This may just be the toughest topic... not technically but psychologically. Taking pictures of total strangers out on the street is way out of my comfort zone. I admit... I'm scared... I'm afraid of being yelled at by irritated strangers... or even worse... punched up and camera smashed...
Maybe I'm imagining and preparing for the worst? My first negative street shooting experience (didn't know it's called "Street Photography" until now) came about when i was on tour in Europe some 3 years back. It was Christmas and I was at a Christmas carnival in Innsbruck. There was a beautiful carousel spinning and I stopped to take some pictures of kids having fun on the ride.
A man standing by the carousel came over to me and said "She's my daughter". I looked at him, smiled and complemented "She's an angel". He replied "Ya, delete it", pointing to my camera. I was stumped. "Delete it" he repeated firmly, pointing to my camera. "Ok" i shrugged and hit Delete. Satisfied, he walked away.
I don't think I looked anything like a pedophile... just an Asian tourist in Europe but that's one lesson learned... parents can be very very protective. Most probably that man was just playing it safe because pedophilia seems to be quite a problem in that part of the world.
That encounter can be considered my street photography "initiation". From that moment on, I became more aware of the environment and the people when I shoot street.
I try to be discreet and invisible... like a spy. That's the excitement... like 007 Bond coolly walking the street and "snap"... job done. I also find it "easier" to do street photography when I'm abroad in another country. The locals will just dismiss you as "another tourist".
I tried to be a tourist back home here in Singapore, mentally and physically, but it just don't gel for me. I still get the "What the hell is this guy doing?!" look on many faces... cover exposed. I even got a bus driver honking at me and gesturing "What's there to shoot in a bus interchange?!"
"I'm just TESTing the camera..." I tried to gesture back, waved and hurriedly walked away to avoid any more attention from the environment.
I shouldn't had worn a red T-shirt that day... I stuck out like a red beacon with my size-able DSLR. I'm now trying and learning to use my hand phone camera for street shoot. Its much more handy and less notice-able... but then again, people might take me for a voyeur :P
Shooting Information:
Date Taken: 5 Oct 2010
Camera: HTC Desire
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Camera Body: Canon 40D
Lens: EF 50mm f/1.4 USM with Hood
Mode: Av @ F5.6
ISO: 400
Focusing: Auto
Post-Processing: Exposure Fusion using EnfuseGUI, touch up in GIMP
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