Candid photography

[John Doyle2]

A very difficult subject in the middle east! You could end up in the slammer

[spinner]

I like to sneak my candid shots in whilst doing something else. The 3 I posted today were taken while on a boat cruise, I was taking shots of the local boaters and surrounding islands, had my telephoto mounted so no one around me suspected.

[Sarasocke]

I'm still getting used to it. It's always much easier with dogs, they usually don't mind 
I tend to sort of pan around with the camera so people don't really notice where I'm pointing when I hit the button. Bit daft I suppose. I'm getting better tho, and I find I do get into conversations a lot more. If I take a picture of a child, I have, up to now, always asked if it would be OK to show in the Internet (like here or flickr), there's no name and address attached, so I've never actually had a negative answer.

This young lady knew full well what I was doing, I think in that get-up she would expect people to notice 



Apart from when I was in India earlier in the year, I've never actually taken a picture of somebody just on the street, it's always been at some kind of do. I'll have to pluck up my courage and have a wander round town.

[Oldboy]

As spinner says, take some pictures of buildings as you walk around and people will become use to the camera, then take people shots. After a short time it becomes second nature. The more relaxed you are the easier the shots become.  

[greypoint]

Much of the cutesy stuff I get at dog shows is quick snatch shot stuff and I use the same methods. Often if people see you photographing their dog they try to move it to what they think is a more flattering position or pose and you lose that natural look. I tend to move the camera around as if I'm just testing etc. to get the focus range then quickly flick back and take a couple of shots before they realise what I'm doing - one day I'll try the technique on people

[Oly Paul]

For getting close in on the subject another method is to use a moderate wide angle lens and shoot from the hip (camera hanging from your neck) you soon get used to framing blind with a little practice. Of course a camera with a whisper quite shutter and mirror is helpful (like the E-1). The full tiltable lcd's now available should make it even easier.

These were taken Worcester High St shooting from the hip with a 11-22mm .





And this guy could not make his mind up if was photographing him or not as the camera was not up to my eye.

[ABERS]

Candid, Street, Documentary, which is which? How do you see it?
I categorise it as follows :-

Candid.
The main subject, or perhaps the only subject is a person, in any location, who is unaware of your presence and/or intention. Where you try and capture something of his/her character. If the subject is posed then it becomes a portrait. It can also illustrate a close reaction between one, two or several people.

Street.
Difficult this one for me. A 'street' image must contain some sort of activity that is coordinated or becomes a mutual action that the people involved are not necessarily aware of e.g. crossing the road at a zebra crossing, shadows of people making a pattern.
A picture of a street with people just standing, walking around doing nothing in particular doesn't fit the bill, I would call that a record shot.

Documentary.
This for me is the easiest to define, and I include photojournalism within this. Anything that records an event where people are involved and tells a story.

The group outing to Speakers' Corner, I expect those that didn't attend are just about sick of it by now, includes all three of the above, documentary (the speakers), candid (the watchers) and street (the overall view of the place, speakers and the spoken to combined).

THAT SAID I'M OFF



How do you see it?



   

[chris@seary.com]

I think it was Gary Winogrand who suggested that street photography would also include some interaction with the subject, even if it was just the subject looking at the camera?

Not sure if that has to be the case all of the time - many of Leonard Freed's shots don't fit this bill.

[spinner]

For getting close in on the subject another method is to use a moderate wide angle lens and shoot from the hip (camera hanging from your neck) you soon get used to framing blind with a little practice.

That is the exception to what I posted above. I won't take my telephoto into a crowd, so If I go to something like a street fair I'll use something like the 50 mm and do the hip shots.

[chris@seary.com]

I'm a total fan of the Nikon 35mm 1.8 DX for candids.





For some reason, my best work is always done with prime lenses, Dunno why.

[greypoint]

There's obviously for and against primes on a some you win basis. It does make you concentrate more as you don't have the luxury of just standing there and zooming in and out. I like short primes but I have to admit I can find long primes frustrating - if I've got my 400mm attached I bet that's the time whatever I'm trying to photograph comes too close and I lose the shot.

[chris@seary.com]

I absolutely understand that, Sue. I kind of feel the same about long lenses in general, even zooms.

I mostyly don't use anything longer than 85mm, or sometimes 100mm. Used my 55-200 very rarely since I bought it, but it's been very useful when I have.

However, I don't shoot wildlife or sport, so I don't usually need anything more than 100mm.

The reason I like primes so much this time of year is that the light is getting lower as we proceed through Autumn, and primes are so much faster. I kind of put my 18-70 into hibernation around November   

[Graham]

I'm a total fan of the Nikon 35mm 1.8 DX for candids.





For some reason, my best work is always done with prime lenses, Dunno why.

I was going to try and explain why I prefer standard/ wide rather than telephoto lenses for candid/street pics, these two pics ( And Pauls a bit futher up the thread) have saved me a lot of typing!
                      Graham.

[DavidHammond]

been relatively new to photography, where do you stand legally with candid shots? Can you just snap photos of people in the street? I Like the look of the images and like photographing people. So might just give it a go.

[greypoint]

Someone will no doubt come along to explain any legalities with regard to how you use the photos you've taken, but the advice at the moment would seem to be avoid shopping centres or you might get hassled by jobsworth security guards, the police don't seem to appreciate having their photo taken and the obvious stick to adults. It's often not that it's illegal to take thie photos you want but that you'll be made to feel it is.