Street Photography + the Law

"All photography is propaganda” – Martin Parr

Street Photography, a form of documentary photography, is essentially shooting photos of people in public places. The beauty of it is, is that the candid subjects are being captured to show something natural and unposed. The quality that I find in street photography is a certain rawness of reality, of the people shown, of a particular place, at a particular period of time. This is akin to holding up a mirror on society.

When you think of street photography you typically think of B&W photos, and despite the most classics ones having been taken between 1890-1975, it continues today to be one of the most interesting forms of photography go out and take, or the most evocative to view. In the past, the true greats have taken their photos with their 35mm Leica but nowadays street photography is being taken by everyone even with their camera phones – a phenomenon called iphoneography (see - http://www.iphoneography.com/ )

The challenges with Street photography are that you are shooting people on the move; things can unfold very quickly. You have to be able to capture the pace of everyday life, by using fast reactions and thinking to capture that great moment. This is why a simple set up of minimal equipment is key to street photography. Similarly what can be difficult is that you are not in a studio – you cannot control what is going on around you, and this candidness can be difficult and frustrating but at the same time can be so rewarding. Due to the fact that your subjects are the public, you have the question of permission to ask -shoot first, ask later? Or ask first then shoot? Or don’t ask for permission at all? There are certain advantages to all 3, such as if you’re asking them first they will be almost posing for you, but there really isn’t any right or wrong answer. However I would say this: let common sense prevail – avoid shooting people who don’t want to be photographed.
Taking photos with an SLR can be approached in two ways. What can be inconspicuous is the telephoto lens, which allows you to take photos of people from a distance, without them being aware that you are there. This means that the resulting shot is completely natural. Although it is up to personal preferences, this method of shooting may mean that you are slightly detached from the situation and are too far away and gives scope for more blurry photos the more you are zoomed in. I would say also that a longer lens can make you more conspicuous, kind of like the paparazzi.
The other approach which is also recommended is taking shots with a wide –angle lens, allowing fitting a lot more in, and taking some pretty nice street portraits. However you have to be much closer to your subject, and if you do consider it a downside, it means they will probably be aware of you taking the photo - although this may not matter in the end. Because I would consider being inconspicuous as possible is key.
I would say try the second approach, but ultimately do what you are comfortable with. Inconspicuousness is the key (not suspiciousness) shoot with minimal equipment. This is why in terms of film cameras; rangefinders are perfect for street photography. They are light, silent and inconspicuous – perfect for waist level shooting. Waist level shooting can give you an advantage over bringing the camera up to the eye mainly because people won’t be expecting it. They will not think you’re actually taking photos.
I would generally say don’t try to hide your camera and dress ‘normal.’ Find the scene, preset your camera (focus and settings) wait for the moment, bring your camera to shoot. I would say as events may unfold, shoot a lot so that you have more possibility of capturing that special moment. When taking your photos of people, one piece of advice that might seem trivial is to smile lots. I don’t know why, but it can do wonders if someone has noticed you taking a photo.

I would say that as street photography involves capturing people – you need to be up close and become a participant in the action. It often involves invading personal space so crowded events in big cities make good situations to shooting. Similarly at bigger events people are less likely to mind you taking a photo. If you were to take a photo of someone in a lift then they probably will mind you taking a photo, but in the context of a busy event people will not probably mind as much. I would also say, try and make your photo tell a story – and you might find that story in the photo only after you have taken it – otherwise having a photo which is open to interpretation is also great. Try sharper shots with higher ISO and faster shutter speeds and also blurred shots with slower shutter speeds. Most Street shots are B&W but never forget colour!
For more tips check here: http://digital-photography-school.com/20-quick-street-photography-tips

For me street photography doesn’t come easily – for you have to be quick, inconspicuous and your moment of opportunity to take a great shot may pass you within an instant. However when Garry Winogrand was asked how he felt about missing photographs while he reloaded his camera with film, he replied "There are no photographs while I'm reloading." This, a very optimistic way of viewing street photography is certainly true, for there are always more things to take pictures of even if you miss something. Garry Winogrand is considered to be a truly legendary photographer. So much so that he is famous for photos that he had never developed himself; when he died he left something like 2,500 rolls of undeveloped film, with a total of 300,000 unedited images. This is a staggering amount, I’ve read that he took about 10 rolls of film in one day, and with that amount I’m not surprised he got so many good shots. The photos of his Leica show that the image film has been worn on the the press plate of the camera – now that is crazy. See here: http://www.cameraquest.com/LeicaM4G.htm
I have also read this account of a workshop that someone took with Winogrand shortly before his death, this is a fascinating read! http://www.photogs.com/bwworld/winogrand.html I would also suggest you check out the flickr group dedicated in his style - http://www.flickr.com/groups/winogrand/
I would guess I am more used to taking time to compose a picture, making sure I have it right and after some time I will have my photo. I feel that Street photography has to be far more rapid and perhaps more intuitive, by following your instinct. After all, from all the quotes I have read from the big names, I get the sense they weren’t interested in the technical aspect, but merely taking good photos.
One aspect that you must be aware of is the Law, especially when taking photos on the street. I would firstly like to say that according to photographernotaterrorist.com that the law that has been causing to many problems is in fact suspended. So please read the next section which I wrote before this came into effect, just to be aware of what people had to go through and to know what your rights are should you for some reason get stopped.
"There is no legal restriction on photography in public places, and there is no presumption of privacy for individuals in a public place.”

Watch this video for a ridiculous example of the confusion cause by the terrorism act.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ea8m8DMvQ9I

Recently there has been much highlighted in the news about police abusing their powers and photographers being forced to delete their photos in the name of preventing terrorism. It is therefore important you should know your rights, if you were ever to find yourself in this kind of situation. The Terrorism Act 2000 is the law that you should be aware of – this is the one that allows the police to search you, but only if they have reasonable suspicion that you are a terrorist. It is important to note that professional photography is not allowed in Parliament square, Trafalgar square and all Royal Parks. However it is not an offence to take photographs of frontline uniform staff, and the act of taking a photo itself is not enough to warrant a stop & search. Similarly, if in a public place, people do not assume a right to privacy – although it is of course courteous to ask before taking a photo of someone. For further reading I direct you to http://photographernotaterrorist.org/

& http://www.urban75.org/photos/photographers-rights-street-shooting.html For a recent case, and an interesting read, check this article out:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/officers-claim-they-dont-need-law-to-stop-photographer-taking-pictures-2012827.html