Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/12/01

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Photographing people in public
From: tedgrant@islandnet.com (Ted Grant)
Date: Tue, 1 Dec 1998 21:21:48 -0800

Harrison wrote:

>No,  It  was  probably the fact that YOU were not self conscious about
>what  you  were doing. If you feel uncomfortable and you feel like you
>are  doing  something  wrong  then who ever you are photographing will
>probably feel the same way.>>>>>>

Harrison,

Right on the mark!!!!!! I've done like you and Jim Brick on many an
occasion, stand your ground and just go on shooting or implying you are
shooting and folks just go on with their life.  But if you give any hint
that you are doing something nefarious or you give any feeling of
insecurity, you are going to have people on your case!

Yep sometimes there are other things as this comment from Chandos:

<<I tried to photograph an extraordinary head of red hair in a So Ho flea
market.  Just wanted the hair.  The subject turned as I depressed the
shutter, glared, and instructed her boyfriend to beat me up.>>>>>>

Sure you are going to run into this and the best thing to do is stay cool!
And quickly engage them in conversation and try sweet talking them into
letting you take the picture. But do not become embroiled in verbal
confrontation.

Be nice, smile, be humble and if that doesn't work, just say, "Sorry, I
didn't mean to upset you, maybe another time." And walk away. Hopefully the
"boy friend" doesn't want to beat you on the head.

That being the case, he does want to, "YOU SHOULD ALWAYS OBEY RULE NO. 2:______

" Always wear very good running shoes and never carry more gear than you
can run as fast as you can!" :)

Besides the M6 looks like a P&S and if you do not look like a serious
threat or anything untoward threatening to the subject, it's amazing how
close you can work.  Of course if you stand right there in their face and
"YOU" become as annoying as a fly, folks are going to get on you.

Know your gear better than you know your name, work quickly and quietly and
if you are caught taking the picture do not duck away like you were doing
something wrong.

Stand right there and put the camera up again and maybe again, but each
time you do.....completely avoid eye contact!!!!!  And look beyond the
subject and only at them when the camera is at your eye.

Why you can even walk a little closer and kinda look past them or use body
language indicating that you are looking past them. This makes them think
even though the camera is pointed at them, you are actually shooting
something behind them. Some will even turn around sometimes and look to see
what's behind them.

Hell I've had people come over to me after I've been standing there
shooting them and yet never looked at them in real eye contact, asking what
I was taking their picture for. I calmly respond with, "Oh sorry I wasn't
taking your picture, but if you look right over there, here look through
the camera and you can see the building I was shooting, cool isn't it?"

And before they realize it say, "Oh by the way seeing you are here would
you mind if I snapped a couple of you at your stall?"  Smile and kind of
indicate a move in the direction of where you would like to do a "happy
snap" if nothing else.

 Man but you have to be "COOL BIG TIME!" Give off any scent you are lying
or putting them on and you are in big time s....t!

So I've never felt that I needed to hang the camera around my neck with
wide angle lens and do Hail Mary's at any time. I very nearly always had
confidence in myself that I  could do much better standing there and doing
my thing with camera to my one good eye!. :)

You have to really like other human beings and make them feel comfortable
at what you are doing, trust me it works. Smile a lot and exude friendly!
:)

ted




Ted Grant
This is Our Work. The Legacy of Sir William Osler.
http://www.islandnet.com/~tedgrant