Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2010/08/30

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Subject: [Leica] NOW photographing people and focal length - was Re: Legs
From: tedgrant at shaw.ca (tedgrant at shaw.ca)
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 12:18:46 -0700
References: <C8A15024.28D2%mark@rabinergroup.com> <24DFFA43-77BA-4E7D-817F-3EFD117ABF2D@mac.com> <6.2.5.6.2.20100830134923.055d3188@med.cornell.edu> <01FFF02B-38C6-4729-AA78-55AC017E758F@mac.com> <AANLkTikMaRa8NThistwuDF-joVi26=tDU6VSen0mztqQ@mail.gmail.com>

If one wishes to become a "GOOD STREET PHOTOGRAPHER" here is the simplest 
training you can  engage in and train to become  a perfectionist! Until you 
are lightening fast and completely unobtrusive.

Sit on one end of a public park bench or wherever, do not pay any attention 
to the person or persons who may come along and sit at the other end. You 
are looking every other angle than directly at them, but you are watching 
them with your peripheral vision.

You put the camera up a few times always in different direction than 
directly at the subject. Do it in a sort of fiddling manner.  A few times 
they may look at you while camera is to eye then they look to see what 
you're shooting.

You still never look directly at nor do you acknowledge they are there. When 
you look in their direction there isn't any indication you see them but 
actually you are looking beyond them. On occasion you put the camera to eye 
in there direction... "click" and when the camera comes down all your 
attention is beyond them even if you move your body slightly indicating you 
are looking beyond them.

I have on  occasion in my hand motion indicated to have them lean backwards 
or forwards, when they do immediately shoot. BUT ALWAYS GIVE THEM A SMILE 
AND THUMBS UP FOR COOPERATING. That's it don't get into conversation, carry 
on working this subject without them knowing you are shooting them!

Eventually they no longer pay attention and you're free to shoot them quite 
candidly. Then move to another bench always looking for "great light" and 
sit down. Start the routine all over again. Eventually you can do this 
without thought and without any indication to the person or persons at the 
other end of the bench realizing you are shooting them, even when the camera 
looks like it's pointed right at them.

But never never ever acknowledge they are there because you look through 
them at all times.

Get this routine down pat and you can pull it off any number of locations 
even when standing.

Dr. ted


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tina Manley" <images at comporium.net>
To: "Leica Users Group" <lug at leica-users.org>
Sent: Monday, August 30, 2010 11:36 AM
Subject: Re: [Leica]NOW photographing people and focal length - was Re: Legs


> Street photography might work with a medium to long lens, but I don't 
> think
> it would work at all for documentary photography .  I like to get close to
> people and I think that's necessary.  A long lens seems sneaky, somehow -
> more like paparazzi.
>
> Tina
>
> On Mon, Aug 30, 2010 at 2:17 PM, George Lottermoser 
> <imagist3 at mac.com>wrote:
>
>> If a street photographer worked with a long lens,
>> and with the same respect and depth of knowledge for his subject
>> as Doug Herr shows for his critters,
>> I imagine we'd see equally strong work.
>> All the rules:
>> wide for street and architecture
>> medium long for portrait
>> long for wild life, stage and sports
>> etc.
>> have been and will continue to be broken
>> by the serious photographer
>> who's seriously searching for their own voice.
>>
>> IMO YMMV
>>
>> Regards,
>> George Lottermoser
>> george at imagist.com
>> http://www.imagist.com
>> http://www.imagist.com/blog
>> http://www.linkedin.com/in/imagist
>>
>> On Aug 30, 2010, at 1:01 PM, Chris Saganich wrote:
>>
>> > If human beings showed-up for me the same way that wildlife shows-up 
>> > for
>> me then a long lens it is.  I like safety.  Often we treat people we 
>> don't
>> know more like wildlife or the streets we are on as untamed and 
>> dangerous.
>>  I never felt that HCB images portrayed people or places that way.  The
>> people and the places seemed very natural and it is obvious that is how 
>> they
>> showed-up for him.  Other street images seem like the photographer was
>> shooting wildlife in a dangerous place.
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Leica Users Group.
>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>>
>>
>
>
> -- 
> Tina Manley, ASMP
> www.tinamanley.com
>
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information 



Replies: Reply from topoxforddoc at btinternet.com (Charlie Chan) ([Leica] NOW photographing people and focal length - was Re: Legs)
Reply from imra at iol.ie (Douglas Barry) ([Leica] NOW photographing people and focal length - was Re: Legs)
Reply from lluisripollquerol at gmail.com (Lluis Ripoll Querol) ([Leica] NOW photographing people and focal length - was Re: Legs)
In reply to: Message from mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner) ([Leica] Legs)
Message from imagist3 at mac.com (George Lottermoser) ([Leica] Legs)
Message from chs2018 at med.cornell.edu (Chris Saganich) ([Leica] Legs)
Message from imagist3 at mac.com (George Lottermoser) ([Leica] NOW photographing people and focal length — was Re: Legs)
Message from images at comporium.net (Tina Manley) ([Leica] NOW photographing people and focal length — was Re: Legs)