Re: [Leica] RE; DISCREETNESS

["Bruce Feldman" <brucef@waw.pdi.net>]

I think maybe Garry Winogrand had the right technique.  From what I've read,
he'd step out there with a BIG enthusiastic smile on his face, a lot of
energy, and a repertoire of "pickup lines," such as, "I'm going to make you
famous!" or "You are beautiful," stuff like that, give a big thank you, keep
his feet moving, look important, click away, keep that bright smile, etc.
He made *himself* into a "street performer" and someone who was "working,"
rather than "stealing."  He made his subjects feel kind of important, like a
participant in an event.

Having said all that, that ain't *my* personality... although street
photography -- and maybe life -- would be a lot easier if it was.  I've
learned to be unobtrusive, patient, and not greedy.  I take what the light
gives me and I take what the situation gives me.  Do I miss a lot of shots?
Well, it depend on how you look at it.  There is not a finite number of
shots in the world.  The number of possible good photographs is infinite,
therefore, what am I really missing?  If I think I've missed a great shot,
then it means I'm closing myself off to the possibilities around me,
something I try -- sometimes successfully and sometimes unsuccessfully --
not to do.




- ----- Original Message -----
From: Henry Ambrose <digphoto@nashville.net>
To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>,
Sent: Monday, April 05, 1999 4:40 PM
Subject: Re: [Leica] RE; DISCREETNESS


>snips from various messages on this subject
>
>>>there was an old Nigerian woman in tribal garb who did not like to have
>>>her picture taken.  So I stood directly in front of her, pointed the 300
>>>f 2,8 in her face, and my friend was at an angle to her, when I got her
>>>attention he got the shot.
>
>snip
>
>>>Ironically, I have found that I don't like it when I see a tourist
>>>pointing a video camera at me !!
>
>snip
>
>>>How many of us feel that it is now getting more difficult to even take
>>>street photographs without arousing suspicion, fear, anger, or even
threat
>>>of bodily harm from the subjects?   What are your ways of overcoming
these
>>>barriers?
>
>snip
>
>>>I am one of those kind of people that I just
>>>to shoot and do not really want to answer a lot of questions.
>
>snip
>
>>>If you go sneaking around with a camera looking suspicious, you get
>>>what you ask for...
>
>What happened to politeness? Why assault people? I agree if you walk up
>to someone (especially the wrong one) and jab your camera in their face
>you might get more than a picture. Maybe those reluctant subjects just
>want to walk around and not be photographed, like you not wanting to
>answer a lot of questions.
>
>Respectfully,
>Henry Ambrose
>My first post here, starting things off with a bang!
>