I find there aren’t many books out there which handle the realistic side of street photography in great details and offer any form of useful information. Maybe that’s why I get plenty of emails asking me for such practical advice regarding street photography and quite often asking me about, you guessed it, photographing strangers.
One of my weaknesses in life is books, and especially old books, so sometimes when I come across an old photography book in a thrift store or a garage sale, I just have to have it, even though I’m quickly running out of shelf space.
Such a thrift store find is a photography book I got recently for a $1.50. It is a book published by Kodak in 1984 titled “Photographing the drama of daily life”.
It has some really fun street images and several useful ideas to go with these images.
Here are a few good suggestions from the chapter – Dealing with people:
“The most completely candid photographs are taken without the subject’s knowledge. …More often you will need some degree of cooperation from people to obtain a satisfying result. In most circumstances, a friendly manner and a smile will do the trick. If you look solemn, people may start to wonder just why you are photographing them whereas a smile can disarm their anxieties and help to put them at ease.
…Legally, you do not need to seek permission from people you want to photograph in public places if the pictures are for personal, editorial, or exhibition use rather than for a commercial purpose such as advertising (when written permission is required.)
However, judge the situation carefully, do not invade people’s privacy and be ready to diffuse things with charm and tact.”
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