In my travels to Africa I found that many people don’t like to be photographed , so I had to improvise.I had to find a way to become invisible. It took me years to polish and perfect my street attitude and trough trial and error I came up of certain set of rules that helped me many times.
So here are my top 7 tips to street photographers , to become invisible while photographing people.
And we are not going to add the shooting from the hip technique.
- Observe first: Take some time to observe your surroundings and the people in them before taking out your camera. This can help you find a good spot to shoot from and assess the scene before taking any pictures.
- Find the rhythm: Every place has it’s rhythm , morning busting markets will be significantly faster than a shopping mall. You cannot run around when everyone is slower, you move with the speed of everyone else on the street.
- Don’t do any sudden movements: Remember the rule about the rhythm ? That’s an addition , just don’t stand out in the way you move.Think about harmony , you need to be harmonious with the environment around you.
- Be patient: Wait for the right moment to take your shot rather than rushing to take a picture. This can help you blend in and be less noticeable to your subjects. Keep your camera down and observe, when you see something is about to happen , only than rise your camera.
- Outfit:Avoid wearing clothing that is too bright, flashy or attention-grabbing. Neutral colors and comfortable clothing that blends in with the environment can help you blend in and be less noticeable. I was shooting with a friend recently , he told me later that he was consistently losing me , even though I was 3m away from him , I was just
- Avoid eye contact: Avoid making eye contact with your subjects, as this can draw attention to yourself and make them more aware of your presence.
- Use a small camera: Using a small, inconspicuous camera can help you blend in more easily and be less noticeable than a larger camera with a long lens.
If all that didn’t work for you, just use telephoto lens and shoot from a distance.
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