/p/ - Photography » Thread #2586226

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Anonymous Tue 19 May 2015 04:29:30 No.2586226 View View Reply Original Report

Quoted By: >>2586399 >>2586407 >>2586434 >>2586456 >>2586458

I always wanted to give street photography a try. However, as I read some guides on the internet they told me that I should be using a rangefinder or a mirrorless for street photography. I only have a Nikon D90 that I use for events. I have an 18-55mm kit lens and a 50mm f1.4 AI manual focus lens (no meter as well).
The only problem is that I feel like I'm a creep whenever I use a DSLR for street photography. I don't have enough money to buy a new smaller camera but my sister has a Lumix LX5. Do you think it is already a good camera that is discreet for street photos? Or even my iPhone? Or should I just build up the courage to take street photos with my D90 with kit lens?
For the record I'm kind of interested in fashion so I want to take pictures of fashionable people I meet on the streets. Maybe I can ask permission to take their pics and also give them the link to my Facebook account to where I can post the picture or some sort?

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 19 May 2015 05:39:08 No.2586263 Report

Quoted By:

Try it with your phone. If you can't do it with that, then you won't be able to do it with a mirrorless.

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 19 May 2015 06:12:18 No.2586277 Report

Quoted By:

I do street. I walk up to them and ask them and 80% of the time they say yes. Some ask why and just be truthful. If they say no, say thank you and move on. For these types of photos I use my DSLR, if I don't want to be noticed I use my panasonic LF1.

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO BeCIU2t.jpg, 173KiB, 1024x683

Anonymous Tue 19 May 2015 12:34:38 No.2586399 Report

Quoted By: >>2586433

>>2586226
>The only problem is that I feel like I'm a creep whenever I use a DSLR for street photograph

You'll feel just the same no-matter what camera you use. The problem is you, not the camera.

Go and stand in the most crowded place you can find, better still set a tripod up in the middle of it. This is not an exercise to take great photos it's to show you just how few fucks most people give.

To sum up; mince around in doorways trying to be discreet you'll look like a creep, stand up with your shoulders back and your head held high and it's your street

vosh !35mmF/4Qi6

vosh !35mmF/4Qi6 Tue 19 May 2015 12:55:50 No.2586404 Report

Quoted By:

the only reason people recommend mirrorless or rangefinders over (D)SLR is because they are less conspicious and people in the streets tend not to notice you at all.
If you stick a bulky DSLR into their face people are certainly going to notice you.

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 19 May 2015 13:07:51 No.2586406 Report

Quoted By:

>tfw when no qt asian /p/ gf

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 19 May 2015 13:16:44 No.2586407 Report

Quoted By:

>>2586226
Where are you from? Here in Amsterdam there are tourists everywhere so nobody gives a damn.

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 19 May 2015 13:39:47 No.2586417 Report

Quoted By: >>2586419

The idea of recommending a small discrete camera for street comes from the idea that they're less blatant, and much more discreet. This isn't actually the case in use, however. I have shot street with a Bronica SQ kit, a 5Dmk2 with Sigma 35mm art, and a blacked out X100s, and I can tell you from my experiences in a dozen cities, the attention you draw is the same, no matter the camera you're using. If people are going to notice a D90 pointed at them, they're going to notice a Leica just as easily, because it's not the size of the camera that draws the attention, its your behavior, and the motion of drawing the camera to your eye, or pointing it deliberately. And if they AREN'T going to notice a Leica, that means they're oblivious and distracted enough that they aren't going to notice even the biggest kit you could have.

Street isn't about gear. It's about stories, and your balls. Get in there, have competency with your camera to get your exposure and focus as quickly as possible, and get the photo. If you catch someone's eye before you take the photo, just raise the camera up and make the "can I?" face. If they look pissed off, leave them be or take the photo anyways (depending on how much of a dick you want to be, and how good the photo was going to be) but most times they'll just go back to what they were doing, or give you a smile and a pose. Most times, they won't care at all, in my experience in the USA.

Don't bother going up and introducing yourself unless you're looking to do street portraiture. Just take your photos, be very quick and respectful, and walk away.

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 19 May 2015 13:40:47 No.2586419 Report

Quoted By:

>>2586417
There was someone here a year or two ago who made a big deal because he saw an older couple at a restaurant, and wanted a photo, so he had his friend take cell phone photos of them from the booth next to them, and he got up and started taking dozens of photos, from different angles, and being very obvious about it. And he was totally pissed that they noticed, and looked unhappy with him. "DON'T YOU KNOW YOU'RE IN PUBLIC YOU FUCKERS??"

Don't be like him. See the photo ahead of time, walk to where you need to be, set your camera as you walk there, snap the photo, and keep walking. Don't draw attention to yourself, or to your subjects. You'll do just fine.

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 19 May 2015 14:25:35 No.2586433 Report

Quoted By: >>2586438

>>2586399
>Go and stand in the most crowded place you can find, better still set a tripod up in the middle of it. This is not an exercise to take great photos it's to show you just how few fucks most people give.

>tfw I more afraid of getting my camera stolen than being accused of being a creep when taking photos

I live in a third world country. Do you guys then suggest that I wear my camera on my shoulder all the time when I take street photos so it won't get stolen? I also bring a knife and a pepper spray with me just in case.

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 19 May 2015 14:28:31 No.2586434 Report

Quoted By: >>2586476

>>2586226
What's that lens?

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 19 May 2015 14:36:20 No.2586438 Report

Quoted By:

>>2586433
Depends on which country, which city, what part of which city...

You have to assess each location on its own merits, not on preconceived fear. I know quite a few third world countries that are a fuck of a lot safer than the US or Europe

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO _DSC1967.jpg, 610KiB, 1000x669

Anonymous Tue 19 May 2015 15:05:14 No.2586456 Report

Quoted By: >>2586498

>>2586226
If you're going to take street photographs, just don't be creepy about it, smile to yur subjects if they notice you, and take a couple of images at the most. Pic related was taken with a kit lens, and they guy only smiled at me, even though he noticed me taking a photo of him. For me, the best moments are when they are not posing for the camera, but when they show their true emotions

Sakura !!3iOG6mbYys6

Sakura !!3iOG6mbYys6 Tue 19 May 2015 15:07:53 No.2586458 Report

Quoted By: >>2586498 >>2586932

>>2586226
>Maybe I can ask permission

A lot of people refer to this as 'street portraiture', while reserving the term 'street photography' for the candid, unposed, no-permissions-asked approach.

For street photography a DSLR isn't considered by many to be ideal as you want to remain unnoticed, unthreatening, uncreepy.

But if you want to approach people, ask their permission & take posed portraits, a DSLR might even help you. A big black DSLR is seen by most people as being more 'professional' than a smaller mirrorless/rangefinder camera & you will generally find that people are more likely to agree to a posed portrait if they think you are 'professional'.

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 19 May 2015 15:21:17 No.2586467 Report

Quoted By:

tbh, if you get rumbled, you look less of a creep if you're using a DSLR than you would with a compact camera. With a DSLR you can just do the whole "im a professional photographer, m8" shabang, and pretend like you were actually taking abstract photos of the wall behind the person.
With a compact or mirrorless camera you look like a sneaky paedophile regardless of what you do or say. People are automatically going to assume you're probably taking upskirt photos of schoolgirls and housewives.

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 19 May 2015 15:25:52 No.2586471 Report

Quoted By: >>2587660

S N A P F O C U S

R I C O H G R

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 19 May 2015 15:30:23 No.2586476 Report

Quoted By: >>2586488

>>2586434
nikon kit lens? 18-55 vr

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 19 May 2015 15:54:00 No.2586488 Report

Quoted By:

>>2586476
I think its not the 18-55 vr kit lens because it has a focusing ring.

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 19 May 2015 16:11:29 No.2586498 Report

Quoted By: >>2587570

>>2586458
>A lot of people refer to this as 'street portraiture', while reserving the term 'street photography' for the candid, unposed, no-permissions-asked approach.

Thanks for showing me the difference.

Actually I would prefer the 'street portraiture'. As I said in my OP post I would like to take pictures of fashionable people I see on the street and maybe feature them on a blog or even my own site where I showcase my photography. I, however still have no idea as to where I can post them like an online portfolio. Any ideas?

By the way, I would also like to try my hands on 'street photography' by just shooting random events I see on the streets and subjects I find interesting. Do you think that a Lumix LX5 is much better for getting shots in this situation as compared to using my own Nikon D90?

>>2586456
That's a nice shot.

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 19 May 2015 16:30:28 No.2586507 Report

Quoted By: >>2587662

here's a funny that is happening all the time.

I use to go around town and pick a spot and stay three for a while. Usually some bench or stairs or anything. So I sit there most of the time with dslr at eye level looking through viewfinder. I see a group of people coming by the sidewalk. Frame my shot before them and want. And wait. Too much time passes. Look around and they are waiting me to take the shot cause the don't want to ruin my view :^)

This happens way to often. I look around and always see someone waiting just outside the frame of the viewfinder for me to put it down so he can pass. Everybody is so God damn polite

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 20 May 2015 09:20:23 No.2586926 Report

Quoted By:

Shoot when your subject is preoccupied or distracted with something else.

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 20 May 2015 09:42:54 No.2586932 Report

Quoted By:

>>2586458
>A lot of people refer to [asking for permission] as 'street portraiture', while reserving the term 'street photography' for the candid, unposed, no-permissions-asked approach.

really? maybe i'm just not in that camp and in an echo chamber about it, but my sense was that it was street portraiture if a single person was the subject (ie if it was a portrait). Asking for permission in that case makes a lot more sense, but strictly speaking it's not really necessary.

I've mostly done what I described above as street portraiture, generally my thinking being that if a single person is the focus then it's better to ask for permission. I don't want to establish a reputation (I know, as if anyone will ever know me) of being that pest people have to deal with taking photos and only leaving when asked to. I'd much rather make a polite hello and ask if I could take a photo with them "since they look really great in this scene" or whatever vague nice thing makes them smile.

Anonymous

Anonymous Thu 21 May 2015 07:28:21 No.2587570 Report

Quoted By:

>>2586498

Anonymous

Anonymous Thu 21 May 2015 11:54:23 No.2587660 Report

Quoted By:

>>2586471
Please stop you sound just as bad as the Olympus em1 guy.

Anonymous

Anonymous Thu 21 May 2015 11:56:47 No.2587662 Report

Quoted By:

>>2586507
>"sorry anon didn't want to ruin your shot"
>"b-but you were the shot..."

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