TAKE PHOTOS, LEAVE FOOTPRINTS
SCOTT DICKEN
Photos: Scott Dickens
PHOTOGRAPHING PEOPLE:
THE ART OF TRAVEL “STREET” PHOTOGRAPHY AND PORTRAITURE
L
et me set the scene: imagine you’re in your hometown and you’re on your way to meet a friend for a spot of brunch. You’re walking past a famous landmark on your way to the restaurant when a coach pulls up and out jump a gaggle of foreign tourists (a common scene in London). You imagine they’ll all immediately turn their attention to the famous landmark right behind you, but instead outcome the cameras and with no word or warning you’re suddenly the focal point for twenty zoom lens’ all jockeying for the best angle of you in your ‘Sunday best’. Sounds weird, disconcerting and frankly pretty rude, right? Then why is it that street photography, particularly photographing local residents, seems so acceptable to travelers when we’re overseas? Sure, we all want to capture the essence of wherever we’re traveling, but where lies the boundary of acceptable social decorum and when do we unwittingly (or not) cross it? My raising this question, and seeking a set of guidelines for photographing people, in part stems from personal experience. My wife and I were on our honeymoon and we happened to spend some time in Shanghai. Wandering down the Bund (essentially a promenade along the riverfront) we found ourselves with a tail. Following closely behind us were two young women armed with cameras and fairly significant zoom
18 | January 2021
lens’. They were, at least to their mind, ‘inconspicuously’ following us taking photos (well, it was really my wife they were photographing, but in my head I like to be the center of attention and with red hair I imagine I had an ‘exotic’ demeanor worthy of their attention). What made this particular incident stand out was that each time we turned around to face them they would pull their cameras away and pretend like nothing had happened. Rather than come and talk to us (having been ‘caught’) they thought it more appropriate to pretend like they worked for a seemingly incompetent private investigatory service that only hires giggling teenagers. So, what could they have done better and what could we do better as travelers that want to photograph people going about their everyday business? And, beyond the sensitivities involved, what could they have done to get the best possible photos of their ‘subjects’ i.e. us? Let’s be honest, photos of my backside or me turning around with an angry look on my face, whilst entertaining, are highly unlikely to be winning a Pulitzer anytime soon.
CULTURAL, SOCIAL AND LEGAL SENSITIVITY Know what’s legally acceptable. I’m going to start with the worstcase scenario (as a typically pessimistic Londoner) and consider the
consequences of the law. In general, I subscribe to the general rule that people can be photographed in public without consent unless they can reasonably expect a degree of privacy (although you should seek advice on any country specific legislation - and of course aggressive photography of an individual could be deemed as harassment). Now of course, if you’re planning to use the photography for commercial purposes then a whole different set of rules might apply and at that point you’ll probably want to seek out some reliable legal advice. The other thing to consider is the location in which you’re photographing a person and what kind of person they are: certain locations have restrictions such as government facilities, courts and museums as do people such as law enforcement officials.
Know what’s culturally acceptable. Not everything is as simple as right or wrong, and if you’re traveling to far-flung places then you’ll also want to consider the cultural acceptability of photographing people (after all, you don’t want to offend your hosts). In some cultures photographing people can be seen as taboo, in some taking a photo of someone is thought to steal their soul. In some parts of Asia, taking a photo of three people is thought to mean that one of them will soon die. In some religions, it is unacceptable to take photos of worshippers. In some cultures,
photographing feet is frowned upon, and in others photographing unaccompanied women is objectionable. The list could go on and on, so if in doubt, then I suggest you ask what is acceptable.
Ask First, Photo Second. This mainly comes down to personal preference. It’s probably worth noting that doing things this way may result in losing that candid street photo you’re really looking for. Instead, you’re likely to end up with ‘street portraiture’ – not necessarily a bad thing, but very different results. I guess the best advice I can give is to use some common sense. I’m also particularly careful when photographing young children. Quite often you’ll arrive in a remote village where children are playing; they’ll see your camera and eagerly run over to you asking for their photos to be taken. Whilst the children might be eager their parents might not be so keen. Even worse is if you’re just trying to take some inconspicuous and candid street photography of children. How would you feel if a stranger started taking pictures of your child at the playground? If in doubt, and wherever possible, seek permission of responsible adults before you start clicking!
TAKE PHOTOS, LEAVE FOOTPRINTS > PAGE 19
Old Town Crier
