Victoria, London
Street photography isn’t something I get to indulge in often, but on Saturday I was in Southwark, London, with barely an hour to spare before going to see a concert in the cathedral. To make use of my limited time I had a wander round Borough Market with my Fuji X20, bags of really interesting late afternoon sunlight filtering through the structures of the market and little scenes of traders winding down from a busy day.
With all the shoppers gone, or congregated at nearby bars, I was able to move about and frame scenes without too much clutter, and as I rounded one corner I was struck by this vision of a waitress with red hair, concentrating on her mobile phone and smoking a cigarette while the evening sunlight lit her up brilliantly against the shaded backdrop of a closed stall.
Now I’m not a natural street photographer and on the whole I don’t like to snap pictures of people without their knowledge, especially if I intend publishing the photos in some form, so I approached and asked permission to shoot.
Victoria (for ’twas her name) agreed, but at first she wasn’t sure if I wanted her to pose, so I explained that if she went back to what she’d been doing, that would be just the ticket. Within seconds it was as if I wasn’t there. I took 10 frames, three of which worked well and two I’m posting here.
Once I’d done taking pictures I went back over for a chat, to take her name and some details and to give Victoria my email address so she can have a copy if she wants. Then her cigarette was done, her break over and she dashed back off to the wine bar to continue her shift. Click photos to enlarge
I’m not saying these are prize-winning photos, but the big step for me is that unless I’m under pressure of a brief, I find it incredibly difficult to approach strangers and ask them to pose for me. I generally need to know the pictures have more of a purpose than just my own joy of taking a photo, which is silly. As a photographer of almost 30 years’ experience I really should know by now that I have absolutely every right to record what is around me.
And as long as I do this with dignity and technical ability, I really should get over myself and just get on with it.
Hey Tim,
Always enjoy your emails. The whole street photography makes me uncomfortable I admit. Does not sit right with me. Feels a little sneaky. I would not like an image of myself spread around the world….. so it’s not often I take such pics. A colleague of mine Brendan O Shea is a great example of a street photographer and well worth checking out if you’re interested,(has been featured in an Apple campaign too) He’s on twitter @Fotopunctuation & has a website too.
Here is something else maybe of interest :
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/may/02/secret-life-photographer-free-online-content?utm_content=bufferede38&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer
All the best
Tomás
Thank you Tomás, that’s very kind of you, I’m glad you like my posts! I know what you mean about street photography, and each photographer will have their own approach. I don’t mind doing candids, but for my peace of mind they had better be amazing enough to justify the intrusion. Thank you for the links too, I’ve read The Guardian one and I’ll check out Brendan too.
All the best to you,
Tim
Hi Tim! I love the photos!
See, the difference between a professional photographer and someone with a camera, for example, me, is that you care not only about light, composition, ambiance, bla bla bla, but about image and copyrights.
Also, if you have a studio (or the possibility of shooting in one), appropriate equipment and know how to use, well, you really don’t need to rely on street photography. For us, Sunday photographers with none of the above, we have to work without models and natural light 😉
It’s been a long time I’ve taken photos with my reflex but about a month ago I was in Seoul so I took a lot of photos as you might imagine. And funny thing, this was the first time I asked someone’s permission to take his photo. Well, I kind of point the camera in the direction of this old gentleman and he bowed his head so I took that as his agreement. 🙂 Maybe because of that the photo was a little less natural but still he managed to keep that poise and coolness that made me want to take his photo.
The good thing of being a tourist (foreigner) is that people anyway don’t mind you that much.
Thank you Lau, I really appreciate your kind comments 🙂
It’s fair to say that amateurs are increasingly concerned with protecting their copyright, especially as they’ve come to realise their work also has value, but of course many aren’t concerned with it at all. It’s a mixed picture, if you’ll forgive the pun.
I can safely say I will never rely on street photography, but I get what you’re saying – that those without the facilities and opportunities to take photos for a living have to rely on what is around them for the elements in their photography. Well, I rarely get to work in a studio or with models, so maybe we’re not so far apart, but my work definitely relies on having the permission of the people I photograph.
Eye contact, a nod, or any small gesture which infers permission to take a photo might change the nature of the photo, but it doesn’t sound like it made your picture any less spontaneous. You probably got better photos for having shown some respect. Definitely it helps being a tourist though. I found it easier to approach this lady in London than I would have done in my home town for some reason!