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When most people go on vacation, they take pictures of their friends and family. Beautiful vistas. Old buildings. I like all that stuff as much as the next guy, but for some reason when I get out my camera, I take pictures of strangers. Strangers don’t pose. They do funny things without realizing they’re being watched. And when you get the pictures back, they’re never around to complain about how they look.
During a semester abroad in Ireland, I began spending free afternoons on the streets, camera in hand, taking pictures of people I didn’t know. (I tried to be as discreet as possible, eventually developing a from-the-hip technique where I could shoot without looking through the viewfinder; since I was never beaten or chased, I have to assume it worked.) Eventually I realized that there was a whole movement devoted to doing what I was doing, called street photography, and that I probably wasn’t some voyeuristic maniac after all (or at least, not the socially unacceptable kind). Below: kid in a piazza, Florence.
Since then, I’ve stopped hitting the streets with my camera (L.A. isn’t a walking town, they keep telling me) but have fallen in love with the great street photographers: Diane Arbus, Garry Winogrand, Elliot Erwitt, and many more. In this series of blogs, I want to post and talk about my favorites, but I figured the best way to start was to post some of my own first (may as well put ‘em to use; they’re just moldering away in my Flickr account), which also saves me the embarrassment of trying to follow Arbus or Winogrand! So here goes. (To see larger versions of these, by the way, just click on them.)
On the street outside Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland:
Bemused and be-wigged ladies outside a club in Dublin. (I didn’t stick around long enough to find out whether the bouncer let them in or not.)
A stolen kiss, Dublin.
Dogs for sale: one morning I found an impromptu pet market going on outside my hotel room in Seville, Spain. (Don’t worry, dude. Those dogs aren’t going anywhere.) 
French tourists eating a picnic lunch near Mont St. Michel. I like how daintily the guy facing camera is holding that French fry.
A newspaper hawker on O’Connell Street, Dublin.
I noticed this tired old shopkeeper across the street in Granada, Spain:
This Irish kid said he hadn’t caught anything all day.
A chapel in Normandie:
This silverback at the San Diego Zoo was anything but camera-shy:
A tourist in Paris stares me down.
Kids waiting to get into a club in Dublin.
Comments (56)
Comment
I love these. I love looking at other peoples pictures on flickr and people watching. This combines the two.
posted by Amy H. on 2-26-2008 at 8:11 am
I too was enthralled with taking pictures of strangers before I knew the accepted art form name of “street photography.” Which makes my voyeuristic tendencies sound completely legit.
posted by al on 2-26-2008 at 8:50 am
These photographs are beautiful! Truly artistic. What a simple idea, yet your composition really adds depth to the photos (and I love that they’re in B&W!)You couldn’t get photos this interesting if you tried to stage them. Thanks for sharing!
posted by Kirsten on 2-26-2008 at 9:16 am
These pictures are beautiful! I’ve always wanted to try “shooting from the hip” to capture strangers and candids, but I’m too scared that nothing will come out!
posted by Lebetho on 2-26-2008 at 9:53 am
My personal favourite street photographer is Robert Frank. He did some really great Americana type stuff (but not good Americana, if you dig). Maybe you could include him at some point! Your photos are really great as well!
posted by Cat on 2-26-2008 at 9:57 am
Great photos. I really enjoyed them.
Have you ever checked out the bad shoe webside (bad shoe.com). Photos of bad shoes on vacation!
posted by beth on 2-26-2008 at 10:25 am
this is everyday life and its fascinating…the black and white imagery really makes the pics feel gritty and urban…
my friend has a pinhole camera she hides in her purse and shoots pics all the time…really fun stuff…
thanks for sharing…
posted by donner on 2-26-2008 at 10:29 am
I was a photography major in college and our second assignment ever was taking pictures of strangers, which I loved. I can be crippled by shyness sometimes but having the camera gave me the courage to ask people to pose for me. It was one of my favorite projects from my freshman year. Street photography rules.
posted by caitlin on 2-26-2008 at 10:46 am
Walker Evans is another photographer that liked his candid shots - in the late 1930s to early 1940s he rode the NYC subway with his camera concealed under his coat and a shutter release up his sleeve, creating some amazing photos of unsuspecting New Yorkers.
posted by Keeker on 2-26-2008 at 11:21 am
Great photos! I studied abroad in Wales and often took pictures down by the beach across from the school. There’s always interesting people there and beautiful sea side. The town I was in, Swansea, is a old industrial town, but I liked the simplicity of it, much like Dublin in that aspect. And black and white just makes photos cooler!
posted by SM on 2-26-2008 at 12:22 pm
On a trip to Vegas one summer some friends and I took some “from the hip” shots of all the mullets we saw being sported around the various casinos. By the time we left on monday morning, we had ouselves quite a collection. And not one single repeat, which was kinda scary.
posted by ArtF on 2-26-2008 at 12:23 pm
Loved the pictures!
posted by septer on 2-26-2008 at 12:39 pm
I love street photography. However, it’s sometimes difficult to overcome your natural reluctance to photograph strangers. Your shoot-from-the-hip technique is a good one, as is a long telephoto lens. I still haven’t worked up the courage to photograph people in the subway, though I’ve seen some amazing characters sitting across from me I desperately wished to capture.
posted by Susanna on 2-26-2008 at 12:46 pm
Cool photos! Word to the wise though, I’d definitely master the art of shooting shots without people noticing. I remember reading an article in the newspaper not too long ago about a father who chased down a guy taking pictures of his young daughter and trying to beat him up!
posted by CK on 2-26-2008 at 1:40 pm
Likeness rights do not have a fair use equivalent. So snapping pix of strangers is harmless, but publishing them without releases is risky (not to mention rude).
posted by Doug Nelson on 2-26-2008 at 2:50 pm
Street photography is my absolute favorite photography genre. Henri Cartier Bresson was one of the first photographers to do some kind of street photography, and he actually covered his camera with black tape to keep it all stealth-like.
Arbus and Winogrand are also my other favorites!!! Ugg, best post ever!! Anyway, the pictures are beautiful. There’s always something magical that comes across in a picture when you can capture people, completely unposed.
posted by Lauren on 2-26-2008 at 3:52 pm
I got a picture of a guy in my town sitting outside a restaurant wearing: a sombrero, women’s boots, four watches on each hand, a red vest, and giant blue clown sunglasses. Oh, and he was in the middle of smoking a cigarette.
Is there anything cooler? I think not.
posted by Katie on 2-26-2008 at 4:46 pm
Katie — we’d love to see that picture! Wanna email it to us at FLOSSYPICS (AT) GMAIL (DOT) COM?
posted by Ransom on 2-26-2008 at 5:14 pm
Ransom, these are phenomenal. I can’t wait for the next installment!
posted by K on 2-26-2008 at 7:11 pm
Ah, people watching. Honestly, some of the best pictures come out of stuff like this. Excellent post!
posted by kitsana_d on 2-26-2008 at 8:02 pm
I have only taken one intentional picture of a stranger. It was an old man in Ireland with his dog standing next to a post with about 12 signs. It’s one of my favorite pictures, but I felt so strange taking it. These pictures are so nice - it just goes to show if you are a photographer you are an artist and have a good eye…I don’t think I could get such good pictures off the cuff.
posted by patty on 2-26-2008 at 9:02 pm
this is absolutely awesome, great shots
posted by jake on 2-27-2008 at 12:40 am
I love these! I often take my camera with me when I go out and I’ve been wanting to take pictures of people but I’ve been to shy. Gonna try your “hip shot” technique. Street Photography. Very cool.
posted by PamLSB on 2-27-2008 at 1:16 am
Awesome Pics. Just loved em.
posted by Naresh on 2-27-2008 at 1:22 am
Wow! those are really boring pictures!
posted by amused on 2-27-2008 at 1:30 am
Good that You mentioned.. I like taking pictures of stranger.. The Beach can also be a nice place. I recently took a Picture of someone taking pictures of the sea at the half moon bay. It came out really well.
As of the street, I always try to shoot the background extras when I am taking pictures.
posted by Love Guy on 2-27-2008 at 1:44 am
Absolutely fabulous! Keep up the great works - What you’re capturing is entirely what photography is all about.
posted by Jackie on 2-27-2008 at 1:48 am
Excellent stuff. Street photography is among my favorite subjects to view and shoot. I’ve got a pretty good number of street photos myself in my gallery (in the candid section) if you care to see!
Cheers
posted by Joe Kunin on 2-27-2008 at 2:20 am
I did this in Shanghai and got some of my best photos ever –
[link removed]
talk about a staredown:
[link removed]
and also in Germany.
Apparently in Shanghai some might look at you like WHAT? but if you smile when you are taking them you have a better chance and getting an open response.
In Germany I had one guy walk up to me and ask what I was taking his picture for. You never know with the Germans… they may have laws against it since some may consider it upsetting the social peace.
posted by David Sutherland on 2-27-2008 at 2:23 am
wow, i am impressed by your work. thanks.
posted by Praveen on 2-27-2008 at 2:27 am
It’s seriously rude, and publishing such things without the permission of the subject is pretty much illegal.
While your photography does look cool, it doesn’t respect peoples’ privacy.
posted by oni. on 2-27-2008 at 2:33 am
The last one is my favorite.
I’ve been wanting to do this kind of thing for so long, but I’ve always been way too nervous. I might just give this hip shot a technique. Great job!
posted by Jacob on 2-27-2008 at 2:58 am
wow, how annoying is that. sneaking up on people in public and taking their picture. as if their aren’t enough cameras in public these days.
posted by gmon on 2-27-2008 at 3:12 am
The concept of these photographs are very cool.
posted by jamezu on 2-27-2008 at 3:29 am
Of course, it’s probably best to ask permission first …
see .. london-underground.blogspot.com/2008/02/police-seeking-tube-photographer.html
posted by Nick on 2-27-2008 at 4:17 am
Excellent! Shooting strangers is something I always do when I’m on the streets. I also use that from-the-hip technique! :)
posted by Nilton on 2-27-2008 at 4:42 am
Mate, you definately have to check out Henri Cartier Bresson’s work. He is pretty much the master of street photography of all time!
posted by hwee on 2-27-2008 at 4:53 am
Hey, I also had a picnic near Mont St. Michel 15 years ago. The picture of the french tourists remind me on a nice time of my life :-)
posted by Vince on 2-27-2008 at 8:21 am
Hey, I live in Dublin and you’ve captured some great scenes.
Ben
posted by Ben McRedmond on 2-27-2008 at 8:56 am
I have a goal on 43things “Get over my fear of photographing strangers”. 28 other people there share my goal. (See the website for the link) Any hints for us?
posted by Lynoure Braakman on 2-27-2008 at 9:16 am
hey, I do the same thing, sort of. I take pictures of people who are taking pictures. The artist becomes art and all that. Click my name for the link.
posted by evan on 2-27-2008 at 9:56 am
Great pictures! I really enjoy good candid shots.
posted by Shari on 2-27-2008 at 10:41 am
I’m going to go out and try this now! Its ambush photography!
posted by Renee Walker on 2-27-2008 at 1:38 pm
Those are amazing shots.
I was almost hoping that you had caught me off guard during one of your forays. Who knows, maybe you did!
posted by Jessica (aka Rose) on 2-27-2008 at 3:04 pm
what you’re doing is something that’s been around for a very long time
it’s called… (drum roll please)…
PHOTOJOURNALISM
posted by Lindsay on 2-27-2008 at 10:18 pm
Hey Lindsay -
I disagree. Photojournalists don’t just shoot and run … the pictures they take are usually part of a larger story that’s being told, or illustrative of something … as opposed to just taking pictures of whatever the hell you find on the street that’s interesting.
posted by Ransom on 2-28-2008 at 12:51 am
I love doing this kind of photography.
When I was in Japan, if I asked if I could take a photo, then the subjects wanted to pose which spoiled the image I wanted to capture. Frustrating.
Nevertheless I got some good posed photos. I learned one word that got people to say yes more readily. I said “Beautiful!” and pointed to them and then the camera. They understood,and most often were pleased. That’s “Utesikushi” in Japanese.
When I got a digital camera with a 12 x optical zoom that increased my chances for getting a natural shot.
People watching is a wonderful activity. To share photo results of the same is wonderful. I like your photos.
posted by Artiseternal on 2-28-2008 at 1:40 am
I love doing this! I especially like taking pictures of kids. I’m always afraid that someone is going to think that I’m some kind of weirdo, but I just like the innocence that you can capture in candid shots, and if you know the kid they have a tendency to pose. I’ve captured some really good ones over the years.
posted by greenstrawberries on 2-28-2008 at 3:21 am
Street photography is not ’shooting from the hip’.
If you are trying to create art, be open about it and hold your camera to your eye where you will be able to actually control your composition, focus and exposure.
posted by Simmo on 2-28-2008 at 5:29 am
That silverback is awesome. I have some great pics of him myself. He loves the camera.
posted by J on 2-29-2008 at 3:29 pm
Beautiful!
I think those photos capture the cities in a much better way than traditional “tourist” photos ever could.
posted by Christine on 3-5-2008 at 1:07 pm
Awesome! Keep ‘em coming!
posted by Jan on 3-5-2008 at 2:48 pm
Great photos. I wonder what it is that fascinates us about strangers. Maybe it’s the fact that we can catch glimpses of ourselves in people we have never met.
posted by Willwindow on 3-8-2008 at 7:31 pm
a friend of mine and i take surreptitious pictures of mullets. we’ve got quite a collection.
posted by nance on 3-10-2008 at 11:52 am
Lovely photographs. I came across Part II first.
There are so many times I just wish i could whip out a camera and take an impromptu picture.
Unfortunately, I do not carry my camera everywhere. I am paranoid. I keep it safe in the case. I take it out gingerly…zzz.
Plus am not a pro. By the time figure what the aperture, shutter should be…bummer.
And i feel embarassed. :)
I guess I have to develop the whip-n-shoot technique.
Good work! Keep it up.
posted by Ashutosh on 3-26-2008 at 7:53 am
Some fantastic work here. I sometimes get scared about taking pictures of people, I don’t know how they will react. Its also illegal over here to include peoples faces without their permission! :(
Very good work though well done!
Durkin
posted by Durkin on 6-13-2008 at 1:02 pm