions or labels on street photographs is a no-no. The beauty of street photographs is it let people imagine and make their own stories.
3) Shooting impoverished people in their unguarded moment is "poorism" or "poverty porn". This is exploitation because poor people are being treated like animals in the zoo, photographers take their photos, and so they invade their privacy, and dignity, as well, and peddled this photos around the world.
4) Purists say that asking strangers for permission to be photographed is not street photography. The moment a subject collaborates, he or she is posing.
5) Posting images on street photography group website is free but not running a website. Is it ethical to solicit donations to street photographers? Who really benefits from these websites--- the website owners or the photographers?
Peace...namaste, shalom...salaam!
1) Posting the same images in different and several street photography websites is like peddling cheap goods. Some say that this is akin to prostituting street photography.
2) Putting captions or labels on street photographs is a no-no. The beauty of street photographs is it let people imagine and make their own stories.
3) Shooting impoverished people in their unguarded moment is "poorism" or "poverty porn". This is exploitation because poor people are being treated like animals in the zoo, photographers take their photos, and so they invade their privacy, and dignity, as well, and peddled this photos around the world.
4) Purists say that asking strangers for permission to be photographed is not street photography. The moment a subject collaborates, he or she is posing.
5) Posting images on street photography group website is free but not running a website. Is it ethical to solicit donations to street photographers? Who really benefits from these websites--- the website owners or the photographers?
Peace...namaste, shalom...salaam!
Alexander MERC
Photographer and columnist @ EYE-Photo Magazine, based in Ottawa, Canada
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