Street/Urban photography

[KiltedArab]

Is it an invasion of privacy? I was recently in Singapore and tried my hand at this style with a few successes and many failures.

I have seen some great examples on this site of street photogrsphy, but an image I got - and some comments received - got me thinking: Is taking a direct image of someone in the street without their permission invasive? Would you like it?

I think I may be kinda put out if I caught some guy taking street photos of myself, my kids or my wife going about their normal business. Having said that, I enjoyed wandering around trying my hand at it. So I'm confused!

Any thoughts?

[vapours]

I have managed to master the art pretty well now of photographing people without realising, the trick for me is to shoot then pan your camera away, then come back to them if need be so the person never really realises you are taking a photo of them.

In my latest shot 'The Operator' I managed to get a few of the man with him just thinking I was taking an image of the kids. I have a few shots in my gallery where I have been caught out and the person is staring straight into the lens, but thats what makes the shot most of the time. I've also been yelled at, told by police to 'get out of here' and been questioned by security for about 5 minutes while I shot an Auckland trainstation.

Although Australian law states I have the right to photograph whoever I want in public, to protect myself from looking like a creep or getting attacked I have a couple of rules for myself. Never photograph a female who is wearing revealing clothing, and no photographing little kids which has received a lot of attention here in recent times.

It's the risk of being caught and the skill involved which makes street photography so great, I feel like a hunter when I'm looking for subjects on the street.

[Homerhomer]

I think I may be kinda put out if I caught some guy taking street photos of myself, my kids or my wife going about their normal business.
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If you don't want this to happen to you and your family why would you want to do it to others?

I think you answered it yourself.

Peter

[Porteplume]

Bonjour all of you,

Maybe you could take it from the quite "serious" side of it, see previous forum :o((( - or the humourous side and ask tips about "attitudes" from Gal after looking at this picture... ;o)))

Amicalement - Viviane

[KiltedArab]

I know, exactly, that's why I wanted the views of others who take these photos.

There are some great street photos on here from some excellent photographers, so I was after their thoughts.

[jinju]

Its just a photograph. Its not like we are pointing a gun at people. I think that if you dont want to be photographed then stay indoors. Street photography is no more an invasion of someone's privacy than a landscape. One of the things I enjoy about living in Asia is that people are not as uptight and paranoid about a camera pointed at them as people back in the West.

[Homerhomer]

There are some great street photos on here from some excellent photographers, so I was after their thoughts.
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I definetely don't belong to the group of excellent photographers( hope it's ok to express my thought then), but I do like to take street photos, do it whenever I have time, some images are taken from close up, having said that I wouldn't mind if anyone else was taking pictures of me or my family, I don't have any reservations even though it isn't easy in my privacy paranoid society. If I didn't want anyone doing it to me or my family, I wouldn't do it to others. You see you said something in the tune that you wouldn't want this to happen to you. My point is not what everyone think, does or doesn't do, but what you as an individual feel about it, hopefully without using double standards. Are you going to be upset when someone takes a photo of your wife walking down the street? if the answer is yes then you shouldn't take pictures of others walking down the street.
Peter

[nmess]

As some others have mentioned, it depends on what part of the world you're in. I can't speak for the rest of the world, but here in the US, where there are few laws governing when and where you can take pictures. If you're a paparazzi, seeking to invade a persons personal life, nobody is very tolerant of that. But if you're in a public place, most people don't care very much, as long you're not "in their face".

In my own experience, I do not covertly take pictures of people. I openly do it and if they appear uncompfortable, I will stop. But in all honesty, most people seem to enjoy it and even ham it up at times. In fact, I can remember being at the beach, taking pictures of passing bathing beauties and have seen them smile and posture for me.

I think the key word in taking street photo's of people, is discrestion.

[KiltedArab]

"In fact, I can remember being at the beach, taking pictures of passing bathing beauties and have seen them smile and posture for me."

Post them!!

[jinju]

I saw your shot. Personally i love street photography. Theres a catch though. Whenever I shoot people, I do it with a lens with a focal length of no longer than 50mm. This means that I am clearly visible to them, standing usually no farther than several meters. I never hide behind things. In your photo I see you used a long telephoto lens. My personal feelings about using telephotos ala paparazzi style is negative towards them. I think that they are intrusive because they are secretive. If you see photos I shoot, 50mm is, as I said, the longest lens. That gives my subjects the choice which comes from awareness: allow the shot to be taken, or not. Also, often but not always (whenever it wont ruin the moment) I ask my subjects for permission. Not always but even when I dont ask, they are aware of me and my camera.

There is a guy on PBase from austria who shoots women in very revealing poses and uses long telephotos to do it. To me, his photography is gratuitous, empty and simply cowardly. Im not saying that you are cowardly or that your photo is. Its just that street photography should be above that.