Everyone should be familiar with this picture. His name is Zeddie Little, and he became an overnight meme sensation after this ridiculously photogenic shot was taken during a 10k race in South Carolina. The shot was passed around more than a beach ball at a Nickelback concert and he gained fame for looking good while he was running. Turns out not only is Zeddie the best looking computer programmer in all of America, he is a great segway to talk about something that keeps crossing my mind as I wait for my camera to arrive.
When is it appropriate to take pictures of people?
Now, I completely understand sporting events, races, concerts, etc. People are performing, and people are watching. Usually when that happens, I think it’s an understood rule that pictures will probably be taken. I played sports and I’ve played in bands, and whether athletes and musicians admit to it or not, they’re aware of the cameras. They want to look good. Sometimes at concerts I’d show a little extra love to that camera on stage right. If it was being videotaped, hell yes I wanted to have a direct line between my face and my hawt moves and the dude or lady filming. It was an opportunity for pictures to show up on Facebook from people I didn’t know. It was like I had people that thought I was interesting enough for them to share with their friends.
Upon browsing countless blogs and Flickr pages, I’ve come to realize that there are a lot of photographers that will take pictures where people are their primary subject. Many of those times, it doesn’t seem like they’re familiar with these people— sometimes just a passerby on a busy street, I’ve seen photography shots a homeless person, even pictures taken alarmingly close to folks in the wake of tragedy.
Let’s get this out there: I do not condone nor will I practice photography at the expense of further damage to a human beings emotions. I would go as far as to say if I caught someone doing this with no regard, they’d be digging a size 13 shoe out of their asshole sideways. I read something just yesterday that was captioned “I was able to capture raw human emotion” on a picture of a seemingly not too far away mother and two children crying outside of their house that had just burned down. I’m not going to link to the person that thought this was some sick form of art, but in the moment I probably would have tested the bouncability of their expensive camera on pavement.
Okay, here’s what I’m talking about. Local readers know the devastation of what happened here in Joplin in May of 2011. They also know that although it is a long and undoubtably an extensive recovery, it’s getting there. Regional and international readers might not grasp what happened, so let’s just say “our sizeable town got freaking leveled”. The rebuilding process has been a thing of beauty, and there have been dozens and dozens of times when I thought to myself “damn, I wish I had a nice camera, because that’s an excellent photo opportunity”.
So today after work I was driving home and there was a little boy walking through a part of town that has not quite began the rebuilding process. He had a backpack on, and was kicking rocks along his way. He was walking towards the sun in the direction of the old high school. This is land has been leveled, but not developed. The sun was just over the treeline on the west side of town, and had cast an eerily artistic orange glow across the pavement and small mounds of dirt. I’m no photographer, but I’m pretty sure it would have made a damn fine picture.
Having that out of the way, the question I am posing to those of you that actually know what the hell you’re doing is when is it appropriate to take pictures of people?
I’m not about to go to the nearest park on Saturday and hop out of my vehicle and start taking pictures of your kids. I’m trying to take good pictures, not go to jail. I suppose it’s completely possible that I am misreading the content of the photos I am seeing, or perhaps the photographers are so good that they drop their friends in public and tell them to act like it’s their natural element, unless everyone that owns a camera has several friends in acting classes, in which case I’m screwed off the bat (camera for sale!), but I doubt it.
Do recreational photographers carry around permission slips in a Jansport fanny pack? Is there a proper, universally used set of magic words along the lines of “hey brah, lemme snap you dogg.”? Or do people just take pictures without asking permission? And, are there any legal ramifications if you use a picture a photograph that has someone without their permission? Help a brother out.
WTF is Photography? 
Coming from a 10-year reporter who had to become a photographer by necessity, I can say this … there’s no real answer. It’s all about what you’re comfortable with doing. I’ve used a lot of different tactics, but I almost always go with the permission angle. Sometimes I’ll be at larger events (like the Walk of Unity), and there’s just so many people and so many shots you take that you can’t realistically get everybody’s permission. You just shoot, and with so many people there, you kind of get lost in the crowd. Nobody really pays attention. If they do, I’ll at least give them a nod of acknowledgment, but for the most part you can shoot with impunity. Like you said, when you’re at an event like that you kind of make an implicit agreement that you may be photographed or filmed.
When you’re shooting something like what you saw tonight, I would always go with the permission angle. Just be like, “Hey, man. You mind if I take your picture?” Most dudes won’t care and will tell you to go for it. Women are different. Some are completely cool with it, and some are ridiculously afraid of and aware of the camera, and you’ll never get them to recreate the emotion or mood or whatever it was that caught your eye because of it. You just got to roll with the punches. I’m pretty sure you could have just told him what you were doing, set up across the street, and have him walk by. If you’re doing it for artistic pleasure, that’s fine. In a journalistic sense that’s a questionable practice because by doing so you’re “setting up” the subject and not simply capturing life as it happens. In that regard, we’re kind of forced to take pictures of people without their permission, because by asking them for it we’re technically inserting ourselves into the subject and altering the scene. Think about that famous photograph of the girl putting the flower into the barrel of the gun along the riot line. That may have been staged, but if it wasn’t I’m willing to bet the photographer didn’t ask for permission before he started shooting.
As for whether or not taking candid pictures of “real human emotion” is something that hobbyist photographers should be pursuing, I can’t say. For journalists, it’s our job to do so, but I’ve had my share of animosity hurled my way. I walked 26th, Main and 20th and Range Line on May 23, and I probably shot 500 pictures (keep in mind this was after the immediate threat to life had been addressed, and people at this point were digging through their homes for belongings — not family members). There were several people who were visibly and verbally angry with me. I was doing my job, but to them I was just a vulture with a camera. That was a tough thing to go through … but not nearly as tough as what they’d gone through.
Wow. Did I answer your question?
Totally man. And I don’t dog on you for taking pictures after there was no imminent danger. I mean, if lives weren’t at stake, I don’t see a big deal with it. I read an article I will try and post a little later on about your rights as a photographer in correlation to where you’re taking the picture, and those rights are surprisingly broad.
I’d never take photos of people during moments of ‘real human emotion’ – it just seems voyeuristic and cruel.
However, what about portraits on the street? I walk around Dublin a lot & I see interesting people all the time & very rarely have the balls to ask if I can snap them. I still have faint feelings of regret over not getting certain pictures but most of these feelings were when there were groups of toddlers feeding ducks or jumping into puddles etc., and there’s no way in hell I’m gonna go photo some kids without their permission.
That being said, I took one of a lady earlier lighting her cigarette and didn’t ask her. I haven’t reviewed the photo, it’s probably too far away and unusable but you have to take the chance.
I’ve also taken photos of people with their permission, of course, and they all immediately asked if I was a blogger hahahaha. Their expressions change though and it becomes a different picture to the one you had in your head.
I think it’s really interesting that people immediately ask if you are a blogger. I just don’t think it has hit the mainstream here in the states yet. Someone did send me an article outlining the legal aspect of taking pictures of people on the streets, and if you’ll remind me on twitter I will find it and send it to you. Let me know how the lady lighting the cigarette turns out, I’d be interested to see.
My personal rules? I try to always ask permission and try not to pay anyone for the shot. 🙂
Thanks for sharing! I don’t want to be shady about things, you know? Like, I don’t want to try and be a ninja and take pictures of people that might not want their picture taken without them knowing. But yeah, since I’m just beginning, it’s not like I’m going to make money off of anything for a very very long time, so paying people would just put me in the hole further.
I think that if the person adds to the element of art in the photo, then you should not be afraid to take it with them in it.
Also, I’ve never actually been in this situation, but I imagine that if I saw a great photo opportunity that happened to have a person in it, and I asked for their permission, they would then be conscious of what you’re doing and would possibly stop acting the way they were that added to the photo opportunity in the first place. Y’know?
Totally understand that. Like in the scenario I mentioned above, if I had stopped and asked the kid it could’ve damange the mojo. Maybe it’d just be best if I purchased a ghillie suit and hid in the bushes. They’ll never know I’m there! 🙂
haha, definitely 😀
Thank you for raising this question. I have thought about it a lot myself and was curious to see the answers posted here. I often feel odd about photographing people too, because i’m not sure what is the proper etiquette. The photo of the boy or other candid shots, I’d be tempted to go for them and if I thought there was a chance I would use it later, then I would ask permission after the shot and if it was denied, I would erase the photo. It’s harder to get good candid shots when the subject is very conscious of your camera! With the kid though, should you ask permission of his parents? That would probably be the legal way to go about it, especially if you might be paid for the photo.
I might have a hard time erasing a photo if it was one of my best, but I can completely see where you’re coming from. It’s kind of one of those weird issues that seemed to go unspoken. No one really talks about it, but it’s obviously somewhat of an issue with photography.. The things that cross your mind when you don’t have your camera yet, I guess!! 🙂
It will cross your mind even more when you do have your camera! And yes, I would have a hard time erasing a good photo too. Also, I have been thinking, if you are out in public, it seems you are visible to any other eyes, cameras, whatever may be out there. If you are selling photos and the person is recognizable, I think there are laws about that but if you are taking photos for your own use, it should be OK. But, OK/legal isn’t necessarily the same as good ethics and manners. Still no camera? Your skeleton is going to get dusty if you have to wait much longer 😀
Those are all great points! And yes, it is supposed to be here today, I’ve been patiently staring out the window waiting for the man in brown to come.
I don’t intentionally take or publish pictures of people on the street if I believe they can be construed as making fun of the people or in some way hurtful. I also try not to take and publish photos that would be considered offensive. Now that doesn’t mean someone else may interpret the photos differently than I do, but I really try to be mindful of what and who I’m photographing in public situations where I can’t get everyone’s consent to take and publish their photos.
I do a lot of street photography — mostly architecture, cars, motorcycles, etc. — and often people happen to get in the photos (many times on purpose), sometimes there are interesting people on the street who make a “good” photo, and a lot of times total strangers see me on the street with a camera and ask me to photograph them (I always find this to be rather curious). I carry a Fuji XPro 1 on me all the time and otherwise use a Canon 5D, so when I’m on the street doing photos there is no question about what I am doing, so when people get in my frame they generally know it (there have been occasions when people waive their hands in the negative, and I lower the camera and wave them by), but generally people either don’t react or they wave, pose or make faces as they pass. Since there are surveillance cameras everywhere, cameras in every cellphone, and lots of people running around with point and shoots, people seem to be resigned to being photographed when they are out on the street, and most people don’t seem to be bothered at all by me, the guy with the professional photo gear, taking photos which they know they may be in.
Since I always have a camera on me, I get many opportunities to get what might be great photographs of people on the street, but I intentionally pass them up because I don’t like invading people’s space or privacy without their consent, and the photo would have to be done in “the decisive moment”, and I’m not usually where I could get consent after taking the photo; but, as I already mentioned, I still get a lot of street photos with people in them, and many of them turn out to be decent photos — and that’s where I have to make a judgment call about publishing them — if I don’t believe anyone will be humiliated, offended or hurt by the what I consider to be a “good” street photo, I’ll publish it.
Excellent response. I have to say I agree with all of your points. I guess it will just be best for me to get out and take some pictures to know whether or not I will be a person who tries to avoid shooting people at all, or really what my response will be. Have you ever had someone become agitated because you’re taking photos?
I’ve probably had more people act insulted because I lowered the camera when I saw them in my viewfinder or I obviously wasn’t including them in the photo. And I have had people who see me with a camera say “Hey don’t take my picture!” and I tell them don’t worry I won’t. But I haven’t had anyone get agitated because I was taking photos.
Early one morning I went out to photograph the movie set that had been constructed behind my office. The security guard told me I wasn’t supposed to take photos of the set, but I nicely told him that I had kindly given up my parking space for 3 months so they could build the set, that no one was on the set but him, and that I just wanted to document what they had done to the parking lot and streets around the office. Then I asked him about himself, his job and if he got to hang with any of the stars, etc. We got on well, and probably because I was nice to him, and took an interest him, he let me do my photos and he told me some great stories.
That’s what I’m talking about, man. That’s a great story and it all came about because you were personable and decent to another person. Love it!
Also, if you ever DO feel like being sneaky: http://photojojo.com/store/awesomeness/candid-photography-spy-lens/
This is awesome. It’s a must have for every ninja, no doubt!!
http://365project.org/blog/capturing-candid-street-photography came across this and thought of your discussion
Great article; I like what they say about being as nonchalant as possible to avoid ruining the candid-ness of the setting!
Like the first person to comment, I almost alwaysy ask permission — an exception if the shot is from behind and from far enough away that the person is anonymous (e.g. my shot of a man sitting on a bench in a local cemetery, lost in memories). I’m especially careful about children; the few times I’ve posted any on my blog that show faces I have always asked their care-giving adult (and the child) for permission, say so in my post, and use only a first name if any name at all. I think it’s about respect. I even feel that about shots without any people: is the image true, but so atypical as to give a false impression to people who don’t know the area? If so, I point this out when I post it.
I’ve never been confident in taking people’s photos, but that’s my goal this year, to do more of that. Everything I’ve read says to ask permission if possible. I would never shoot kids without permission, I think one could get in trouble there. I’ll see what I find out in my project this year.
I guess it depends on the photo, the circumstances and what you want to capture. I’ve done a lot of street photography over the years, and rarely do I ask for permission. I think I’ve captured so great shots doing it this way as well. It’s the only way to capture that moment. The most interesting photos that I’ve seen are the ones that evoke some kind of emotion, and create so connection with the viewer.
That said, I don’t photograph a lot of stuff i see either. You just kind of know if you should or shouldn’t, right at that moment. There are of course going to be times that you take a picture, and you never share it with anyone. You get to looking at it, and you realize that maybe it wasn’t the best idea after all.
I did do a project a while back called 100 strangers, where the goal is to get you to break the barrier of asking people to allow you take there picture. It’s more or less designed to get you over that fear of rejection, and get you to meet other people and get a little back story about that person. it was scary, and fun, and a great learning experience.
Like many other photographers have already written, it all just depends on the mood and situation. Sometimes I will specifically ask “do you mind if I take your photo?” which 7 times out of 10 is answered with a hesitant “uhh….sure…ok” and then occasionally people are just outright embarrassed or angered by the thought, which leaves me feeling somewhat red cheeked.
Other times, I may just lift my camera up and look them in the eyes, kinda asking them with non-verbal communication.
And then a lot of the time, I just don’t say anything at all or indicate anything to the person I wish to photograph. I do a little trick where I act very much like I’m simply taking a photo of the surrounds or landscape while getting the light meter correct, then quickly zone in on the person and *snap*.
I say shoot the picture then offer to send it to them! You get their approval and they get a free pic! A question I have… when is it appropriate to not shoot the whole person? I mean I know in a close up you can focus on face, etc… but when you’re taking a family picture how do you zoom and get a great shot without cutting out to much? Some people don’t like losing their bottom half! I’m learning too and sometimes I over think stuff! What me? Noooooo! lol
Thank you for visiting my blog today. I appreciate the time you took to stop by. May your day be filled with joy and peace.
BE ENCOURAGED! BE BLESSED!