Disgusting photography

I got an email from a reader about the picture of the naked man I posted yesterday. I thought I should share it with you….

Dear Mr. Dunn,
As a long time supporter of Photoactive and its activities, I have to complain most bitterly about the appalling lapse in good taste recently demonstrated in your blog.
A man's bottom indeed!
I am absolutely horrified!
Disgusted of Sevenoaks

Ah well, Disgusted, all I can say is that you would be even more horrified if you knew what an elegant, beautiful and seemingly pure-minded lady took the photograph of the man’s bottom. But my lips are sealed.

To more respectable photographic matters, here are some more people photographs taken by members of my group in Menorca over the last week. The shot of the little boy in the market, and the one of the lady in the apron, were taken by group member Laura during an excursion to the old town of Cuidetella. She was using a Canon 400D with a small telephoto. I love both photographs. The colour combinations and sense of animation in both pictures really brings them to life.

I also like Peter’s picture of the tough guy with the tattoos. Peter is getting so much reward from his photography, and it is a real delight to watch him improving every time we go out to take pictures together. That’s him taking candid shots from the cover of a bench in one of the squares in Mahon, the island’s capital city.

Oh dear, I’ve just realised – it’s another picture of a bloke. I’m going to have disgusted writing to complain again.

A photograph for the ladies

I keep rattling on about how pleasant and relaxed it is to photograph people here in Menorca. In all the years I have been coming here and whenever I bring my groups of photographers for the photography holidays, there has never been a problem.

Maybe the ultimate in the laid-back attitude was demonstrated the other day when we were taking pictures on a beach and one of the ladies in my group - she shall remain nameless here - spotted the gentleman above. The lady in question told me at the start of the holiday that her favourite subject was photographing flowers, but as a people photographer she seems to have hidden talents. I particularly like the way she was completely unphazed by the fact that the young man baring his bottom had spotted her before she took the picture.

I've said it before but I will say it again... when your subject spots you taking a photograph - press the button again. It is often the response of the subject to being photographed that can make a good photograph.

Oh, it's worth mentioning that none of the blokes on the holiday thought it worthwhile pointing their cameras at this particular subject.

Photography on the beach - part 1

Do you find sunbathing a bore? Well, why not use your time on the beach to gather lots of pictures during your summer holidays this year?

People on the beach are usually there to enjoy themselves – and it’s always easier, and more fun, to photograph people when they are relaxed. But it’s not just people that should be catching your eye – what about all that wonderfully tacky stuff outside the gift shops. Kitsch is everywhere in these seaside shops and everything is deliberately colourful: naughty postcards, silly hats and sun specs; its all there for close-up pictures. Sea walls, beach huts – and the people who use them - promenades and piers have lots of visual possibilities to offer.

No matter if the beach is crowded or nearly deserted, often the best way to start is with a general picture showing the whole beach. If the beach is packed with sunbathers, try using a long telephoto lens to foreshorten and squash up the perspective. This will make the beach appear even more crowded by giving the illusion that the distance between each sunbather is much less than it really is.

Try to find one particular person who will make a good focal point and ensure that he or she is nicely in focus. Then wait for them to do something interesting – throwing a ball for their dog, or setting up their deckchair, for instance. This will help bring vitality to your composition. If you are photographing on a sunny day there will be plenty of light and you will be able to use a fast shutter speed; so freezing the action and avoiding shake with that long lens should not be a problem.


Top photograph
This picture, taken in Bermuda, was very easy to capture, it was just a matter of anticipation. There was no need to disturb the man; he could not see me behind him. Neither could he see the little bird running across the sand. I simply pre-focused on the man and waited for the bird to dart across behind his chair

Middle photograph
Don’t be nervous about moving in close to photograph people. If these two sunbathers had opened their eyes and spotted me taking their picture I would first have pressed the button again to capture their expressions then given them a great big smile and told them what a wonderful photograph they had helped to make

Bottom photograph
There’s no reason why a photograph of the general scene should be just a straight, boring view. Pick out a particular subject, focus on them and wait until they do something interesting before pressing the button. In this case, it was very easy because the lady was throwing sticks into the surf for her dogs

More about beach photograph next…

Wide angle for people

This is a very different style of photograph to the one in the previous post. It was taken just a few moments after the first in a busy camel market in Cairo.

This time, though, a wide angle 24mm lens has been used. The action is far more static. It is a reflective moment while the group of camel traders sit together on the ground smoking and talking. This time I wanted to emphasise the arrangement of the four people in the group while retaining lots of information in the background. This background information tells the story of who they are and what their work is.

So I have moved right in and filled my foreground with the wide angle. This has slightly exaggerate the perspective and placed more emphasis on the men themselves.

Of course the men knew I was there and that I was taking photographs. But I had been in the market most of the morning and had build something of a rapport with these people. In the end they were quite happy to let me get on with what I was doing while they carried on working.

My normal way of working is with two camera bodies – one fitted with a wide angle lens and one with a longer lens. This completely cuts out the need to keep changing lenses. It is just a method I have got used to over many years working as a travel photographer with The Sunday Times and for other magazines. There are many conditions in which you simple would not want to change lenses especially these days with the problems of getting dirt on the sensor. The dusty conditions of this market would have played havoc with the sensor of a digital camera.

Telephoto for people

I have mentioned before my frequent use of a small telephoto lens when for photographing people in real-life situations, especially when you want to remain slightly detached, yet fully able to observe the action and what is going on in front of you.

The picture here illustrates what I mean. It was taken on a 180mm f2.8 Nikkor lens. It’s worth saying that in all my travels I cannot remember when I ever carried anything longer. However, a 135mm (or equivalent) is pretty much spot-on for this type of situation when the subjects know full well that you are busy photographing them, but you do not want to get so close to them that your presence becomes obtrusive or, even worse, part of the action itself.

Beside the practicalities of handling yourself in these situations, the small telephoto lens can actually bring a real visual bonus. It can enable you to pick out selective action from the whole scene and - if you get your timing right - bring extra power and impact to your photographs. The limited depth of field of the telephoto does, of course, tend to isolate the main characters and focus your viewer’s attention on the most important aspects of the drama as it happens.

You will always run the risk when using any telephoto of having people move between you and your subject. I can be a risk well worth taking because these ‘intrusive’ elements can often add a feeling of depth, relevance and extra interest. So you must be very aware of what is happening all around you and be prepared to move quickly and decisively to either include of exclude other people.

Obviously, the main subject and focus of interest with this shot is the camel driver and the camel’s growling head. It revolves around the centre of the frame. But there are elements to left and right that add to, rather than diminish the interest of the scene. They give the impression that the action is taking place in a busy, crowded place, and that there are other people involved in the controlling of the camel. And so there were. It is an accurate portrayal of what is going on.

In my next post I’ll show you the exact opposite effect – by using a wide-angle lens during the same event.

Photographing older people - part 1

It’s an old saying that a person has the face he deserves by the age of forty. Maybe these days sixty would be more appropriate. Certainly as far as photography is concerned, the older a person gets the more of their life story will be etched into their features – and this means that older people make natural and fascinating subjects for portraiture. The sensitive photographer should be able to capture the essence of a person’s personality and of course this will be that much easier if you have a good, expressive face to photograph.

Remember, an understanding of light is your most important tool and most vital asset; its direction, quality and colour. The direction of light that can most often enhance texture, shape and form is sidelight. So it stands to reason that if you are photographing an elderly person and you want to emphasise the lines and wrinkles of that person’s skin – its texture – then side light can come in very useful. However, like everyone else, some older people can be extraordinarily vain, and will not take too kindly to photographs that make them look decrepit. So a degree of diplomacy may be needed if a photography session is to go smoothly. If you want to take a more flattering picture, try using backlight and reflect it back into the subjects features with a white reflector. We touched on this simple technique when I wrote about the Quality of Light.

I love photographing children because of their natural innocence and charm – they can be very funny. Well so can older people, and often the spark of youthful mischief and memories can still be seen in the older subject’s eyes and facial expressions.

Older people tend to be less self-conscious and easier to work with than younger adults. Older people often take it as a great compliment that a photographer should want to spend time photographing them, and will usually be more than willing to give their time as a result. You will almost certainly be able to work closely with an older person in order to achieve the picture you have in mind. So explain exactly what you want to achieve at the start of the session

Top photograph

How could any photographer resist a face like this. The light is from one big window to the right of the camera. It was very important that the shepherd’s hands and his crook should be included in the composition – they told his life story

Bottom photograph

Share your enjoyment when you are photographing older people. They are naturally interesting in the photographs you have taken. This is Graham, one of the student photoghraphers who joined one of my photography holidays in Menorca. He's showing the old guys outside a Bar the pictures he has just taken of them – it breaks the ice and can lead to many more wonderful photographs and opportunities – it makes it all fun!

Next in Part 2 - 5 good reasons for photographing older people

Humour in photography

It is always a mistake to assume that everyone shares the same sense of humour as yourself. In fact there are lots of people who have no sense of humour at all. I try to avoid these people whenever possible... the exception being pompous people, who I find hugely amusing and funny.

I have always enjoyed injecting a gentle sense of fun into my photographs. In fact, when I was working for The Daily Express, I got a reputation for what we called affectionately the ‘Silly Jobs Department’.

Over the years I have been commissioned to photograph some profoundly silly things.

I was once sent by a highly prestigious magazine all the way to Fiji with a life-sized pot replica head of the of the captain of the England rugby team. I remember it was in a very large and heavy box. England were due to play Fiji in the Rugby World Cup, and I was told to get a photograph of the Fijian front row players sat around a cooking pot in which they were boiling the English captain’s head. No, jobs don’t come any sillier than that. All very non-pc these days. If you would like to see the results of this extraordinary trip, you will have to put your requests in the comments and say please – I don’t show these pictures to just anybody! It can be all too painful to me. Still, I got well very paid and the pictures were given a tremedous spread in the magazine.

I’m delighted to say that even quality newspaper are not immune from having a little fun and I have posted a photograph I took for The Daily Telegraph here in the UK, together with a copy of the newspaper cutting showing how they used it.

The secret to success is to be 'gentle' with your subjects. I find nothing in the least funny about about crude and obvious jibes.

Well, you’ve got to laugh, it’s better than crying.

Street photography - perspective

Having said quite a lot about photographing people and what a powerful device it can be to have your subjects making eye contact with the camera, here’s a photograph that goes entirely in a different direction.

The strength of this picture comes from a dynamic feeling of depth and movement going right into the heart of the composition. Every line of linear perspective and every human action leads the eye forward, and yet it has to come back to look again at the straining figure behind the cart.

It is another photograph from my visit to China some years ago. I suspect all those people cycling to work will not be driving cars.

Photographing people in the street - eye contact

This picture was taken in China – one of the few places in the world to which I have no desire to return. As you can see, the street performing sword swallower is the main subject. He has his eye glued on me and is trying to draw me into his act. Maybe he wanted me to try swallowing a sword. Whatever it was he failed. Simply because I kept my eye to the viewfinder and just kept on taking photographs. Eventually, he gave up on me and got on with trying to impress his audience by stuffing an assortment of swords and knives down his throat. I just carried on taking photographs.

One of the strengths of this photograph is a composition that gives a strong sense of depth – this is partially due to the use of a wide-angle lens, but mostly because of the differing scale of the figures from foreground to background.

Another forceful aspect of this photograph is the eye contact of the main subject, and, if you look to the left, the eye contact of the man who is watching for my reactions. Eye contact is a powerful device and can give the viewer of your photographs a feeling of involvement with the scene and the subject. It confirms that the subject is aware of the camera’s presence – in this case the subject is actually responding to the camera – there is a shared interaction.

street portraiture

Cathy was asking in one of her comments whether I had shown any of the pictures I took while I was working with her on the harbour side here in Kirkcudbright. Cathy is one of my students and was here with me on a one-to-one photography course a few months back. I delighted to say she will be joining us in Menorca for the photography holiday in May this year

Well, as I have mentioned before, when I’m working with a student I don’t normally get much chance to take my own photographs, I’m far to busy concentrating on what the student is doing. When we spotted the chap in this photograph on the harbour, he was chatting to someone and just about to get back into his car – not the best place for good photographs. I explained to Cathy that the best thing to do was glance around, find the best spot to photograph him, then ask him to go there. The red bollard with the side of the boat and the nets as a background was an obvious make-shift studio.

I know Cathy was having problems with her auto focus at the time, but she did manage to get some successful photographs. I managed a couple of simple portraits on my little Canon Ixus.

The moral of this little yarn is that by all means, get your candid shots in first when it is feasible – and then don’t be afraid to make contact with your subject, it can lead to some good photographs – remember, once you have broken the ice you have a tame subject in front of you. Don’t was the opportunity – take lots of photographs.

Yes, I know the light was flat and undirectional, but the portraits are lifted by the extraordinarily bright colours of the subjects shirt, and the blue and green background. This background also helps tell the story of an old salt on the harbour – and I simply love the carpet slippers!

These are simple portraits – no great works of art, but they are fun to take, and this sort of photography is good practice for anyone wanting to learn and build their confidence when photographing people in the street. Meeting this chap has opened the opportunity to meet him again and take more photographs of his - perhaps with better light.

Photographing people - smile

Cathy has posted a comment about my post ‘Photographing people – TEN TIPS’. Part of her comment reads…

I've been reading more about street photography on various websites, and the range of advice and techniques on offer seems endless! One site offers advice on what to do when spotted which runs directly counter to your advice, Philip, and which makes me feel quite uncomfortable. http://candids.hervard.net/tips

Well, Cathy, I’ve just taken a look at that site and I have to say I am not in the least impressed by what I see. These pictures remind me of a list. They are mostly just visual records of people. Yes, there are a few interesting expressions – but then there would have to be when you consider how many pictures there are. What are these pictures of people for? I can see very little in the way of composition – most are simply cropped tightly around each subject. I might be missing something here, but, no, I don’t think so. These really are just records of what these people look like

It is not what I like to think of as street photography. I fail to see the visual appeal or merit. No story, no event or interesting moment captured – just records. Why?

I have no doubt that this photographer gets a great deal of pleasure from his photography, good luck to him. But it is definitely not a style I would want to copy. I am convinced that this method of sideways glances and detachment would have got me into a lot of trouble in many of the sensitive situations in which I have been involved around the world.

I am always telling my students that the camera belongs to the eye when they are photographing people in the street – and to press the button again when they are spotted. Then damned well smile!!! Look happy. Talk to people. Make contact. Be human, Do it all from behind the camera if you wish – it can lead to some great photographs and open all sorts of doors.

To illustrate just one situation like this, I have posted a couple of photographs. In the top picture, the main subject had no idea he was being photographed – yet almost everyone else around him could see what was happening. I even mimed to them, by smiling and putting my finger over my lips, to keep quiet and not let him know I was taking his photograph – they shared the joke. Of course it was not long before the man heard my shutter behind him – I was using a 24mm lens so I was very close. When he turned round his face bloke into a big smile – and everyone else joined the fun. I pressed the button again. That for me made a worthwhile photograph with a visual story to tell.

I’ll give you a few more examples of this technique soon.

Canon G9 - shutter lag

Thanks to Backlitcoyote (what a wonderful name) for the comment about the Canon G9. My initial disappointment with the camera centres around those two things – shutter lag and a lousy optical viewfinder.

That optical viewfinder is all but useless and I can’t imagine that it is beyond the resources of Canon to do a better job. Maybe if they concentrated more on how the camera actually handles in the real world – in a photographer’s hands – they would come up with something more useable.

When Backlitcoyote says it takes from 1/3 to ½ second from pressing the shutter button to the camera actually taking the photograph, is this, I wonder, even when the shutter button is already half-pressed to allow auto-focusing?

As I have said, I will put the camera to a proper test in real, practical situations as soon as I can. Meanwhile, I have to agree that the quality of the images taken on this Canon G9 is good. Maybe I just need to get used to it – but frankly, any camera that waits for half a second to take the picture just might get sent back for a refund or thrown at the wall. What possible use is a camera like this when photographing people?

I have posted my first couple of shots taken on this G9 – as you can see, nothing was moving and I used the LCD on the back of the camera to compose the pictures. The quality is fine. The photograph of the boat was done with very low side light in late afternoon, and this low light does tend to add a great deal to the crisp effect – the high resolution image is immaculate. The sky has burnt out on the left hand side, but, this can be expected with this type of shot where the foreground is so dark and the sky so bright. There are lots of ways around this, by the way, and I'll show you some in future posts.

The picture of the rock is a very simple test close-up. I did not use the macro function, just pointed and pressed. Yes, I’m impressed by the quality, but right now that camera is on borrowed time.

Photographers' rights

There is a very interesting thread running on one of the photography forums right now about the legal rights of photographers, and how they affect you taking photographs in the street.

I have already made my thoughts very clear about the freedom of photographers to take photographs what they wish in a public place. However, there is a link on this thread that UK photographers might find very useful. It is to a downloadable pdf file setting out the legal position. It was written in 2004 and is due for an update so bear that in mind.

http://www.sirimo.co.uk/ukpr.php/2004/11/19/uk_photographers_rights_guide

That forum group is something very special to me. I did not start it and do not have any say in the running of it. It was started by a group of my former students and is going from strength to strength. There is a great deal of sharing of information.

I know that the moderator, Maria, would make you most welcome if you wanted to join and I’m convinced you will enjoy the fun company.
Go take a look…

http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/photoactive_photographers

I’m running one of my Photography Weekends here in Kirkcudbright this weekend so my time to post on the blog is pretty limited. I’m working with a great group of photographers and everyone seems to be enjoying themselves – keep you fingers cross for us tomorrow – we need some good light and weather.

Photographing people - TEN TIPS

Questions, questions
My students ask all these questions when I suggest we go out and take pictures of people in the street. Some have to make a great effort to pluck up enough courage just to take the camera of the bag. Usually it does not take them long to see how much fun it is and how good the rapport can be with total strangers.

Here are five questions I am asked most often...

Q
Will people object to being photographed?
A
Well, I suppose you can make a friend or a foe in 1/500sec, but mostly people will either ignore you altogether, or ask why you are taking their picture. A perfectly reasonable question that deserves an answer. The amateur photographer has got the ideal reply – “I’m just a keen photographer who enjoys photographing people, I hope you don’t mind.”

Q
Will they become aggressive?
A
Very, very rarely. Common sense and basic street craft comes into play here and you will soon learn when to leave the camera in the bag. If someone tells you to ‘go away’, just smile and go, don’t argue, there are plenty of other subjects to choose from.

Q
Should you ask permission first?
A
I nearly always prefer to get something in the can and ask permission afterwards. Again, much depends on the circumstances, but remember, when someone says they don’t mind being photographed, you might have a ‘tame’ subject and you should ask to take more pictures.

Q
What should you do if they spot you taking their picture?
A
Take another picture – often the reaction to being photographed can create a very special photograph. Then smile broadly, hold both hands up and tell them what you are doing and why.

Q

May I publish a photograph I've taken of someone in the street?

A

Yes. Provided the photograph is not detrimental in any way to the person's character of good name. If you use the photograph for advertising purposes, that person may have a legitimate complaint.

TEN TIPS
Use fast shutter speeds to freeze people’s movements. 1/250sec minimum if possible. This may require a faster ISO such as 400 or 800 in poor light conditions.

Keep your camera set for instant use either with the correct exposure on Manual mode, or use TV (shutter priority mode). And keep your camera accessible – preferably around your neck and perhaps tucked into your jacket.

Be patient. Be observant and watch people closely.

Be aware of everything going on around you.

Anticipate where people are likely to go – you will learn to predict their movements quite well with practise.

Find good viewpoints and wait for people to move into them.

Start with ‘back view’ shots of people.

Take lots of pictures. That ‘decisive moment’ can be elusive.

Travel light – big, heavy camera bags are a nuisance and will attract attention.

Keep your camera bag zipped up when working in a crowded street. It would be a shame to lose equipment to light fingers while you are concentrating on taking pictures.

Top photograph
Once you have got more used to being seen about in the street with your cameras you can really start to enjoy yourself. You will find subjects everywhere. You must always be aware of what is going on around you all the time. Keep your eyes open and be prepared to move quickly into the best position when you see an interesting situation developing. Sometimes the subjects come right up to you. In this case, the two butchers were carrying their wares down a Dublin street. With the exposure already set and using a wide angle lens, all I had to do was wait until they filled the frame and press the button

Middle photograph
Towns like Cambridge are well used to people taking pictures, and chances are that you will be totally ignored when you raise the camera to your eye in a town like this. Don’t be in too much of a rush to take dramatic ‘candid’ shots of people straight away. Take it easy and slowly and concentrate on taking pictures of people who are absorbed in something else

Bottom photograph
No photographer worth his salt is going to walk away from an opportunity like this. Just keep pressing the button. With lively subjects it is always best to take lots of pictures. There is no need to interfere with what is going on – the kids are having a ball. The most important thing was to avoid a soaking from the little beggars

Photographing people in the street - part 1

The most easily accessible location for photography is right outside your own front door – in the street if you happen to live in town. Out there people are coming and going about there daily lives, and the houses, buildings and surroundings themselves can make really worthwhile subjects. Yet so many photographers get into a sweat at the very thought of taking pictures in the street. Quite understandably, they feel self-conscious and a bit nervous about pointing their cameras at perfect strangers. This is normal, and if you feel that way, you are not alone. You probably also feel as if you are being intrusive. Well, in a way, you are and because this type of photography brings you into contact with total strangers it does not suit everyone. However, you don’t always have to tackle your subjects head-on - there are many more subtle ways of capturing pictures of people than simply sticking a camera in their face

The first and most important thing to remember is that you have a perfect right to take photographs in a public street. It is a right you should use.

It can help if you start by taking photographs of public street events or parades, where everyone participating and watching will expect lots of photographs to be taken and will readily accept the presence of photographers. A good training ground can be a busy tourist town – again, people will be expecting photographers to take pictures. You could try back views of people to begin with so that they may not even know they have been photographed and will not question you. All this will help you gain confidence.

Eventually someone will turn round and see you taking their photograph. Rule Number One – press the button again, smile broadly and say something pleasant. Tell them what a great picture they have helped to create, how good they looked and how you could not resist taking it. Laugh – be happy! Go forward and show them the picture on the preview screen if they are interested. Let’s face it, you would not have taken the person’s picture in the first place if you felt the subject looked at all threatening, so who knows, you may gain a friend, or a least a ‘tame’ subject who you may be able to ask to ‘do it again’. This approach can lead to countless happy encounters with strangers and many great pictures. Just don’t expect to be an expert overnight, it takes time to build technique and confidence – especially confidence.

Man on ladder
Gain confidence by photographing people without them knowing – call these candid shots if you wish. If subjects have their backs to you, then you can shoot away to your heart’s content. This chap had no idea he was being photographed – nor could he see those jackdaws above his head on the roof. They really helped make the picture

Top photograph
You can progress from shots of people’s backs to full frontals quite easily. Use a medium telephoto lens – the equivalent of a 180mm is fine. Once again compose your picture carefully without people in it. Get everything set then simply wait until a likely subject strolls along and press the button. Minimum 1/250sec to stop the subject and reduce camera shake. You can assess your potential subjects well in advance and if you don’t like the look them just wait for another one

Bottom photograph
You need a clear view of a busy gateway or entrance for this exercise; somewhere people will have no choice but to walk through the gap. Find a good out-of-the-way spot overlooking the spot and get comfortable; a bench where you can sit down is ideal, or stand in the shadow of an alleyway where you are unlikely to be noticed. Don’t rush. Take your time framing and composing your shot. Set the exposure. Now everything is ready and your trap is set. All you have to do is wait for the right person to walk into shot and press the button at the right moment – you have taken your first candid shot and the person you photographed knew nothing about it

Tomorrow I’ll give you a list of TIPS and answer some FAQs about street photography

Photographing people - inhibitions

Self-consciousness is probably the main reason for holding back the talents of so many photographers. The thought of taking out a camera in public and pointing it at another person fills most photographers with dread. Why?

Maybe I was lucky to have had every inhibition knocked out of me at a very early age when I was an apprentice on a local newspaper. Even at the age of 15 I was expected to stand in front of a crowd of people and organise them into a group photograph – all this while using a 5 x 4 glass plate press camera and a flash unit with wet cell batteries I could barely lift. The first time I did this ‘solo’ was at a Christmas Fair in a school hall. The highest vantage point was the stage, and beneath the stage was laid out a table full of cakes and goodies. My boss, the chief photographer, stood at the back of the hall watching my performance.

In a voice barely broken by puberty, I yelled for attention and got a group of people herded near to me so that I could look down on them from the stage. You must bare in mind that in those days, the mantra of a local newspaper was ‘faces sell papers’. In other words, the more people you get on the photograph, the more newspapers will sell. I had gathered together perhaps 40 faces.

The very edge of the stage had a lethal sloping edge. You guessed it – just as I got everything set I slipped down the edge and skidded onto the table below. I watched my boss cover his face in shame as I waded ankle-deep in cream cakes and blancmange. However, the results of this spectacular fete of ineptitude was that everyone laughed – and I got the happiest photograph ever used in the newspaper.

Since that day I realised that it doesn’t matter a tinker’s cuss what people think of you at the time – provided you get the picture that matters. In actual fact all the ladies in the group rushed to offer me their motherly care – once they had stopped laughing.

---

Viv asks do I think black and white works best for people photographs, or is it my newspaper background? Well, Viv, a bit of both really. I love black and white. It has a power that colour can never quite equal. I do happen to have a library of b/w negatives numbering around 150,000, so I have plenty to go at. But that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy shooting colour. Just to prove it I have posted a couple of colour ‘people’ pictures.

The shot of the couple lying on the beach was taken with their consent. I saw them from some distance and took the first picture with a short telephoto lens, but I wanted to get right in close with a wide angle. The camera was glued to my eye as a walked carefully forward and spoke to them – ‘You look absolutely wonderful, please don’t move and let me take a photograph’. I was actually taking photographs as I spoke. They were a lovely, happy couple and delighted with the result when I showed them the picture.

So throw aside those inhibitions and take more photographs.

I’ve posted the photograph of the farmer to show that I’m quite happy to shoot colour for street portraits.

Photographing people in the street

I read on one of the photography forums recently a claim from a photographer who stated that true ‘street’ photography should not be done with a telephoto lens. It should only be done with a lens with an equivalent focal length of between 35-50mm. This is utter nonsense.

The correct lens for photographing people in the street is the lens that enables you to get the picture you want, and a photographer who hog-ties himself to this sort of narrow-minded work practice will miss an awful lot of worthwhile photographs.

I do not have a favourite lens for my street photography. I am just as likely to use a 24mm wide angle or a 180mm telephoto – rarely anything longer purely because of the inconvenience of carrying large lenses about. Quite apart from its effect of isolating your subject with its limited depth of field – as in the photograph above - a small telephoto sometimes enables you to remain just that little bit less conspicuous. I am perfectly happy to move in very close with my wide angle when I feel the picture needs that sort of approach.

When GlenF commented that photographing people in less-developed countries is still a delight, I have to agree. I’m not sure I agree that people in Western countries are more suspicious, though – perhaps they are just less civilised. I’m sure someone will correct me if I’m wrong, but when Mahatma Ghandi was asked what he thought of Western civilisation, he answered, “I think it will be good when they get it”.

Thanks to Saw Lady for her comment about paying street performers when you want to photograph them. I’d love to come over to NY to photograph you at work, and I think your blog is great. I suspect you get an awful lot of snappers photographing you already.
www.sawlady.com/blog

Travel photography

It is part and parcel of the travel photographer’s job to come up with different pictures of well known places. Of course he, or she, must photograph the obvious – it is a foolish photographer who is sent at considerable expense to the other side of the world to photograph the Taj Mahal and who comes back without the standard shot of the Taj looking along the row of fountains. It is very likely that you will be asked for these standard shots at some stage. But then you simply MUST look beyond the obvious. When I stood on the walls of the Taj I realised that just across the river was timeless India – people were still ploughing the fields using oxen – that’s where I wanted to be, over there looking back at the Taj.

The result of my trip across the river was a set of photographs that still sell many years later and the joy of meeting people who rarely came in contact with tourists – despite the fact they were just a few hundred yards away across the River Jumna. The picture was taken for The Sunday Times

Photographing people - do you pay?

Continuing my idea of showing you some of my pictures taken in India, here is one I took on a railway station platform.

I have quite deliberately included the figures sat on either side of the main subject. Without them the picture loses a great deal of its sense of place and context. I particularly like the large cosh the sleeping man has placed so conveniently to hand.

GlenF asks about street photography: "How about paying people on the street?" Well, the smart answer is - 'it all depends on the circimstances'. If your subject is a street performer or artist, then you must pay something. That's fair. So drop something into his hat or tin before you start taking photographs - and make sure the performer sees you do it. I very, very rarely pay - unless I really do want a picture of the person - and then I'm damned sure to get my money's worth.

I can not tell you how to blend into the background and yet still capture the things that happen around you. This is just something you must learn for yourself by actually doing it - or observe a professional as he works the streets. It's a lot about body language and the way you move around. It's about the way you look or don't look at people and the way you seek or avoid eye contact before and after you take your photographs. That's what my students learn from me on those holidays I run in Menorca when we cover Travel Photography.
http://www.photoactive.co.uk/menorca/menorca01.htm

Photographing people - eye contact

These two photographs are part series I took while working on assignment in India. They show the patients of a mental hospital. These people where lucky – they were very well cared for by a dedicated group of nuns and nurses.

Much of the power of the photographs comes from the fact that they depict vulnerable people in a sparse and austere setting. However a major contributor to their impact is the direct eye contact with the principal subjects.

Never underestimate the power of a portrait photograph when the subject is looking directly into the lens. The viewer makes immediate contact with the sitter and feels a shared communication. You may have noticed this in many of my photographs of people. It is not done by chance, but is a technique I like to use often whenever I feel it will add power to the photograph.

In the photograph of the boy and the nurse, the viewer should be able to share the youngster’s joy at seeing a stranger (me) taking his photograph. However, it is essential that the nurse should be looking down at the boy and not at me. This conveys her concern and care for her patient. Had she AND the boy been looking at the camera, the photograph would be little more than a record of their faces.

The top photograph works because, again, the subject is looking straight at the camera – there is eye contact. This time, his inability to get up to look properly is emphasised by that the glance of the eye.

Perhaps I’ll publish some more photographs from this set tomorrow. I feel a yen to show you some of my pictures. Can you cope with that I wonder?