Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/12/01

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Photographing people in public
From: Harrison McClary <hmcclary@earthlink.net>
Date: Tue, 1 Dec 1998 20:55:48 -0600

>Was it the M camera?

No,  It  was  probably the fact that YOU were not self conscious about
what  you  were doing. If you feel uncomfortable and you feel like you
are  doing  something  wrong  then who ever you are photographing will
probably feel the same way.

I  don't  know how many times I have been on the streets making photos
for various publications for the past ten years sometimes using lenses
up  to  and including 300 2.8, not even close to discreet. People look
right  at  me  pointing the camera at them, I don't even lower it just
keep pointing it the same way. They go back to what they are doing and
ignore me...no problems.

I  have  only had problems once. The day after the Rodney King riots I
was  in  downtown  Atlanta  photographing  the  front  of the downtown
Macey's  and a gang car pulls right through my photo. They were waving
guns  around  threatening  to kill me for shooting their photo, I just
avoided  eye  contact,  camera  held  half  way down in a semi relaxed
posture  and  prayed they were just all talk that day. Scared to death
all  over  a  stupid  business photo, shit what a day that was! And on
that day I was using an R6 with 90 summicron, Thank goodness it wasn't
the 300 or I would probably be dead. :)

Best regards,
 Harrison McClary
http://people.delphi.com/hmphoto
preview my book: http://www.volmania.com
mailto:hmcclary@earthlink.net

Everyone has a photographic memory, some just don't have film.