While I don't often feel intimidated when shooting people in public, there is one situation that I do find difficult; i.e. when people make eye contact with you and you can't judge how they feel about being photographed. In these circumstances my instinctive reaction is to look away – much as I would if there wasn't a camera between us. However, a street portrait can be a lot stronger when a subject actively engages with the process of being photographed, so it's often worth staying focussed for a few more seconds than you would normally find comfortable to ensure that you get the shot.
In this instance, I'd been photographing this guy for a couple of minutes before he glanced up, and my immediate impression was that either he didn't want to be photographed or he found my presence distracting. Either way, I shot a few more frames before thanking him for his time and moving on.
captured camera lens focal length aperture shutter speed shooting mode exposure bias metering mode ISO flash image quality RAW converter cropped?
12.41pm on 6/9/08
Canon 1Ds Mark II EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM
200mm
f/4.5
1/100
aperture priority
+1/3
evaluative
100
no
RAW
ACR
no
Excellent -, reminds me a famous song of the Talking Heads (if you see what I mean ..!) - great text and story also, this would make a cool funny folk song ;)
comment byRafael Perrone at 10:51 PM (GMT) on 15 September, 2008
You're right. You can't tell his opinion about being photographed.
comment bySam Brill at 12:54 AM (GMT) on 16 September, 2008
This is really nice. It's really great that the rim of his glasses don't cut over his eyes :)
This post pretty much answers the question I asked few "photos" ago.
Can you play an instrument?
comment by RD at 01:18 AM (GMT) on 16 September, 2008
The fact that he's looking at you makes the portrait. It's fantastic, one of your best, really. You should go find him and give him a copy--I think he'd like it.
comment by kate at 02:49 AM (GMT) on 16 September, 2008
very, very good. hands/fingers/expression and more.
in this case, though i know it's not what really happened, i feel subject engaging audience, rather than photographer. so i think it really works well.
don't think he looks foreboding, just distracted for a moment. playing must take a certain amount of concentration. was he decent? :)
comment byThatch at 07:46 AM (GMT) on 16 September, 2008
Gaining a non verbal concent in taking peoples pictures are often very hard. In this case you've done great! I'm happy to see you talked to him afterwards, street photographers sometime forget that important detail and end of doing candid shoots.
I love the details you've captured, as Sam points out the rim of his glasses is exactly where they are supposed to be, which is very hard. Great texture and detail in his instrument. And to top it all you did it in b/w. Lovely.
comment byFrida at 12:33 PM (GMT) on 16 September, 2008
That look is the one I usually have when I'm in front of the camera ;-) Excellent photo, you just have to look to see it all no words needed. Looks great in B&W
comment bymicha at 02:43 PM (GMT) on 16 September, 2008
It is a superb pic, but I dont know what kind of reaction he could have finding out his image in your blog :) well, maybe he would find out that he is such a beautiful strong model that he could decide to start to sell his image around :) cheers!
I think you nailed the shot! Just perfect. I like his expression a lot! I hope he got some inspiration :)
comment bydjn1 at 06:16 PM (GMT) on 16 September, 2008
Thanks everyone :-)
comment by ed at 02:38 PM (GMT) on 17 September, 2008
seems washed out to me.....
comment byJamey at 03:07 PM (GMT) on 17 September, 2008
I thought this was a self-portrait and you'd grown your hair. Hah.
comment bynavin harish at 08:42 AM (GMT) on 19 September, 2008
He certailny doesn't seem pleased. Was he playing for money? If he was, did you leave some money in his guitar case before you moved on? If you did, would you still had left the money if you were not photographing him?
While I don't often feel intimidated when shooting people in public, there is one situation that I do find difficult; i.e. when people make eye contact with you and you can't judge how they feel about being photographed. In these circumstances my instinctive reaction is to look away – much as I would if there wasn't a camera between us. However, a street portrait can be a lot stronger when a subject actively engages with the process of being photographed, so it's often worth staying focussed for a few more seconds than you would normally find comfortable to ensure that you get the shot.
In this instance, I'd been photographing this guy for a couple of minutes before he glanced up, and my immediate impression was that either he didn't want to be photographed or he found my presence distracting. Either way, I shot a few more frames before thanking him for his time and moving on.
camera
lens
focal length
aperture
shutter speed
shooting mode
exposure bias
metering mode
ISO
flash
image quality
RAW converter
cropped?
Canon 1Ds Mark II
EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM
200mm
f/4.5
1/100
aperture priority
+1/3
evaluative
100
no
RAW
ACR
no
Chuckle - if looks could kill ;-)
He intimidates me.
I think this is one of best portrait photos among your recent posts.
Frank Zappa, a kind of :-)
that's the reason why i like photography.
it really speaks, with the universal language
a great shot, nothing but image!
Excellent -, reminds me a famous song of the Talking Heads (if you see what I mean ..!) - great text and story also, this would make a cool funny folk song ;)
You're right. You can't tell his opinion about being photographed.
This is really nice. It's really great that the rim of his glasses don't cut over his eyes :)
This post pretty much answers the question I asked few "photos" ago.
Can you play an instrument?
The fact that he's looking at you makes the portrait. It's fantastic, one of your best, really. You should go find him and give him a copy--I think he'd like it.
very, very good. hands/fingers/expression and more.
in this case, though i know it's not what really happened, i feel subject engaging audience, rather than photographer. so i think it really works well.
don't think he looks foreboding, just distracted for a moment. playing must take a certain amount of concentration. was he decent? :)
LOL thats a great "get out my face" look :)
Gaining a non verbal concent in taking peoples pictures are often very hard. In this case you've done great! I'm happy to see you talked to him afterwards, street photographers sometime forget that important detail and end of doing candid shoots.
I love the details you've captured, as Sam points out the rim of his glasses is exactly where they are supposed to be, which is very hard. Great texture and detail in his instrument. And to top it all you did it in b/w. Lovely.
That look is the one I usually have when I'm in front of the camera ;-) Excellent photo, you just have to look to see it all no words needed. Looks great in B&W
It is a superb pic, but I dont know what kind of reaction he could have finding out his image in your blog :) well, maybe he would find out that he is such a beautiful strong model that he could decide to start to sell his image around :) cheers!
I think you nailed the shot! Just perfect. I like his expression a lot! I hope he got some inspiration :)
Thanks everyone :-)
seems washed out to me.....
I thought this was a self-portrait and you'd grown your hair. Hah.
He certailny doesn't seem pleased. Was he playing for money? If he was, did you leave some money in his guitar case before you moved on? If you did, would you still had left the money if you were not photographing him?