Today I was asked by someone for a few tips on shooting street/candids. Many people like this genre, but it is not the easiest to perform successfully for many reasons, and often shots come out like – erm… snap shots. Since I took the time to write these brief pointers up for my friend, I thought I may as well share. Feel free to add, contest, debate, or send me lots of money. That last bit was a joke.
Street/Candid
A few pointers:
- A mid-zoom lens is ideal for candids. I use a 70-200mm on a crop body, and that would be fine for a full frame, also. If you do not have access to something in this range and/or can’t afford it, then concentrate on wider street scenes instead, and work within your equipment limitations. You do not need to have very expensive gear to do street.
- 80% of people will be flattered you are taking their photo. Don’t try and hide it too much – and smile a lot. Walk up to people afterwards, and show them what you took (if digital). Without a long lens, you will more then likely be noticed most of the time. My rule is smile – and they smile back :)
(a hefty monopod can come in handy if things get out of hand)
- 15% of people will not like their photo taken and either try and hide or cover their face or something. If you notice this – let them go – easy :) Respect people and their wishes. Many other opportunities around.
- 5% of people are born assholes – or intensely dislike being photographed for their own private reasons. When you encounter this, just call out that you are deleting the image, and walk away. A few days ago, I was shooting a laughing session out in a city square. I laughed along with them. Someone asked me to join in, and I said that I was laughing on the inside ;)
Then this guy rode up, and walked up to me. He asked me why I was shooting and I told him because it was a nice, fun thing to shoot. I asked him if he were going to join in and he said “no, not with a photographer around”. He said this as if I were a murderer. I said “easy fixed, mate. I promise not to take a photo of you”. And he walked off. Some people are just surly.
NEVER hand your camera over to anyone. Even in the US, it is your right to take photos of anyone providing you are in a publicly owned area. This includes law-enforcement officers. Of course if they demand it, you must hand over your gear. But they are in the wrong, and it can usually be contested successfully.
- A good way to take candids, is to visit fairs, fetes, etc – and face the crowd. Go to the side of the stage area and walk around, getting people used to you. Then start scanning the crowd through your lens. Make some jokes, take interest in the proceedings, become one with the crowd. Eventually people ignore you and you become a hunter/predator hahaha!!!
Look for emotions – listen to what is happening around you and time your shots to get the best emotive reactions. Position yourself so that light is to the left or right behind you, so that you can get reflections (catch lights) in the eyes. Always consider your backgrounds while shooting. Nothing worse then spending hours cloning out a light pole from behind someone’s head ;)
And frame your shots to allow for movement, as well as giving space to the direction someone is looking.
- Wider street shots live and die by the ‘story’. This takes a little bit of keen observation and patience. A good system, is to position yourself in a people-traffic’ed (yes, I made that one up) location where you have visually composed an interesting scene. It may be a poignant billboard, or a large puddle in the street – maybe a pool of soft light spilling from an overhead lamp. And then wait like a spider :) A car will rush by as someone is walking, splashing them with muddy water – you time your shot to capture their indignation and water spray like an upturned umbrella. A mother and child walk through the lamplight, and as the mother moves back into darkness, the child, holding her hand, is illuminated. Your billboard espousing ‘have a happy day’ becomes a backdrop to a crying girl – or an arguing couple.
Observe/setup/plan/wait/timing….a tripod is useful…
Learn your camera so that settings are intrinsic. The less you need to think about technicalities, the more you can free your mind to focus on art.
Hope that helps a little. Above all – try and relax and enjoy yourself. If you are uptight, it is contagious. If you smile, and interact with people, you will be automatically accepted.
Lys ., about 1 month ago
ill pay you
if you dance…
Mark German in reply to Lys .’s comment, about 1 month ago
I’m a shocking dancer, unfortunately.
Caroline Gorka, about 1 month ago
Good helpful work, and ideas to think about.. get back to you on that.
I started feeling very self-conscious at first, but am gradually beginning to relax..hopefully to the poiint that I can see those special, spontaneous moments …which of course I will always have my camera on me to capture !!
:p
Angela McConnell, about 1 month ago
funny thing about the billboards – i was driving down spencer st and just coming up to a syphillis billboard just as a young couple were kissing in front of it – i just about caused an accident! great tips btw
Bruce Watson, about 1 month ago
Perhaps surlyman thought you might capture his soul. But of course we know that’s nonsense – I mean, why would you want it? But seriously Mark, some great tips here.
Keep your distilled wisdom of experience comin’. Looking forward to the next instalment.
Jules Campbell, about 1 month ago
99 percent of Darwin are hiding from the LAW and don’t want their photograph taken the other 1 percent you wouldn’t want to take their picture! But very helpful info thank-you!
skunk, about 1 month ago
Thanks Mark
skeeter, about 1 month ago
Now I’ve got some tips, I might just ry. Thanks a bunch =)
Charlene Aycock, about 1 month ago
If you shoot and use the ones without a release these real assholes you would have to worry about if they ever saw it for sale. Without a release from them you can be sued. Unfortunate but true.
Charlene Aycock, about 1 month ago
you must get a release in writing to use any of your street photos unless it is for newspaper news or history books. Check out the laws under copyright, You own the copyright but do not have the right to make profit on them without a release unless the people can not be identified, ie like silhouettes.
Hien Nguyen, about 1 month ago
Good stuff Mark, some purists will argue that REAL street photography is a 50mm prime on a 35mm sensor. It’s in your face photography, but the idea is to just shoot them before they even realise it. There’s a guy in the US that’s hugely famous for it, but I can’t remember his name or site atm.
Mark German in reply to Charlene Aycock’s comment, about 1 month ago
you must get a release in writing to use any of your street photos unless it is for newspaper news or history books. Check out the laws under copyright, You own the copyright but do not have the right to make profit on them without a release unless the people can not be identified, ie like silhouettes.
Actually Charlene – that is not quite right. You need a model release if your shot will be used in advertising, or other similar commercial way. I am not sure where you are located, but I will hunt down the appropriate laws if you tell me.
Mark German in reply to Hien Nguyen’s comment, about 1 month ago
Good stuff Mark, some purists will argue that REAL street photography is a 50mm prime on a 35mm sensor. It’s in your face photography, but the idea is to just shoot them before they even realise it. There’s a guy in the US that’s hugely famous for it, but I can’t remember his name or site atm.
For sure – the purity of a standard lens :)
On full frame and for street it works a charm. Candid portraits are a little different, though – unless, of course – you get right up into someone’s face as you say :)
Jacqueline Bar..., about 1 month ago
thanks for the tips!
Scott Ruhs, about 1 month ago
Great stuff, Mark! Thanks for writing this.
Martin Pot
,
about 1 month ago
Great writeup – thanks.
In relation to the model release, you only need it if the photo is to be used for commercial purposes. However the term “commercial” is misleading here – it refers to the photo being used in advertising to endorse a product or service (ie, giving the impression that the person in the photo is endorsing the photo/service).
It does NOT refer to you being able to sell the photo – you can still certainly do that.
There’s some great info about copyright in Australia here (scroll down to the section titled What is “commercial use”? for more info).
Mark German, about 1 month ago
This is why it is not a good idea to put candid shots is for sale with a stock agency.
shanghaiwu, about 1 month ago
love people who share their knowledge…..............
Durotriges, about 1 month ago
A car will rush by as someone is walking, splashing them with muddy water – you time your shot to capture their indignation and water spray like an upturned umbrella. A mother and child walk through the lamplight, and as the mother moves back into darkness, the child, holding her hand, is illuminated. Your billboard espousing ‘have a happy day’ becomes a backdrop to a crying girl – or an arguing couple.
The essence of Henri Cartier-Bresson. The spirit of the great man lives on…
Nicole Goggins, about 1 month ago
fantastic advice mark – thanks heaps for sharing…
Patrick Morand, about 1 month ago
Hello Mark, what a nice tip work.
I don’t know how it is in other countries but in France you can take photos of all the people you want (if they agree) but you can’t make any commercial use of these images unless you have a valid and signed model release …
Momlee Bhattac..., about 1 month ago
...just realised I’m probably the third kind ;). Your candids have always impressed me Mark. Wonder why you decided to give the secret away??!! :)
Mark German, about 1 month ago
I don’t know how it is in other countries but in France you can take photos of all the people you want (if they agree) but you can’t make any commercial use of these images unless you have a valid and signed model release
Hi Patrick :)
It seems that most countries have a similar set of laws in this area. What is a little vague, is the definition of commercial use.
In Australia (and as far as I know in the US), commercial use, loosely speaking, means giving entire and complete rights of the image away, to be used however the new owner pleases – including advertisement. It does not mean selling your work as editorial, illustrative, or photo-journalistic photography, and this includes candids and street. The difference being, an image may be displayed, providing it is not demeaning, unfairly provocative or embarrassing and also sold – as an item with no continuing rights granted.
The logic behind this, is that in our everyday lives we are constantly being recorded – by film crews, newspapers, event photography, surveillance cameras and of course the human eye. It is almost a given that privacy is only reliable on private land – and that would depend on the owners.
For example – I am entitled to photograph anyone I like on a public street. I use discretion, of course, but it is my right and I am backed by the law. However, I am not allowed to photograph in certain parklands or establishment – even open air ones – without express permission. O am allowed to photograph and sell an image of any building I like, providing I can take the shot from a reasonably public viewpoint. This does not mean I can climb fences, or peek through keyholes though.
The public around the Western world has rapidly become paranoid when it comes to photography. And yet, they would willingly phone a friend to tell them they may be on TV because they saw a camera crew at the ball game.
Street photography plays an enormously important role in our society. I could give many examples, but the best way to illustrate the point, is to refer back to pictorial history – what we know about it, and why we know about it.
rochelle, about 1 month ago
Mark – these are great tips – street photography is the hardest and best – but you must engage otherwise you do not get the essence of it. I was in federation square last weekend – it was a busy sunday and i am not surprised you got your photos – it is about being a bit bold.
Bryan Peterson, about 1 month ago
Thanks for all the information Mark – and I’m sure the debate on the rights to take and sell photographic materials will continue.
Jan Piller, about 1 month ago
Thanks Mark! Excellent tutorial!
nodrogart, about 1 month ago
Mark, These are brilliant guidelines, I also remember that you gave me “this info for UK”http://www.sirimo.co.uk/ukpr.php to look at, which has a lot of information, however in the UK it is a very sore subject at the moment especially with the police anti-terrorism law
nodrogart, about 1 month ago
THIS IS THE LINK
Craig Goldsmith, about 1 month ago
Great post Mark, plenty of good tips for those wanting to get into street and candid photography. Thanks for sharing.
David Iori, about 1 month ago
Good tips Mark
GailD, about 1 month ago
Thanks for that. Most helpful.
Darren Stones, about 1 month ago
Good work, Mark.
Lam Tran, about 1 month ago
Excellent tips my friend, Great work!
NaturalByNature, about 1 month ago
Thanks for the tips Mark, very useful.
Cathleen Taraw..., about 1 month ago
Wonderful Mark, thank you.
Richard Veal, about 1 month ago
Many thanks for putting this on Mark.
Elizabeth Duncan, about 1 month ago
Thank you so much this is really helpful. I was having trouble finding out some of this stuff but you just answered all my questions!
Ben Herman, about 1 month ago
Awesome, thank you very much, I feel more confident now.
Daniel Rarela, about 1 month ago
AAaaah Mark, thanks for this… I wish you had told me all this before I had gone back home to New York to take photos in Manhattan…but when I go back again I’ll be a bit wiser now, I’m sure :)
beelarge, about 1 month ago
Great tips – thanks heaps. Will put it all into practice now.
Philip Golan, about 1 month ago
Thanks Mark.
Mili Wijeratne, about 1 month ago
Thank you for sharing this with us Mark :)
carolyn wallace, about 1 month ago
cool tip, must try, n i,ll look out for grumpy peeps too…...
watch the birdie….
jep983, about 1 month ago
Thanks for the tips Mark!
Marc Evans IPA, about 1 month ago
Mark where do I send the money !
Glenn Alderson, about 1 month ago
Thankyou so much! You have answerd a lot of my questions when it comes to taking photos of people in public areas. I always feel unsure if im going to offend some people. I guess you just have to judge the moment & the people aroud you.
Mark German in reply to Glenn Alderson’s comment, about 1 month ago
You’re welcome.
Being part of the moment is a bonus ;)
Steven Sandner, about 1 month ago
Awesome journal, yeah its not really my favorite style of photography
-in australia you have annoying security that tend to stare at you… you have police that ask you what your doing… you also have the *** that.. .
anyway, its really not my thing… -taking photos are parties where you know everyone and everyone knows you is always awesome.
good work anywho!
Christine Wilson, about 1 month ago
nice work mark thanks for making your knowledge available to us
cheers chris
susan davies, about 1 month ago
thanks mark, such wonderful advice im just learning all the time but love it, its so much fun, thanks again
Taine, about 1 month ago
Hi Mark, it sounds like you excel at interacting with people & your environment, which I believe may be an art in itself. Observing, appreciating & being part of the moment you’re in, is not something that everyone can successfully accomplish; (particularly whilst taking some fantastic shots!). I’ve really enjoyed looking through your photography, it’s great; thanks.
jlynn, 9 days ago
Thank you Mark,, I’m printing this out:) Lys sent me here after I asked her advice on public shooting,,,, I get embarrassed for people to even see me with the camera let alone photograph them:) So this is a big help,, wish me luck on not hiding or waiting till everyone is gone:)