Street photography - Interacting with people

Seek permission

Street photography can be a rewarding and exciting way to capture candid moments and unique perspectives of everyday life. However, as a street photographer, you may find yourself in situations where you need to interact with the people you are photographing. Whether you are seeking permission to take a photo or simply want to engage with someone in a friendly manner, it's important to approach these interactions with sensitivity and respect. Here are a few tips for interacting with people in street photography:

1. 
   Seek permission: If you want to take a photo of someone who is not engaged in a public activity, it's important to ask for their permission. This can be as simple as making eye contact and saying, "Can I take your photo?" or "Would you mind if I take a photo of you?" If the person seems uncomfortable or hesitant, respect their wishes and move on to another subject.

2. Be respectful and polite: Even if you have permission to take a photo, it's important to be mindful of the person's boundaries. Don't get too close or invade their personal space, and be mindful of your body language and facial expressions. If you are taking a photo of someone from a distance, try to do so discreetly so as not to draw attention to yourself.

3. Show your appreciation: If someone has agreed to have their photo taken, be sure to thank them and show your appreciation for their willingness to participate. You might also consider sharing the photo with them after you've taken it.

4. Be prepared for rejection: It's important to remember that not everyone will want to have their photo taken, and that's okay. Don't take it personally, and move on to another subject.

5. Build a rapport: If you are planning to take multiple photos of someone or engage in a longer conversation, try to build a rapport with them. This can be as simple as introducing yourself and engaging in small talk. By showing genuine interest in the person and their story, you can create a more positive and respectful interaction.

Build a rapport

By following these tips, you can approach your street photography interactions with sensitivity and respect, ensuring that you capture candid moments while also building positive relationships with the people you photograph.

Street markets in Cambodia

Street markets, or "phsar," are a vital part of daily life in Cambodia, and can be found in almost every town and city in the country. These open-air markets are often the center of local commerce and social activity, and provide a unique opportunity for visitors to experience the culture and way of life of Cambodia.

In the city of Battambang, the O Russei Market is a popular destination for both locals and tourists. This bustling street market is known for its fresh produce, meats, and other goods, and is a great place to shop for souvenirs and try local food. (1)

Siem Reap is home to the famous Night Market or Psah Chas, which is known for its handicrafts, souvenirs, and local food. This market is a popular destination for tourists, and is a great place to shop and experience local culture. (2)

Phnom Penh is home to two of the most famous street markets in Cambodia: the Central Market (Phsar Thmei) and the Russian Market. The Central Market is a massive, domed building that is home to thousands of stalls selling a wide variety of goods. The Russian Market, on the other hand, is known for its souvenirs, handicrafts, and clothing. Both markets are popular destinations for both locals and tourists, and are a great way to experience the vibrant culture of Phnom Penh. (3)

The Crab Market in Kaeb is a unique street market located in a small village on the outskirts of the city. It is known for its seafood, specifically live crabs, which are sold by local fishermen. In addition to crabs, the Crab Market also sells a variety of other seafood, as well as fresh produce, clothes, and other local goods. A visit to the Crab Market is a great opportunity to experience the traditional way of life in rural Cambodia. (4)

Phsar Leu is a street market located in Sihanoukville, Cambodia. It is known for its fresh produce, meats, and other goods, and is a popular destination for both locals and tourists. The market is also a great place to try local food and experience the culture of Sihanoukville. Phsar Leu is one of the largest street markets in the city, and is a must-visit destination for anyone interested in local culture and commerce. (5)

Overall, street markets in Cambodia are a vibrant and lively part of daily life. Whether you're looking to shop for souvenirs, try local food, or simply soak up the atmosphere, a visit to a street market is a must-do activity on any trip to Cambodia.

References:

1. "O Russei Market" Battambang City. https://www.bestpricetravel.com/travel-guide/phsar-nath-market.html
2. "Siem Reap Night Market" Siem Reap. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psah_Chas
3. "Central Market" Phnom Penh. https://www.tourismcambodia.com/travelguides/provinces/phnom-penh/what-to-see/25_central-market-phsar-thmei.htm "Russian Market" Phnom Penh. https://www.lonelyplanet.com/cambodia/phnom-penh/shopping/russian-market/a/poi-sho/1382618/355881
4. "Crab Market in Kaeb, Cambodia" https://www.nothingfamiliar.com/kep-crab-market/
5. "Sihanoukville Phsar Leu" Sihanoukville. https://www.smartsinntravel.com/attraction-detail.html?name=phsar-leu-market-smart-sinn-travel

Photography Tutorial: Street Photography

Street photography is a photographic discipline taking pictures in the street mostly not being noticed by subjects, or composing captures out of situation.

An interesting tutorial by photography Matt Stuart can be found on techradar.com

Or one by Drew Hopper at petapixel.com

The tree main messages are:

- Get close to subjects:
Getting close to subjects, right into the scenery using a wide-angle lens is key in capturing the unique moment. Using this technique gives the viewer the feeling being right in the middle of the scene.

- Image quality isn't everything:
In any photography image composition should have higher priority than technical image quality. In street photography capturing the moment this is even more important.

- Learn to work fast:
To capture the dynamics and feeling of street life you need to be quick. Intervention with the situation and the subjects shall be minimal. In order to achieve this you need to be quick. Quicker than subjects to react to the fact you taking their picture.

Influential Photographers - Tatsuo Suzuki

Tatsuo Suzuki is a Tokyo based photographer shooting mainly black and white urban street sceneries.

A characteristics of Tatsuo's photography is wide angle portrait shots of people in the streets of Japan.

Images are taken mostly right in the moment when the main subject of the photography right notices the picture being taken. This exact timing adds a lot of feeling to the images and makes them unique.

Self Developed Black and White - Street Photography in Japan

On one of my current Japan trips I was shooting on Ilford HP5 400 black and white film using my old Nikon F801 camera.


The film I developed by myself using Ars Imago Chemicals.

A collection of images can be found in the archive at my website at: andreasrmueller.com

Black and white offers nice possibilities to capture texture in sceneries.
The different signs in asian writing being a source for nice patterns, but also the societal aspects such as kids all wearing the same school uniforms.

What is interesting in Japanese cities is busy, crowded, loud, and lively places, and in contrast ever present oasis of spiritual calmness around the different shrines and temples.
Black and white being a calm and simplified form of photographic art in it self captures very well this contrast and different moods.

Given the demographic development in Japan there are a lot of elderly people. Most of them still working as bus drivers, taxi drivers, shop owners, ... The black and white capture somehow underlines this age structure of the Japanese society.

Self developing the film brings the whole process of my Japan street photography to a closed end. Japanese are very keen on handcraft and on doing things on their own. While all digital processes are all automatic and preset, the manual chemical film development process is a type of craftsmanship that became almost distinct.

Japan being a highly innovation motivated society then it comes to technology it is still surprising how the Japanese are using old equipment everywhere. Being it photo cameras - same as myself, ... - but also Hi-Fi installations, bicycles, cars, trains, ...

The root cause for this might be in their deep respect of craftsmanship and engineering expertise. Same as the skills around gardening, calligraphy, and other traditional crafts.

Street Photography Shooting Film

Shooting street photography using film: the blog post by Eric Kim is an interesting collection of benefits of using film as a photographer.

Interestingly the benefits Eric Kim collected are around slowing down, becoming a better and more serious photographer, he compares to the principles of "zen" where the focus is more on the process of taking the picture than on the picture itself.

And nevertheless it does not seem to be an immediate benefit - the fact that you have to wait until your images get developed - Eric Kim sees this as an add on of excitement to the whole process.

Finding great photo locations

Ever struggled finding a great photo location?

Today finding inspiring photo locations is easy. Internet offers an endless resource of hints, tips, and examples.

While in big cities obviously good photo locations can be found by just screening travel guides the more special photo locations can rather be found in blogs or image repositories in the internet.

I recently visited Tokyo. And picking two to three touristic hot spots already gave me a series of very good and interesting locations. - See my gallery at: link

A great resource of photography ideas and inspiration when visiting Toky is the shoottokyo.com blog by Dave Powell.
The page offers a blog, an inspiring portfolio, a book, and many more.

Explore just one example, which is Dave's blog post about "Analog Sunday", a series of Hasselblad 501 cm images on film: link

Or in preparation of your next Tokyo trip. The post about "Shooting Tokyo". A series of inspirational images opening your eyes for the unusual.

Developing Style and Vision in Street Photography

Watch this talk by Michael Ernest Sweet on developing style and vision in street photography.

The Street Photographer Book - A street photography project

Photographer Alex Coghe from Mexico City recently published a very nice street photography book using the blurb self publishing service. As Alex mentions it's "Un-posed, unstaged photography which captures, explores or questions contemporary society and the relationships between individuals and their surroundings." The book features a number of fellow photographers and their images from street scenes around the world.

Read some thoughts about the book, street photography in general, and this project in particular at THE STREET PHOTOGRAPHER NOTEBOOK blog:

http://streetphotographernotebook.tumblr.com/post/139968413467/some-thoughts-now-the-book-is-out-for-sell

Tokyo - Street Photography

Crossroads at Shibuya station

Tokyo (東京) is both the capital and largest city of Japan. The greater Tokyo area exhibits one of the highest population densities in the world.

However, a visit to Tokyo offers a great and special experience in contrasting city life. 

Sensō-ji temple, Asakusa

Urban centres with heavy visual and noise imission are next to calm spiritual centres. Modern city architecture is next to traditional well preserved buildings. Huge crowds of people, next to lonely alleys. 

For a photographer it offers endless motives, subjects, and sceneries.

Tokyo - Images by Andreas Mueller

Black and White Tokyo Photography

Alone - Arts Chien (flickr)

Tokyo subway scene - Piero Damiani (flickr)

Alley - Satoshi Inagaki (500px)

Yakitori - Marco Patella (500px)

Black Tea - Olivier Cruciata (500px)

Street photography in interesting cities

"Street photography is photography that features the chance encounters and random accidents within public places."

"Street photography is disinterested in its nature, allowing it to deliver a true depiction of the world. Street photographs are mirror images of society, displaying unmanipulated scenes, with usually unaware subjects."




Here a documentary on street photography in Marrakech, Marocco by Zack Arias. Lots of good hints on technique. I especially like the explanations of magician techniques at (0:47 ff) where Zack pretends taking pictures of roof tops while taking pictures of a man sitting on a chair smoking his cigarette totally unaware of what is happening.
Or the scene using WiFi remote control to take close up pictures of cobra snakes on the market.


And a second movie from the streets of Mumbai, India. Lots of very impressive images of Mumbai city life. Zack elaborates on the advantage of using a compact mirrorless camera with high quality lenses.


Zack Arias is using Fujifilm X-series cameras in both documentaries.

See some of my own street photography from Shanghai, China using the Sony RX-100 Mark III camera:

Shanghai - Images by Andreas Mueller