Comments on: My missing photodocumentary

By: substitute

substitute — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 08:04:04 +0000

Carrying the camera is good. The other thing is going on photo expeditions. Pick a free day and a project (bars, a weird part of town, signs, candids) and go do it. It’s fun and you get practice.

By: rpkrajewski

rpkrajewski — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 04:58:05 +0000

If you’re a guy with a camera, it’s hard not to be the Guy With The Camera. My guidelines:

Have a small, fast camera that you can take anywhere.

Have children. THEY LOVE having their pictures take.

By: sensitive_one

sensitive_one — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 00:26:58 +0000

i have a camera with me at all times. the one i carry the most is a little olympus with a 10X built in zoom. it’s great for shooting out the car window while stopped at lights, etc. i sometimes just keep it in my car so i don’t forget it. i’ll be darned if every time i do i miss a great shot.

good luck! i don’t mind being the crazy lady with the camera. i’ve never had anyone get mad or annoyed at me. :D

By: reddragdiva

reddragdiva — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 00:03:16 +0000

I fear the only way is to become The Guy With The Camera. OH NOEZ!

By: gcrumb

gcrumb — Wed, 20 Dec 2006 23:54:45 +0000

One more thing:

Take two – they’re small. People often relax visibly right after you’ve taken their photo, so taking two shots about 1 second apart is enough to get a really relaxed, far-less-posed photo.

By: gcrumb

gcrumb — Wed, 20 Dec 2006 23:52:01 +0000

This might or might not be of use to you, but IME in Ottawa (and elsewhere in Canada), the best way to avoid being a Nosy Person with a Camera is to get a really good quality zoom lens, one that will take a head-and-shoulders shot at about 10 metres.

My technique with this was to either set up the aperture and shutter speed beforehand (if I knew I was going to take a photo of a particular thing), or to rely on the automatic settings (not so big a deficit, what with Photoshop for readjusting light levels) and then ‘shoot from the hip’ as it were. I.e. I would snap off the shot as quickly as possible and immediately get the camera back to a neutral position.

There’s an appropriate speed for this. Too quick and you’re a shifty individual who’s not to be trusted, too slowly and you’re the Guy with the Camera. If you do get caught in the act, a self-deprecating smile and a quiet thank you will often get you off the hook.

Interestingly, having a big-ass camera with a ‘mine is bigger’ lens actually makes people more acquiescent, as they’re inclined to assume that you’re a professional. Why this makes it okay is still not clear to me, but there you have it….