Harbour Steps

WhatSheSaw · January 2, 2010

Any and all comments welcome. Do they work? Any tips for improvement?

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6

rutt · January 2, 2010

The closer you get to the people and the more in front of them, the better your pictures are.

bdcolen · January 2, 2010

WhatSheSaw wrote:

Any and all comments welcome. Do they work? Any tips for improvement?

The one that works is the last one, because there is actually something happening in this image. We see the expression on the woman's face and wonder what her problem is...what's happening here? Nice...

I'm afraid the others pretty much leave me cold - except for the fact that you clearly were working at this, and trying to come up with something interesting - which you succeeded in doing by the last shot.

michswiss · January 2, 2010

I think the best thing about this set is that you worked a scene. That takes patience and a strong eye to see the potential and then take the time to explore it. #2 comes the nearest to working for me, but I can understand why B. D. would select #6. #6 demonstrates the need to get close the best.

WhatSheSaw · January 3, 2010

Thanks, B.D.! This was an interesting place architecturally with the fountains and the curving stairs. I included the last 2 because my son liked the first and I liked the 2nd. I am trying to develop my judgment. I love those socks!

WhatSheSaw · January 3, 2010

Thanks for the comment, rutt! I'll keep that in mind.

WhatSheSaw · January 3, 2010

Thanks, Jen! I actually took about 50 shots there that day, some of the steps, some of the fountains, some of the people, some of all 3. I probably would have stayed and took some more, but I had to get to work.

Patti · January 3, 2010

Your hard work paid off with the last shot. The look on the woman's face spells judgmental but who knows. Perhaps she was just reacting to something her companion said. Either way, it works for me.

WhatSheSaw · January 3, 2010

Thanks, Patti! I'd say it was more hard fun!

tropico · January 4, 2010

Just a question, do you ask people before you take photos of them?
Or are you just shooting from a distance?

I also love the womans face. Nice.

alexf · January 4, 2010

Very nice. Love Seattle in summer.

bdcolen · January 4, 2010

tropico wrote:

Just a question, do you ask people before you take photos of them?
Or are you just shooting from a distance?

I also love the womans face. Nice.

I can't answer for WhatSheSaw, but the goal in terms of this kind of photography is to get close - and to shoot without asking permission. As soon as you engage the subject and ask permission you completely change the dynamic of the scene, and you go from making candid images to making posed images.

WhatSheSaw · January 4, 2010

For me, it depends. Mostly I don't ask. These were taken before I had heard the instruction to get close. So they were taken from about 20-50 feet away. The last 2 were from across the street.

Yesterday, I was at the local skate park and asked a father if he objected to me photographing his young daughter's shoes. He was frowning at me, which prompted me to ask. He objected, so I did not photograph her. If he had not objected, I think I still would have been able to get candids of the child. And there were other people there who had no objection to me photographing their children. Photographing children is problematic.

Sometimes, you will miss the moment if you try to get closer. That was the case with the green boots I posted recently (Is This Street thread). I was about 20 feet away.

I recently took some photos at a city council meeting, some of people who were sitting right next to me. This was an easy situation, because the attendees knew the meeting was being videotaped and had zero expectation of privacy. They were also engrossed in the meeting and were ignoring me.

The objective is to catch a natural, candid situation. If people know you are photographing them, they will often be unnatural at first. If you keep taking pictures, they will become accustomed to your presence and ignore you. This is true even in family group snapshot settings. I often take photos as the group is assembling and after they think I am done.

I am still very new to the street genre, so I am feeling my way as to what is appropriate and what is not.

WhatSheSaw · January 4, 2010

Thanks, Alex!

tropico · January 5, 2010

Thank you for a good answere. The reason I ask is because I find it really hard myself to take shots of people without asking. It kind of feel like I am trespassing.

And I am not sure how I would feel if I was surfing the net and found a not very flattering photo of myself.

But I would love to take more photos of people on the streets. Your photos inspired me!

WhatSheSaw wrote:

For me, it depends. Mostly I don't ask. These were taken before I had heard the instruction to get close. So they were taken from about 20-50 feet away. The last 2 were from across the street.

Yesterday, I was at the local skate park and asked a father if he objected to me photographing his young daughter's shoes. He was frowning at me, which prompted me to ask. He objected, so I did not photograph her. If he had not objected, I think I still would have been able to get candids of the child. And there were other people there who had no objection to me photographing their children. Photographing children is problematic.

Sometimes, you will miss the moment if you try to get closer. That was the case with the green boots I posted recently (Is This Street thread). I was about 20 feet away.

I recently took some photos at a city council meeting, some of people who were sitting right next to me. This was an easy situation, because the attendees knew the meeting was being videotaped and had zero expectation of privacy. They were also engrossed in the meeting and were ignoring me.

The objective is to catch a natural, candid situation. If people know you are photographing them, they will often be unnatural at first. If you keep taking pictures, they will become accustomed to your presence and ignore you. This is true even in family group snapshot settings. I often take photos as the group is assembling and after they think I am done.

I am still very new to the street genre, so I am feeling my way as to what is appropriate and what is not.

WhatSheSaw · January 5, 2010

Thanks, tropico! You made my day!

Sometimes I feel like I am intruding, also. Start with situations that make you mildly uncomfortable. Push your comfort zone a little bit at a time.

Sometimes people will be offended and sometimes they will be happy to make your acquaintance. I have had some nice conversations as a result of taking pictures. If anyone takes offense, simply apologize and walk away. How people react to you says more about them than it does about you. Maybe they are just having a bad day. I have become a pretty social person and enjoy striking up conversations with total strangers, so it may be easier for me than for some people.

Like a lot of people, I feel that most photos of me are unflattering.

If they tell me it is a good likeness, I think, 'Oh no! That's what I look like?!?" Fortunately, I don't have to look at myself all day.

With surveillance cameras becoming more common in cities, the expectation of being unobserved in public places is also diminishing. Ultimately, you have to decide what is OK to publish and what is not.

Harbour Steps

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