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

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.

Yeah, now I wouldn’t feel as creepy about it at an event type of thing where people expect pictures to be taken, yours of the parade(?) are really good. But, just shooting people going about their day isn’t for me.

I like to be ‘invisible’ when out & about and if someone takes a pic without asking, that would really bother me. I also think people should be told if it’s going to be used online or in any other public type of display.

Farktographer I think that’s more so you don’t get sued by people when you take a picture of say, a street carnival with recognizable faces in it. The US actually has the same kind of law about “no expectation of privacy” when you’re in a public place.

Yes but I also believe (IANAL) that an individual has a right of ownership to their likeness in the US. It has been a while since I read through the material but it is why there are model releases. I think it comes down to money,.. if you are going to publish their likeness for money, you need their say so.

That having been said, I am not sure that a photographer is protected against someone whose likeness is published for no money, as in art, portfolio or contests with no purse (farktography). Examples of the money side gone wrong include photo subjects who did not like the way the image was presented or edited. I imagine that even if there was no money involved, someone could get huffy about subjective things like that, I just don’t know if they have a basis for dragging you into the court system

This is primarily why I am sitting this one out, that and I am a functional introvert.

I don’t shoot 1/2 as many random crowd shots as I should. When I was shooting for Backlash a few years ago, shooting the crowd was definitely mandatory because of the freakshow that followed them around.

Elsinore, I need a quick judgement. Are cartoon boobies kosher?

Throw Me Something, Mister! by Orionid, on Flickr

All this talk about festivals and such reminded me that I had a few that could actually qualify for this one. I was the “official” photographer (meaning I had the biggest camera and volunteered) for a BBQ festival, but they were all strangers and for all they knew I was just some dude walking around taking pictures.

Plus it was a pissy day at work and I needed an excuse to do something else. 😉

Farktographer, I actually like that last ‘B’ of the guy best (The Market).

A few early bees for those into BBQ competitions. Thought seriously about using the first B instead of the last A.

All this talk about festivals and such reminded me that I had a few that could actually qualify for this one. I was the “official” photographer (meaning I had the biggest camera and volunteered) for a BBQ festival, but they were all strangers and for all they knew I was just some dude walking around taking pictures.

Plus it was a pissy day at work and I needed an excuse to do something else. 😉

Farktographer, I actually like that last ‘B’ of the guy best (The Market).

A few early bees for those into BBQ competitions. Thought seriously about using the first B instead of the last A.

That first alternate…looks like he’s getting ready to cut himself a nice prime hand steak.

I liked that B, too, but I was torn between colour and sepia on different sides of the face. That guy was actually pretty photogenic, let me take shots for like 10 minutes, heh.