02-01-12 – Go Out and Get Some Strange

Forums Forums Farktography General Chat This week’s contest 02-01-12 – Go Out and Get Some Strange

Viewing 15 posts - 31 through 45 (of 168 total)
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  • #43477
    orionid
    Participant

    I am also afraid of approaching people at random and don’t want to end up doin’ time, so I’m curious if pics of people in public settings would fit in here? I didn’t actually talk to them, but one photo that I had in mind is of a couple getting married in a park where it wouldn’t have been appropriate to talk to them anyway. I’m not sure if the focus of the theme’s wording “get close to, or get to know” requires direct interaction or if it is even appropriate to post pics without consent.

    I approached my first stranger with the intention of photographing on Saturday. It was…… Awkward. I did get the shot, though. Now I just have to learn C-41 chemistry and develop it before Wednesday.

    #43478
    linguine
    Participant

    I am also afraid of approaching people at random and don’t want to end up doin’ time, so I’m curious if pics of people in public settings would fit in here? I didn’t actually talk to them, but one photo that I had in mind is of a couple getting married in a park where it wouldn’t have been appropriate to talk to them anyway. I’m not sure if the focus of the theme’s wording “get close to, or get to know” requires direct interaction or if it is even appropriate to post pics without consent.

    The way I read it you can be taking pictures of people you don’t know without having to stop and talk to them since it just says get close or get to know them. I think the main idea was that you’re not sitting far away with a 400 mm lens stalker/paparazzi style.

    #43479
    Kestrana
    Participant

    I also asked my first people on the photowalk and they said sure, take our picture…and then turned and walked away from me.

    #43455
    Yugoboy
    Participant

    Reading these comments I am oh so glad I have been shooting for this one almost since it was hoppered.

    While two of my final 3 are from Italy, I’ve got a bunch from town.

    Suggestions that it’s far too late to use (maybe next time):

    Art and Craft Fairs – approach vendors or booth personnel
    Buskers (Street Musicians) – drop a buck in the can and you can go to town

    Doing this over the summer kept me from just approaching random strangers on Main Street or at a public park – options I have near zero comfort with. While I’m near certain to not do well (again) at least my stress about this contest is low. I’ve got a few B’s for once.

    #43451
    Farktographer
    Participant

    I am also afraid of approaching people at random and don’t want to end up doin’ time, so I’m curious if pics of people in public settings would fit in here? I didn’t actually talk to them, but one photo that I had in mind is of a couple getting married in a park where it wouldn’t have been appropriate to talk to them anyway. I’m not sure if the focus of the theme’s wording “get close to, or get to know” requires direct interaction or if it is even appropriate to post pics without consent.

    Like others mentioned above, the photos should be relatively intimate. The idea of the theme is to have portrait-style shots. That means getting up-close-and-personal, out of your comfort zone. Whether that means asking their permission or not is entirely up to you, but I personally have been asking before I shoot for most settings – only time I don’t is if it’s more of a crowded thing with one person in focus…then they have no idea I’m shooting them anyways.

    So yes, portrait-style close-up photos. Not just photos of “people” in general.

    #43448
    ennuipoet
    Participant

    In the end, breaking out of your comfort zone is really hard in street photography. What I have learned is that 90% of the people don’t even know you’ve taken their photo unless you get right in their face to do it. I’ve been working at lot on shooting from the hip, carrying my camera by my side and shooting up, down and to the side as I walk past. I am starting to get better results after some months of practice.

    Most of my shots, however, are by going to places where people know and don’t care about photographers. Parades of any stripe are rich meat for street photography and not the performers either, but the spectators.

    #43480
    stanleyd
    Participant

    I’ll just wait ’til next week…;-)

    #43481
    schuylkills_ghost
    Participant

    This is just too far outside my comfort zone. I tried though. Was at a park with the wife and kid on Sunday with my 16-85mm wide angle lens to force myself to be up close to my subject, but I couldn’t do it. I had two 30ish women lined up that were running the trail that goes around the park, but chickened out before I could press the shutter. Had another photo with a father and his daughter, but it didn’t feel right either. No chance of me asking for permission – not that bold. I could always throw the 300mm telephoto lens on and stand amongst the trees and shoot away, but I am guessing that’s not in the spirit of this theme. My last hope for this theme is the Anthrax-Testament concert on Thursday night with my cell phone for a late entry. Otherwise, I’ve got ideas for Apples-Oranges II.

    #43482
    Yoyo
    Participant

    Seriously, who’s the psychopath who came up with this torturous theme? If we were well adjusted normal people that got along well with the public at large, we wouldn’t be participating in Farktography, or Fark at all, as a substitute for real live social interaction. Just face it, half of us are most likely deranged, be it Aspergers, ADD/ADHD, OCD, or just an unspecified geekiness and general all around psychosis. They shouldn’t let us out of our cubicles. I suppose I can get some shots at the Career Faire that’s going on tomorrow. At least that has some ground rules regarding the roles everyone plays in the social interaction and chit-chat. I’m guessing the 28mm f/1.8 would be the best choice for the university ballrooms.

    #43483
    U-Man
    Participant

    This is uncomfortable. Fortunately for me, I want to do this all of the time. It fascinates me. However, probably 95+% of the time I don’t get the courage to actually do it. And then I’m all, like, “Maaan. That dude was SO cool and you missed it.”

    I don’t know why it is so scary because, in my experience, most people have been at least OK with it. Some are thrilled. Some say no and I tell them, “thanks anyway”. The carnies at the fair were all really cool. They didn’t seem to like the newspaper photogs. So as soon as they learned I was just some dude, they totally loosed up.

    I usually say that I have to take photos of people I don’t know for a “project”.

    #43484
    Farktographer
    Participant

    Seriously, who’s the psychopath who came up with this torturous theme? If we were well adjusted normal people that got along well with the public at large, we wouldn’t be participating in Farktography, or Fark at all, as a substitute for real live social interaction. Just face it, half of us are most likely deranged, be it Aspergers, ADD/ADHD, OCD, or just an unspecified geekiness and general all around psychosis. They shouldn’t let us out of our cubicles. I suppose I can get some shots at the Career Faire that’s going on tomorrow. At least that has some ground rules regarding the roles everyone plays in the social interaction and chit-chat. I’m guessing the 28mm f/1.8 would be the best choice for the university ballrooms.

    That’d be me 😛 I honestly chose it because I love competitions that make me do something different, something completely new to me, and push me out of my comfort zone. No need to push as close as like a 28mm (portrait style is usually done with something around 80-100mm – I like using my 50mm, but with sensor size that comes out to about 80), the point is to just not get a 300-400 lens and telephoto in on someone.

    Also, everyone, there’s no need for it to be “street” style photography. Just portraits of strangers. Most of the shots I’ve been doing, I’ll force myself to go up to someone, tell them why I’m interested in shooting them, ask them if I can have a few minutes, and then try to give them instructions like a new model. I never like photos when they are looking in the camera, so the instruction is usually “keep doing what you were doing,” and then I offer that I’ll send them the good photos afterward (explaining I’m backed up though so it could take a few weeks), if they want. Exchange e-mails, then done. Trust me, my heart felt like it was going to jump out of my throat the first time I did it, but as I kept going for it, it got easier.

    /Edit to say: FWIW, this is the wording of my original suggestion on the hopper:

    Beautiful portraits of complete strangers. Just go for a stroll and find people on the street to take pictures of (asking permission, of course). Difficulty: each subject can only be used once.

    Suggested but not mandatory: grab their e-mail and send them a copy so they can appreciate your photo(s) of them when you’re done.

    It was later decided that asking permission wasn’t completely necessary, nor was grabbing their e-mail.

    #43485
    staplermofo
    Participant

    A long long time ago, idle_hands gave me this advice:
    “you have to act a bit gormless and helpless, and girlish…” and
    “hah, never underestimate the g-g-gormless factor!”

    Saying this done wonders for me too:

    “Hey, I’m studying photography and this week I have to ____. Would you mind if___”

    If you don’t know where to go, try to the Bean in Chicago. Tons of mofos are there all the time loitering about, waiting for friends who are doing more interesting things, trying to experience stuff. They’re friendly and open as only insufferable, slow-walking tourists can be. Elephant and Castle is just a few blocks from there, nice beer selection, (try the pub onion soup or the curry and chips) then it’s just a half block to red, brown, etc line and you’ll be home in like 45 minutes.It might take longer if you don’t live in Chicago.

    #43486
    ennuipoet
    Participant

    It’s funny the differences. I posted a semi-rant in Apples and Oranges about how HARD the theme was, and I come in here and I realize how really heebie jeebied the idea of street photography makes most people, (And don’t get me wrong, by the standards of a full time street photographer I am standing in the shadows eating corn and saying “buc buc”.) versus how much I love doing it!

    On top of that, most people don’t give jack and shiat about photos of strangers, the Fark voters certainly don’t reward bravery. If you go through my Bibliostats you will see 40% or so of my photography is street work and the voters routinely pick a puppy pic over some stranger doing something strange. I show people my print portfolio and they ask, do you know these people and I tell them no. They all look confused. They wonder why photograph people you don’t know?

    Because they are always different! There are millions of photos of the NYC skyline, trillions of photos of a pretty flowers and quadrillions of cute kittehs on the internets…but no one else in the entire Universe has this photo:

    and they never will. That’s worth the discomfort, the occasional drunk old Dominican guy trying to break my camera (yes really happened) the angry mothers acting like I am child molester, sore feet, aching knees and wicked sunburns.

    #43487
    Kestrana
    Participant

    Well when we look historically at the photos we value the most, they pretty much fall in 2 categories – official newspaper types of things like inaugurations, championships, Tianenmen Square, etc. or the photos from the Great Depression, or wars, the candids that just show people doing what they do, that give a sense of what life was like in those times. This is the latter.

    #43488
    U-Man
    Participant


    .

    Damn. Now I have to choose a different photo to enter. I have one just like this. 🙂

Viewing 15 posts - 31 through 45 (of 168 total)
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