Re: [Leica] Street photography

["rlb" <rlb@triad.rr.com>]

Peter:

I have run into similar situations as well.   I can avoid some of it with
longer lenses but nothing is as effective as being close and personal, in my
opinion.  Several weeks ago I walked the streets of Portland with Mark
Rabiner.   I tested my latest setup for street photography and I was quite
pleased with the results.  I used a M6TTL, 24mm Aspheric Elmarit-M, M-Winder
and a long cable release attached with the control in my pocket.   The
extreme DOF with Delta 400 film allowed me to set my lens and forget about
focusing.  I let the camera hang about mid chest and shot whenever I saw
something that interested me.  There are about 12 shots that I will mount,
matt and frame for a show.   Not one time was anyone aware that their
picture was being taken.    Once you bring the camera to eye level
everything changes.  There are a few features that would have improved the
test.  A smaller less noisy winder and auto-exposure.  However, neither were
major issues.  A perfect camera for this type of shooting would have been
the Hexar-M with the 24mm M lens but damn if I am going to buy one.

I must assume that the papparazi and the Diana event has brought a lot of
negative attention to street photography.   I certainly wouldn't want to
offend anyone for the sake of a picture.  Now, if they don't know it, it's
another issue.

Bob B.





Subject: [Leica] Street photography


> "However, from past experience in doing street documentaries in the US,
> people there (obviously not all of them)seem to be more challenging to a
> camera pointed in their direction, even on a crowded street."
>
> When required, I make full use of an indispensible accessory and adjunct:
my
> 115lb (8 stone or 52kg) male German Shepherd mix.
>
>
> "I've had several people stop at the same time with..." Hey you!  What
> the hell are you taking my picture for?" and none of them actually in
> the frame at the time of the exposure, but the camera was in their
> general direction."
>
>
> I recently began photographing an indigent, young asian woman dressed in
> sheer pink and cyan whose poor attempts at dance I at first thought were
> intended as a parody of typical street performers, when she began
gesturing
> rather dramatically that she did not wish to be photographed. I walked a
> short distance, moving well to her side out of sight and took a few more
> photographs of her. As I turned to leave, someone passed me and angrily
said
> "Hey, buddy! she said she didn't want her picture taken!"
>
>
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