Street photography without pissing people off?

[dehk]

Read and tried enough things here and there. Tell me how do you take photos of complete strangers on the street without pissing people off, or how to blend in a way that they don't even notice you. Especially using a wider angle lens. For me, 8 out of 10 times I'll get the cold stare, or, they have that look in the eye which I know if I take a photo of them they're gonna go crazy on you. So my question is, how do you stick a camera in someones face without them picking a fight with you?

[Sirius Glass]

Switch to landscape and architectural photography.

[dehk]

Switch to landscape and architectural photography.

Nah, got bored with landscape that's why I'm picking fights with people on the street nowadays apparently. I don't know how many people it takes to take me down, but i do know how many they're gonna use.

[andrewkirkby]

A) small camera
B) don't think about what people think.

[David William White]

Lots here on that and ethics thereof. Briefly, wide angle is obviously easier. But you can 'get permission' by making eye contact and moving your trigger finger up and down and 'ask' silently. Or like Winogrand, be ready, shoot fast & keep moving so they don't know or aren't sure it ever happened. Self-timer can be helpful, too. Or you can approach, tell them what you see, and enlist their help. All depends on the circumstances and how much of a people-person you are.

[dehk]

A) small camera
B) don't think about what people think.

Good point, smaller camera does help i noticed. People react less to my Olympus Pen than my SLRs on the street.

Sometimes I can't help to think about what people think. For example if i am going to photograph a bum on the street, I can't help but to think what he'll do, "is he crazy enough to get mad and chase me down the street?" haha. Or better yet, when I'm in the hood.

[Adam Podstawczyński]

Read and tried enough things here and there. Tell me how do you take photos of complete strangers on the street without pissing people off, or how to blend in a way that they don't even notice you. Especially using a wider angle lens. For me, 8 out of 10 times I'll get the cold stare, or, they have that look in the eye which I know if I take a photo of them they're gonna go crazy on you. So my question is, how do you stick a camera in someones face without them picking a fight with you?

Just don't do that. Don't walk around shooting people without asking. Random street shooters are perceived as obnoxious and inconsiderate people by most, and there is a reason to that. If you want to capture their faces looking at yourself this way, go ahead -- why bother not to piss them off?

[dehk]

Lots here on that and ethics thereof. Briefly, wide angle is obviously easier. But you can 'get permission' by making eye contact and moving your trigger finger up and down and 'ask' silently. Or like Winogrand, be ready, shoot fast & keep moving so they don't know or aren't sure it ever happened. Self-timer can be helpful, too. Or you can approach, tell them what you see, and enlist their help. All depends on the circumstances and how much of a people-person you are.

I really like the idea of making eye contact and moving my trigger finger up and down and ask silently. That I will try, Thank You.

[dehk]

Just don't do that. Don't walk around shooting people without asking. Random street shooters are perceived as obnoxious and inconsiderate people by most, and there is a reason to that. If you want to capture their faces looking at yourself this way, go ahead -- why bother not to piss them off?

Yes i do understand when you say "Random street shooters are perceived as obnoxious and inconsiderate people by most". I guess if i didn't state my point clearly, my point is to capture people naturally without them giving me the cold look. That's why I'm trying to gather thoughts on this subject and maybe able to 'appear' less obnoxious.

[andrewkirkby]

It depends on what you are trying to capture at the end of the day. Often if you are photographing a split second of expression that can't be duplicated in a posed photo you don't have a choice.

If you're taking a photo of a bum as you so eloquently put it- speak to them, find out why they are there- connect with your subject and then capture the emotion as you notice it.

If you are taking pictures of people on the street you are bound to get people fired up. Search YouTube for street shots Bruce Gilden. You will see what I mean.