Re: [Leica] street photography

[rnkramer@mindspring.com]

- -----Original Message-----

>From: Bmceowen@aol.com
>Subject: Re: [Leica] street photography

>1.) Would most street photographers be comfortable showing their photos to
>subjects and explaining to them why they took them, what they like about
them
>and what the photos say about the human condition? If so, great. I'm just
>asking . . .
>

I would, at least for the good shots which admitidly are few and far
between.  Why not?  Many times people will ask me why  I'm taking pictures,
and I try to explain to them what SP is all about.  Although I would not go
into the "human condition" discussion becuase I don't think about my images
along those lines.  The shots that are meaningful to me are a lot more
subtle and don't really speak to a human condition in some general sense.
It's more about intimate juxtopositions and coincidental dualities, between
a person and another person or a person and other non-human forms in the
image.  Something like that.

But one comment of yours I would like to address is your belief that street
photographers sneak around, or are afraid to go up to people.  I might agree
with you if someone was using a 200mm to 400mm lens while hiding in the
bushes.  And I agree that many SP beginners like the hip-shot technique of
shooting at waist level for fear of a potential confrontation.  Neither of
these techniques results in quality images for the most part.  99% of the
hip shots I have seen suck.  Johnny has done a few that seem to work, I've
got two that I took 20 years ago that really work, I hear Robert Frank did a
good one, but generally they are weak images lacking impact.  And hiding in
bushes is just plain chicken sh*t.

What I do is wear my camera around my neck in plain veiw with both hands on
the camera ready to shoot, but with the camera lens (no longer than 50mm)
pointed toward the ground, like you would carry a shotgun.  This way no one
gets the wrong idea that I am sneaking shots.  When I shoot, the range to
the subject is usually about 5 feet or so.  Even if the person is looking
away, which isn't always the case, they are usually aware of my movement and
look at me.  Like Johhny, I smile and say good day.  And if people get
pissed off at me, so be it.  I have been successful at defusing the
situation by explaining what I am doing.  Or if someone really looks crazy
or volatile, I *will* lie and say I took the photo of something or someone
else.  If someone waves me off before I take the picture, then I don't
shoot.  This seems like the right thing to do.

But if I see what I think will be a powerful image, I will do my damndest to
get the shot *before* being waved off, regardless of what the subjects
wishes might potentially be.  You seem to have a problem with this, and I
honestly don't understand that.  People may or may not like having their
picture taken, but they (in most places) don't have the *right* to refuse if
in a public place.  As long as the image is in good taste and not
sensational or compromising in some way, I say go for it.

Bob Kramer
Atlanta, AG