[Leica] Love Bird.. NOW: HOW TO SHOOT THEM!

[tedgrant at shaw.ca (Ted Grant)]

Richard said:
Subject: Re: [Leica] Love Bird

>I suspect this is something that Sonny alluded to also. I will try to do as 
>you suggested. Currently, especially when it comes to photographing people 
>(besides my immediate family), I am still at the stage of "quick, grab a 
>shot and lets hope I don't get yelled at." Photographing friends are a good 
>practice in that sense since they won't yell too loudly, if at all.<<<

Richard,
One of the easiest methods for shooting unknown folks is.... "when they are 
busy doing something or are deep in thought." In most cases if they're 
sitting or standing and you put your camera up your body motion attracts 
their eye and you are dead meat right there.

A person listening to a real person on the telephone looks quite different 
than a set-up of, "pick-up the phone and look like you're talking to 
someone." They don't and never do. WHY?

Because their mind is blank! It's not really doing anything.... like 
listening .

It's as simple as.. "We humans listen with our eyes and hear with our ears!" 
If the mind is in action hearing a voice, the eyes will show life. If not 
it's a waste of a frame. Most times.

That's another reason I hammer at folks about LIGHT-EYES-ACTION. If you are 
standing three feet away from a person and they're in deep thought, 
conversation or activity you can photograph them quite easily without them 
realizing you've done it.

There are great examples in my medical books where the surgeons, men & 
women, are  deep in what they're doing and I'm damn near inches away and yet 
they never make any appearance I'm there.

This can be done with anyone whose deeply involved in what they are doing 
and deep in their thoughts.

Now that's given the camera holder (maybe photographer) doesn't stand there 
like some dumb ass klutz fiddling and farting about focusing and making 
Mickey mouse camera adjustments. Here's the routine.... "You see, camera to 
eye, focus and shoot faster than you're reading this!"  Practice, practice 
practice.

A little thing for you to try and eventually you'll be surprised how close 
you can be and not get yelled at.

Teach yourself to build your shooting confidence by sitting at one end of a 
park bench and photograph a total stranger at the other end without them 
knowing you're doing it or have done it. Quite frankly at first you think 
you might get killed or beaten on the spot. :-) I will say it's far easier 
with an M camera than an SLR version.

But like they say, "Practice makes perfect." Never look at the person at 
all, always look past them as though something slightly in the background. 
You still see them, but it looks like you are looking else where.

Put the camera up like you're looking through it, do this in a number of 
directions. Actually if you point it in their direction and they look 
questioningly at you, quickly move the camera down slightly and indicate for 
them to lean back slightly and you lean forward, as though you're shooting 
something on the other side of them. Devil aren't I. ;-)

Meanwhile you actually take a shot of them leaning back. Always say "thank 
you" or a slight wave of the hand as "thanks" if they've moved. Then 
continue to look past them for a few moments as though you are still looking 
at something catching your attention. This keeps them off guard as they're 
not sure what the hell you're doing. However, they might move away, you can 
sit there and wait for another victim or you move on looking for another 
opportunity. ;-)

It works, as I've done it in Boston, London, Paris, Toronto, LA and SF. 
Vancouver and in many other countries and cities! The routine works if you 
handle your camera quickly and you read body language well.

The more you do it the better you get, trust me it doesn't happen over-night 
and requires a great deal of practice and patience.

ted