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01/11/2006 09:57:55 PM · #1 |
Well, I went out today to try to shoot for Singled Out. I have never felt comfortable shooting candids, and I never will. The experience was nervewracking and my best image was a fast ticket to a 4.8 (see below). Not that I don't appreciate a candid. I think the red ribbon in City Life is one of the best pics to come along at DPC in a while (and said so much in comment).
How do you guys do it? Granted, I probably was putting myself at a disadvantage. I shot at dusk in downtown Portland so I had to use my 50/1.8 on ISO 1600 just to scrape by with 1/50th second. Portland has a lot of interesting characters who would be good in candids by someone who knew what they were doing, but these people also tend to be the type not wanting to be photographed. I asked a group if they minded if I shot their hackey sack game. After the jokes about paying them, nobody seemed to object, so I walked about 30 feet away and sat down. The second I pointed the camera in their direction, one of them flipped out and said he wasn't going to be f'ing photographed. OK, on to the next subject. I had an awesome guy walk past me with one of those archtypical 10" pink mohawks, but the poor little 50mm couldn't focus in time. I thought about running after him, but I'm not sure I'd even like someone following me with a camera.
So I'm pretty sure I'm gonna pass on the challenge. It was a growing experience, but I didn't grow nearly enough and was almost to the point of throwing up (ok, not really). I may give it one more shot Saturday morning, we'll see how the weather goes. It's rained 23 of the last 24 days here.
The best shot I could come up with is below. In total Achoo fashion, even the candid is all artificial. The DOF is as well as the burn. The border is totally accidental, I don't even know how I accomplished it, but since it isn't being voted on, I'll indulge my wacko border cravings...
Message edited by author 2006-01-11 22:02:59. |
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01/11/2006 09:59:34 PM · #2 |
| At least you weren't busted :) |
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01/11/2006 10:00:43 PM · #3 |
Hell, I haven't even SEEN 2 people in the same place all week except in the supermarket, and they won't let me shoot there. I'm the only guy you know who's allowed to take his DOG into the supermarket but not his camera :-)
R. |
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01/11/2006 10:01:27 PM · #4 |
At first I thought it said Achoo has been arrested, lol.
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01/11/2006 10:03:26 PM · #5 |
another thread like this just popped up too...
candids |
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01/11/2006 10:03:38 PM · #6 |
Originally posted by Bear_Music:
Hell, I haven't even SEEN 2 people in the same place all week except in the supermarket, and they won't let me shoot there. I'm the only guy you know who's allowed to take his DOG into the supermarket but not his camera :-)
R. |
Sooo, as far as the supermarket is concerned, the dog is "gooood Karma" but the camera is bad karma??
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01/11/2006 10:04:35 PM · #7 |
| Haha! Thanks for caring Caleb, I know you'd start the fundraiser to bail me out... |
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01/11/2006 10:05:04 PM · #8 |
Originally posted by kirbic:
Originally posted by Bear_Music:
Hell, I haven't even SEEN 2 people in the same place all week except in the supermarket, and they won't let me shoot there. I'm the only guy you know who's allowed to take his DOG into the supermarket but not his camera :-)
R. |
Sooo, as far as the supermarket is concerned, the dog is "gooood Karma" but the camera is bad karma?? |
the dog is the taste-tester for bear as it sniffs around the store.
:-)
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01/11/2006 10:06:13 PM · #9 |
Originally posted by DrAchoo:
Haha! Thanks for caring Caleb, I know you'd start the fundraiser to bail me out... |
You know it.... I'm there for ya man!
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01/11/2006 10:13:42 PM · #10 |
Back on topic, I love this kind of photography but it needs a long lens, a very long lens. You also develop a technique of appearing to look everywhere else whilst you size up the shot out the corner of your eye. People become self concious and you loose that spontaneity.
For this challenge I have a really good one
trouble is, it was taken in July 2005.
Brett |
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01/11/2006 10:17:33 PM · #11 |
I was reading about this, in a book by (my favourite author) Freeman Patterson, a chapter on how to photograph people.
He argues that showing interest in what people are doing is a good way to go. Walking up to them, showing interest, talking with them - then you don't need the long lens.
My experience with this is very limited, but I've found that long lenses scare people, whereas if I have my little 50 mm. on they feel much more comfortable and let me take their picture much more readily.
Has anyone else found something like this?
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01/11/2006 10:18:07 PM · #12 |
Originally posted by KiwiPix:
Back on topic, I love this kind of photography but it needs a long lens, a very long lens. You also develop a technique of appearing to look everywhere else whilst you size up the shot out the corner of your eye. People become self concious and you loose that spontaneity.
For this challenge I have a really good one
trouble is, it was taken in July 2005.
Brett |
i quoted this tehnique in the candid how-to thread recently created.
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01/12/2006 01:44:04 AM · #13 |
I went to college in San Francisco for photography. One day I way out shooting architecture - just kind of wandering the city on foot. Now keep in mind I have shaved my head since I was a teenager for comfort and convenience. I stopped on a sidewalk next to a park, across from a church to change film (this is before digital came to be)when a large angry man came up into my face and asked me "Are you ready for the race war!?". I just stood there confused because I was in my zone and honestly had know idea what he was talking about. I just sort of mumbled something like "I'm sorry, what?". He shrugged up his shoulders and made fists stepping even closer and said "I said, are you ready for the race war!? Because it's coming!". Fortunately I was saved by my sheer dumbfoundedness and just said "I'm sorry, I don't understand what you are talking about I'm just trying to change the film in my camera" at which point he stormed off and yelled back "It's coming and you better be ready!"
I wasn't even taking pictures of people or in the general direction of people. Since then I've been very apprehensive of taking pictures in public. There's a lot of disturbed people out there, I can only imagine what would have happened had I actually been trying to take the guy's picture. |
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01/12/2006 01:51:37 AM · #14 |
Originally posted by Bear_Music:
Hell, I haven't even SEEN 2 people in the same place all week except in the supermarket, and they won't let me shoot there. I'm the only guy you know who's allowed to take his DOG into the supermarket but not his camera :-)
R. |
Now THAT'S funny! |
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01/12/2006 01:54:39 AM · #15 |
Ever tried just shooting from the hip? You're digi... not wasting any film and you can always delete the bad ones.
A photgraphry teacher in college made us do candids from the hip for one assignment. It is rather interesting. You have to try to visualize the shot in your head and shoot a little on the loose side on the crop.
Might help if you're having troubles pointing the camaera at your targets. Just stand in a crowd and shoot away.
BTW, a remote works well for this ;-)
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01/12/2006 01:59:13 AM · #16 |
I've tried the remote trigger release as well... camera is setup on a tripod with the focus set to manual, open wide at around f22 or so and click away... obviously pointing the camera somewhere where there's a valid interest...
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01/12/2006 02:13:26 AM · #17 |
Originally posted by fotomann_forever:
Ever tried just shooting from the hip? You're digi... not wasting any film and you can always delete the bad ones.
A photgraphry teacher in college made us do candids from the hip for one assignment. It is rather interesting. You have to try to visualize the shot in your head and shoot a little on the loose side on the crop.
Might help if you're having troubles pointing the camaera at your targets. Just stand in a crowd and shoot away.
BTW, a remote works well for this ;-) |
I shoot half of my candids this way and over putting the camera over my head. Gives a very unique perspective, if you can aim it right. ;o)
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01/12/2006 02:46:16 AM · #18 |
I think I will go to the train station tomorrow and see what happens ... the weather here is so average and starting to get wet that my idea of the outside malls in town aren't coming off very well.
KiwiPix has already shown earlier that he is so much better at this than I am ... :) |
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01/12/2006 02:58:44 AM · #19 |
Tomorrow is Friday, there is some sporting event near you, and it will draw a crowd that will not be surprised that there are photographers there.
Im sure I can do this. Of course yesterday there was a gathering of five hundred people across the street for Eid-Al-Adha, but I just walked in looked around, realised I was underdressed and the only white white face, and chickened right out. |
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01/12/2006 04:28:45 AM · #20 |
| I'm petrified of candids, I think for this one I'm gonna get the F717 out, turn the body and shoot from the hip. A LOT less in conspicuous! |
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01/12/2006 04:30:43 AM · #21 |
| I was out yesterday for this challenge and loved it. The amount people you see and meet that you would normally be too busy to look at is brilliant will be doing it again today:) |
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01/12/2006 04:57:32 AM · #22 |
I've found that if I talk to people, tell them what I'm doing and why I'm interested in photographing them, and explain that I don't want them to "play" for the camera, then most of the time they're quite happy for me to photograph them. Occasionally having some "business" cards (mine say "Hobbyist Photographer") helps, but usually they aren't needed. Sometimes it takes a couple of minutes for the "models" to relax and go back to what they were doing,
I think I've only been knocked back once with this approach - when that happened I stayed friendly, apologised for interrupting them and respected their wishes not to be photographed. Some of my friends have thought I was a bit crazy going up to groups of skateboarders, "alternative" types and others, but I've never had any problems or felt threatened. I think that if you seem to be interested in a person in a nice, non-harmful way, and you demonstrate that you are treating them with respect by asking permission, most people react pretty well.
The first time is the hardest (and for this, I had a good excuse, it was a requirement for a course I was doing), after that it gets easier every time. And, for what it's worth, I'm actually a moderately-strong introvert, not a naturally out-there person at all.
It also helps not to have a super-long lens. Having an unusual camera makes it even a bit easier - I've used my Yashica TLR for this sort of thing a few times!
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01/12/2006 06:21:11 AM · #23 |
| i agree with paddles.. Three of us from DPC went to a small park in DC this summer...talked to people.. sat there near each other with our DSLRs all pointed out and had a riot gettign people's photos. Best part were the guys sitting on the fountain. (all the pages in that directory were at or near that park with the exception of a good part of the first page..it starts with the guy reading the book) |
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01/12/2006 07:50:53 AM · #24 |
I'm glad I'm not the only one who is very uncomfortable taking pics of people I don't know.
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01/12/2006 08:52:51 AM · #25 |
I've taken candids of people all over the place. A few things I've learned:
Don't hide it. Hard to do when using a large lens anyway, but if you are obvious about it people don't mind as much.
There are three types of people: Those that want to be in your picture, those that avoid being in your picture, and those that couldn't care less. Don't take pictures of people avoiding the camera, and talk to the ones who want to be in the picture. JPR and I met a very interesting guy at the same park Di went to.
Go to a park, find a bench and sit. For a while. You will find lots of interesting things and people to shoot and staying in the same location keeps you from having to worry about your equipment. You will also grow more relaxed as you get to know the people around you.
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