People in Pictures

Today, I think it really is a case of 'hey, why are you taking a picture of me' if they happen to see you that is, and if they don't see you and it appears on screen they immediately think 'I wonder how much money I can make from that, because I didn't give them permission to take it'.

Sadly the potential law suite and/or compensation affects our brains, probably because most of us don't have any money!

Comment aside I would take the picture and face the consequences, because I would be of the opinion that I had taken it from a 'photographers' point of view and therefore it was of interest generally. Question has to be asked, how do the television companies get away with it, because they show clips of the public?

I think that most city streets are seldom empty of people. Intrusive photography, ie getting into a stranger's face could result in the camera being ingested by the photogrsoher, with some justification. Using a wide angle lens in a crowded place might sound daunting, but the reality is that the actual field of vision is not apparent to anyone except the photographer. Being unobtrusive is a skill, but pays off. In truth, I seldom go out of my way to single out people whilst taking street photography, but sometimes it is irresistible. Street performers by and large love being photographed, especually when a pound is put n their pot or hat. 

I'd still like to see more human content in the images submitted to POE, but I am in a pretty obvious minority.  

Six months, on and it seems that people in the picture here are still very few and far between. 

I suppose the raison d'etre for PoE is primarily to show off England's towns, cities and countryside. This does not necessarily preclude street photography, but I guess many people are reluctant to post images which include close-ups of people for fear of possible legal action.

It is a different matter if the subject is agreeable (as in Rod's example of the street performer, who by their very nature tend to be extroverts), but this is a special case and generally I think it is best to include people only if they are incidental details rather than the main subject. Therefore I think taking pictures of crowds is acceptable but individual close-ups is another matter.

If done sensitively, including people in a cityscape brings the image to life. Taking an example from the world of art,  L.S. Lowry's 'stick men' paintings of northern cities would be nothing without the crowds of anonymous figures.

Hello Rod, it's always a pleasure to get a response in the forums and your comments are always constructive.  My reaction to your recently uploaded  images is that they are good examples of photographing people in very different contexts. Your photo (1203246)  of the clippers at the Albert Dock includes many people at the dockside cafe, but they are all so small as to be unidentifiable, yet add life to the scene. No-one could possibly say this is intrusive in any way, and is a good example of the point I was making in my recent post.

The other photo you refer to, which I assume to be the one of a woman sitting and reading (1203245), is totally different from the other picture in that it is obvious that the woman and her immediate surroundings are the main subject. It is an attractive well-composed image and a fine candid shot, but personally I would feel a little uneasy taking that picture, assuming that the woman is a stranger. I wonder how she might react if she suddenly looked up and saw you taking the picture. Who knows ? she might be unconcerned, or maybe not. In these big-brother times it is difficult to second guess people's reactions. Ultimately, it is up to the photographer to make that judgement. 

Picture by Rod Burkey

Thank you Edward. I value your opinions greatly and it's alwayd good to swap views with you and all the POE members who look at the forum. When I saw the woman enjoying a quiet read in the sunshine, I felt I'd like to capture the feeling of tranquility in a corner of the dock that was pretty free of people. I know it is not a typical POE image but thought I'd show it to make my point about candid shots in public places. Now, I might well remove it again as it does appear on other sites that are more suited to "street photography". 

The shot of the clippers is not a good photograph, but it is a record of the day.

Enjoy the Bank Holiday Edward, and all who read this.   

Your welcome, Rod, I always try to comment constructively, although this might not always be taken as such.  I wish others would make more insightful comments, rather than the bland 'great pic', 'wonderful pic' , with five stars ad nauseam.  

My reaction to your candid shot is that it is excellent and conveys the mood of the moment very well, it's just that I personally would feel a bit awkward taking it. But then I am a shy retiring type (as well as being retired).

PS: I am enjoying the Bank Holiday sunshine, enhanced by Mother-in-Law being in attendance.