[Leica] Street photography etc.

[cif at halcyon.com (Larry Bullis)]

I just today joined this list.  Began using Leicas in 1975; used 
professionally as a photojournalist for twenty years or so but now I'm 
mostly teaching.  Just bought a new old Leica though, and found the 
list.  As chance would have it, several topics I see interest me so let 
me throw in my 17cents.

For something like 14 years (lost count) I freelanced regularly for a 
magazine which required frequent shooting of community events where I 
would show up anonymously and just shoot, without revealing (usually) 
why I was there or that it was for publication.  At first this was a bit 
difficult because I was somewhat self conscious, but soon, I learned to 
work openly as a part of the scene and it seemed that I could shoot for 
about four hours or so with no one even noticing me.  Then I discovered 
that I could even say "Would you mind doing that again for me?" and they 
would just do it, without hamming, without smiling.  They would just do 
it, usually without even asking me why I wanted that.  When I got in 
trouble (this was rare, but occasionally happened) was when I lost my 
confidence.  Once, in particular, was when I positioned myself to 
capture a bicyclist coming around a curve.  My mistake was that there 
was a bush on the inside of the curve and he couldn't see me.  I thought 
he was going to punch me out.  When he came around the curve, surprised 
by me aiming a camera at him, he nearly lost control of the bike, and 
there was a very unpleasant interpersonal interaction which resulted in 
my telling him I would take a punch and punch his face right out of the 
negative, so he didn't have to worry about appearing in print.  This 
sort of thing only happened twice, if I recall correctly, and both times 
the subject nearly lost his balance; really distinctive response, 
entirely different from the usual.  When one is operating right, it is 
so natural that anyone not accepting of one's presence is dealing with 
paranoia on some scale.  The way one moves, one's confidence, the 
equipment one carries which identifies one as being qualified to do the 
job; it all figures in and adds up to confidence on the part of the 
players on the field.  If anything is missing, the red flag goes up.  
Red flag, hell.  Dynamite.

It has been interesting lately because I haven't been doing this for 
quite a while.  I was very good at it, but if I try do it now (once in a 
while I do, usually as an experiment because I'm not being paid for it 
and cash is short), I don't have the same confidence.  Yes, I can get it 
back in a fairly short time, but I have to shoot a few rolls and get 
into the stride and it is NOT comfortable until I can accept myself in 
that roll.  It's chops,  Just like music.  You have to do it all the 
time, you have to do a lot of it, or you just plain ain't doing it.  It 
is not a matter of sneaking.  It is like a professional thief.  Show up 
when your victims are on vacation.  Show up in a Mayflower moving van.  
Wear coveralls, and use a hand truck.  Remove all of their possessions.  
When they get back, the neighbors are going to tell them that it seemed 
like they had just forgotten to tell everyone that they were moving.  
Look the part, act the part, do the job, and it is all right.