Re: Approach to photographing people in the street
1bwana1 wrote:
johnvanr wrote: 1bwana1 wrote:
chez wrote: johnvanr wrote: chez wrote: KLaban wrote:
My ignorance is bliss. I'd rather remain ignorant of the laws: I know, I know, it's no defense.
That said, I typically take a cautious and considerate approach, asking permission where possible, but take a pragmatic approach on those occasions where I don't seek or gain approval. Permission does change the game. Once I do have approval I/we use distraction ploys to make the subject less aware of the camera and hence end up with fewer static and wooden poses.
I've been confronted on so few occasions that it's not really an issue but would have no issue with deleting a shot if requested.
Given the nature of my subjects it's highly unlikely that they are ever going to be aware of my published work, be it in print or online.
I typically ask for permission and then hang around and document their daily lives as they go about doing their business. I’m more inclined to capture their culture and surrounding environment and how they interact rather than trying to sneak a photo.
This discussion isn’t per se about taking people’s pictures unaware. I mix pure candid with your style or, at events, clearly shooting right in front of people. It’s more about how I deal with the reality of the rules while still shooting stuff that I like.
Ask permission…then you are OK.
In many places the complications are not in shooting the picture it is in using the picture. Simply asking is not enough. You better get it in writing somehow.
And in that case, my enjoyment is gone.
I fully understand. Much of my enjoyment of the good parts of Europe is greatly diminished by Government over reach and lack of freedom here.
Yes, I really agree wih this - worldwide! ☺️
As a German I never understood, why you cannot just drive as fast as your car takes you (on motorways outside Germany). Why all these arbitrary speed limits on completely straight sections, if you are a responsible driver? (Especially in the USA).
What a time saver, if you could just zip between the cities, as fast as your Porsche, Ferrari or Lamborghini takes you. I mean, look, these cars were built for speed. What is the issue? 😉
Since the 70ties the beetle could go faster than the customary US 70 to 80mph limit (I know somewhere on a toll motorway in Texas you may go 85, how pathetic). The last beetles could do 140mph on the German autobahn…
Modern cars can do so much more:
260 mph, legally and without Government over reach.
Feb 15, 2026 at 07:23 PM
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