Now you think these gals look a little pissed but they all smiled just a second after my full frontal assault. And I bet they coulda kicked my a$$ badly...without a question.
I've taken shots of the homeless in NYC. I also took a shot of a guy walking around with two garbage bags filled with empty cans. He could barely walk. He must have had about 300 cans over his shoulders! He was smiling.
Would love to see some of these pics. I was in Philly about a year ago, and just didn't seem to have the heart, or the guts to take these pictures. I need to work on that, I think....but would still love to see some of yours!
I need to start growing the cahones and asking strangers too. People are so fun to shoot. Although them not knowing can be just as fun. Here are a few of my only decent ones.
I love this shot! Great composition, and filled with interesting things to look at. Nice textures, and tones throughout. I love this shot. Nicely done!
People shots are also a favorite of mine, although I've done precious little of them. Everything posted in this thread has been wonderful. Here is one from the DC gtg in April.I liked this one of this little guy clutching his flower, and the way it showed so nicely against dad's jet-black hair.
My hardest thing about taking pictures of people is asking them to sign a model release form.
FYI: From "Digital Photographer's Handbook" by Tom Ang:
"Model-release form:
This form is a legally binding agreement between subject and photographer allowing the photographer to use the picture without any further financial obligation or reference to the person depicted.
For the personal use of a photograph, it is generally not necessary to obtain the model's release; however, if an image is intended for commercial use it is advisable to obtain signed consent. A simple form of words is: "I permit the photos taken of me (subject's name) by (photographer's name) to be printed and published in any manner anywhere and at any time without limit." The consent form should also note the date the pictures were taken, the location, and include the signature and contact details for both the subject (or parent/guardian) and the photographer. Both parties should sign 2 copies - one is kept by the photographer, the other by the subject. In some countries, a consideration (the payment of a sum of money or the giving of a print) is required to make the contract binding."
Does anyone here have a standard release form that they could post that's good for general use?
I love taking pictures of people -- and the thing is -- once they know you are taking their picture, they so often turn awkward and the picture isn't as good. Here's a couple of mine:
this is the model release I have maded up
I have this printed 4 up on A4 pages but I don't cut them
I leave them together so new people will see that others have signed and it makes them feel more at ease
in fact in the begining I had few friends fill out some to get me started
I also make a point of shuffling through a few pages to find a blank space to help with the casual nature of the request
Whoah!! You do all that for random shots of people who looked interesting in your travels? How is it received? Does it make people more/less interested in having their photo taken?
if you are tentative about doing it, you should try jmsetzler's human scavenger hunt challenge...it is a GREAT way to get experience shooting strangers, and there's no telling what great adventures it can lead you on!
I tried getting just the sunset, but the woman walked across my view with a finger pointing in the sky, and I instinctively took the shot anyway. It turned out...better than what I expected. This shot, I swear, was not staged.
I didn't ask this man if I could take his photo. I was at least fifty paces away from him, in the crowd of beach goers. My camera has incredible zoom, so I took it anyway. Not much to say about it, either.
