A curious thing happened to me today (actually it has happened before but I thought about it more today. I went to the playground with my daughters and decided to take an inconspicuous camera with me, so I took my old Nikon F with FTN Photomic metered prism and a manual focus 50mm 1.4 Nikkor AIS. I was trying to go unnoticed by carrying a small camera (relative to my D1X and even my D200) so I wouldn't attract too much attention while snapping shots of my girls.
Another dad there immediately noticed my F and struck up a conversation. Several other parents were "focusing" on my F as well. I enjoy talking to people about old Nikons, but I thought I was going to be almost invisible with a small older camera like an F.
I have had several people come up to me in the past and start talking about an F or F2 I was using, but I thought that people had already grown tired of seeing old film cameras and would be more interested in striking up a conversation if they saw me with a more modern DSLR. I guess I was wrong! My intention was to go unnoticed, but the exact opposite happened!
Other than using a point and shoot, how are some of you able to shoot unnoticed?
Whether it is the art or equipment aspects people enjoy photography so no way to really to get around it. In the end it is a good thing, keeps it alive and well in this video recorder era. I like talking to photographers, there's usually some good stories to chat about or equipment we'd like to own or advice someone needs or gives.
I did the same thing years ago. I had a pro dSLR that I left behind and instead carried the trusty Pentax Super ME w/ 50mm attached. That became a talking piece and I got a couple good jabs as well but in the end I'm glad I brought it but it probably doesn't matter which camera I bring, someone will look or start up conversation.
Other than using a point and shoot, how are some of you able to shoot unnoticed?
I know what will keep them away, body odor or a shirt that says "I want to elect LaRouche"
Do try to be unnoticed, but try so common that people don't notice you. Just ask if you are allowed to make a pic, they start posing and then just wait and start again, you are then a part of the landscpe and they don't notice you.
hjanssen wrote:
Do try to be unnoticed, but try so common that people don't notice you. Just ask if you are allowed to make a pic, they start posing and then just wait and start again, you are then a part of the landscpe and they don't notice you.
What happens is that I am on an eternal quest to capture images of my daughters at play where they appear as natural as possible. I end up walking around the playground trying to get a good shot of them (no idea where they get so much energy), then people start noticing me. I try to go unnoticed, kind of like wildlife photographers trying not to spook their subjects, but it doesn't work.The playground I take my kids to is a new playground, very nice layout with several great spots for shooting. Problem is (photography wise) is that it always seems to be packed with kids and their parents no matter what day of the week or time of day.
Sometimes I am about to capture the perfect shot (a shot suitable for framing and displaying in my living room, a shot that any Life photographer would be proud of), when suddenly some unknown kid jumps into my frame and wants to either be in the picture or play with my kid. In a fraction of a second I get the unkown kid's mother rushing up and snatching her kid as if I was a stalking papparazzi after one of Brittney's kids. So much for capturing the moment.
The idea I have in mind is to be almost invisible so I can capture the shot that I want without looking like Mr. Creepy or Mr. Papparazzi. Today I'm going to try again ( as soon as the caffeine from my second Red Bull kicks me back into gear), but I will be taking a D200 with only two lenses (35mm 2.0 and 180mm 2.8). I'm also going to try another park (although I know I have never had any luck with that one either).
Didn't you know? ALL pictures of little kids are somehow magically sent to some nebulous "Child Molesters United" site. There, they are sorted by armies of talent scouts, searching for little tots for child porn movies. Once a child has been "selected" and all the child's personal info (DOB, home address, age, etc.) gained from secret codes in the camera, the child is marked for abduction.
I've been told this by two young mothers already, and they say there are several variations on this rumor. Taking pictures of kids can get you in real hot water real quick in today's super-fearful society.
I don't know what will go un-noticed.... but don't buy a Rolleiflex thinking that will go un-noticed..... every time I take out my Rollei, EVERYBODY has something to say.... but the leaf shutter and WLF make it easy to take pictures with out people knowing....
runamuck wrote:
Didn't you know? ALL pictures of little kids are somehow magically sent to some nebulous "Child Molesters United" site. There, they are sorted by armies of talent scouts, searching for little tots for child porn movies. Once a child has been "selected" and all the child's personal info (DOB, home address, age, etc.) gained from secret codes in the camera, the child is marked for abduction.
I've been told this by two young mothers already, and they say there are several variations on this rumor. Taking pictures of kids can get you in real hot water real quick in today's super-fearful society....Show more →
Its all funny unless something happens to your kid........
My suggestion: get a prosumer DSLR that is very bottom of the barrel. No one wants to talk to you if you have the base model DSLR.
Another trick I've used with Leicas and now with Nikon DSLRs: get some black electrical tape and tape over the NIKON logo and the model logo. It kind of blends in so no one sees it. But also nice is that no one sees it!
dgcrane wrote:
Its all funny unless something happens to your kid........
I think that what runamuck was trying to say was that many people tend to exagerate and overreact when it comes to their perceptions of people taking pictures of kids. I understand their fears, but on the flip side I just want to take pics of my kids, not theirs.
I wonder if (prepare for sarcastic remark) I should carry a megaphone with me and announce loudly when I get to the park,
"Fellow park visitors, please refrain from having your children stand in front of my camera. I come in peace here today with the sole intention of capturing images of my own two children. I have printed several copies of my name, address, and crime-free background for your convinience and they are available in a box next to the bench. Please enjoy the rest of your day here at the park and please ignore me and my camera."
Okay possibly I misunderstood. I have to say though that if someone is taking photos of my girls, not requested by me, then I have a problem with it and would also react. Sad the way society is now, but I can't help that.
If I go the park with them and I am shooting my girls, then I don't really care if I am "standing out". I have never had anyone approach me about my gear or what I am doing, but maybe I give off the antisocial vibe
How about getting that bottom-of-the-line budget DSLR and going one better...the silver edition. Then wear a white polo shirt, sun hat, tropical shorts and expensive-looking sunglasses. If your self-respect will bear it, add white socks and sandals. Wear the camera around your neck and "casually" take all the shots you want. Two advantages: nobody will be interested in the camera, and your style will convey that you're just another loaded soccer-dad trying to look like he knows about photography. Sorry for the flippancy but seriously, looking like someone who uses a DSLR as a status symbol may make you pretty inconspicuous
I can second the bit about older cameras (especially TLRs, it seems) - I was using my grandparents' old Yashica Mat-124G a year or so back, learning how to use B/W film, and that camera got me several comments. By constrast, the D300 and 24-70 I've been using since December haven't elicited the slightest interest. Ok, I've been called a paedophile with a 70-300VR mounted...
dgcrane wrote:
Okay possibly I misunderstood. I have to say though that if someone is taking photos of my girls, not requested by me, then I have a problem with it and would also react. Sad the way society is now, but I can't help that.
If I go the park with them and I am shooting my girls, then I don't really care if I am "standing out". I have never had anyone approach me about my gear or what I am doing, but maybe I give off the antisocial vibe
Darren
I agree with you 100%. I too would be suspicious and upset if someone were taking pics of my girls without my consent or if I didn't know the person.
When I go to the park I make it a point to stay focused on my girls. Almost always I get some random kid running up to my girls as I'm about to take the picture. I put the camera down, reposition myself so the random unkown kid won't be in the frame and recompose. Sometimes the random kid keeps jumping in front of my camera. I then instruct my kids to go to a different slide or swing in an effort to get away from the random kid, but sometimes the kid follows along.
I have absolutely no social skills whatsoever (maybe I should have focused on making more friends as child instead of just ignoring others and spending so much time obssessing over cameras). I really do enjoy talking to people when I'm shooting wild life shots or whatever and they approach me to talk about equipment. I just don't care for trying to please soccer-mother-hen in the playground and wasting precious daylight shooting time trying to convince her that I'm not Chester the Molester.
I'm off to the park now (Red Bulls kicked in finally so I'm back in motion again). I'll post some stuff when I get back from the park later on (providing I don't get arrested for looking too suspicious).
Totally empathise with you. Now when I want to take pics of my 13 year old son playing soccer with my D300+70-200VR+1.4TC I just walk to the other side of the pitch, plonk myself down on the grass away from anyone else and shoot.
