Street photography: How to take photos of strangers

By Sadia Khatri on March 25, 2013

“Do you mind if I take your picture?” I asked. The man had placed himself in front of the bus stop in a pose more artful than what any choreographer could have managed. Lying down on the grass, he was leaning on his backpack, resting his head in one hand and holding a book with the other. Students walked around and over his oblivious self. In street photography, the trick isn’t just to shuffle things around to compose good photographs, but also to find fantastic god-sent compositions already in place.

I prepared myself for the “Why?” that usually follows my photo-taking inquiries, but his response came as a curt “No, thank you.” Fumbling for a moment, I shut my camera and hurried on. I hadn’t expected that reaction; I thought he was a student, and they generally never refuse, often offering to pose for as long, and as extravagantly as required (“Will this go on Facebook? Can you give me the link?”). The one rule I have learnt in street photography is: you can’t predict what people will say, and so, you always have to ask.

It takes a decent amount of courage to walk up to a complete stranger (after preparing your 10 second speech) to ask if please, would you stand by that letterbox there, yes you heard me correctly, that letterbox. Then watch them grow awkward as you pull photo gymnastics to get the right angle. But the process grows easier with time. And although it can take one rejection like this one to bring you back to square one of jittery nerves, you just have to keep at it.

Of course, post being crushed (and having missed out on your brilliant shot) you’ll wonder if you should have done something different. After all, you are a seasoned street people stalker now. Perhaps you should have insisted more? Smiled more? Not asked at all and just taken it? At points like these, you just have to remind yourself: where strangers are involved, one must prepare for defeat.

Aside from blunt rejections, potential subjects are often also lost by wasting time debating whether you should or should not approach them, and how. But they look nice. But they smiled at me. But maybe there’s an emergency and they’re in a hurry and I shouldn’t bother them. And you’re left standing there in all your nervousness, while they – actually having somewhere to go to, have left. Solution: don’t over think. If they refuse, what’s the worst that will happen? It’s not like you have to see them again.

Again, it’s as simple as this: You just have to do it. People usually don’t mind getting their photos taken. In fact, it’s flattering for them. Out of ten times, one person might say no, and they probably have a good reason for it. Usually with a bit of charming insistence though, you can fix that too: engage people in conversation. Talk about what project you’re working on, if any. Make up a project. Assure them you’re not going to photoshop them into something scandalous, or use their photo for commercial purposes. Tell them if you are. Ask them about their day, and what they do. Tell them about yours. Let them assist in composing the photo if they seem enthusiastic, you don’t have to use the shot later. And most importantly, after you’ve taken the photo, show it to them. If they want a copy, be courteous enough to follow up and send them one. Use any mixture of these, and you’re bound to get your photograph (Thank me on your website).

If this still sounds terrifying, remember that not all street photography requires confrontation. If you are too far away from your subject, gestures work. Point the camera towards them with a questioning look (giant DSLRs help here), or make the “clicking” sign with your hands. You’ll be surprised by the number of nods you receive. Waving dramatically will get their attention, too, but might also send the wrong signal. Where all of this becomes an obstruction is when disturbing your subject may compromise the candidness of your photograph. Here, it is best to use your intuition. Are you taking the kind of picture someone might not want to be plastered publicly, if that’s your goal? How much of their face is visible? Is it a minor, and if yes, do you see a parent nearby who might protest? Can you ask them after you’ve taken the photo, if you’re not too sure? If your shot is a streetscape or a crowd or moving traffic, then of course none of these apply. In the time you walk over and ask every single person, you would have lost your shot.

But don’t think you can get away with street photography without ever interacting with people. For me, that’s half the fun. Portraits especially lead into fantastic conversations. Not only can you use them to accompany your photographs, they also make the entire process of photo taking much more engaging. You’ll leave with incredible stories– like the runaway squatters I met, the woman who wears only blue and the couple who signed me up for a personal photo shoot.

Street photography doesn’t come with the same limitations as studio photography. You don’t need heavy equipment or the perfect lighting or ten different lenses or models on hire. People are everywhere, always moving around, breathing life into the streets. You can pick up your camera, however ordinary it is, and go to a part of town that may or may not be familiar, and you won’t be disappointed.

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