Street Photography Quick Tip 1 – A way to shoot inconspicuously
Motivated by the very positive feedback to the start of my series “Instant Inspiration” (links at the end of this post) I want to launch another regular series – the Street Photography Quick Tips. Some short, easy to read and easy to use tips that I think could help you while shooting in the streets. The first edition of “Street Photography Quick Tips” is about shooting inconspicuously. If you want to find out how, continue reading after the jump….
Sometimes it is difficult to shoot someone in an inconspicuous way. If you want to take a candid street portrait and you fear objection or that the atmosphere of the image changes once the subject is aware of being photographed, try this approach:
Line up in the general direction of your subject, raise the camera and shoot something behind or above him/her. Absolutely avoid eye contact, best look through the viewfinder of your camera. Bring the camera down, pretending to check the image you just took on the LCD back screen of your camera, your finger still on the shutter, still avoiding any eye contact with your subject. Instead of checking the image you just have taken above or behind your subject, compose your shot with your subject through the LCD back screen of our camera and shoot the “real” picture. Do not (!) check the photograph you’ve just taken, instead raise the camera again and “redo” the first shot behind or above the subject. Repeat as needed. And don’t blush 😉
This is a proven method I often employ and typically fare quite well with. Take your cam, go out and practice. And have fun!
Related Posts:
Street Photography Quick Tip (2)
Instant Inspiration (I) – Get Down Low
Instant Inspiration (2) – Motion Blur