Taking photos of strangers

[badger]

When I was 28 I went on a spur-of-the moment, nothing-reserved-except-for-the-flight-trip to San Patricio Melaque and Barra de Navidad (near Manzanillo).

I wanted the total non-gringo experience so where I went, I had to rely on my pathetic Spanish. There were some stark scenes of poverty (and pure joy when children were playing) and wanted to capture those images.

Some of the more blatant ones I asked for permission (pointing at my camera and at the person) and they always said yes. If I find time I'll scan them.

[Cataboo]

Unfortunately in most poorer countries I've been to, a lot of the people have found that they can charge tourists for taking photos of them... In Peru they were dressing up in native costume with llamas, waiting for a tourist to take their photo to demand money. It just adds to the hassle factor.

I made sure never to take a photo of someone & their llama for that reason, but did take some pics of people from far away with a telephoto. We did ask a bunch of porters on the inca trail that were resting on a rock if we could take their photo - they agreed, one guy covered his face.


Or in vietnam they dress up as a cowboy or as a monkey and wait for you to take their picture to ask for money. It's awfully odd.

[redrhodie]

Once when I lived in NYC, I was walking through Washington Sq and a couple of young Japanese guys approached me and asked if they could take their picture with me. I was flattered, and let one pose with me. Later, I told my bf, and he joked that they were going to tell their friends "This is my American girlfriend!" I was dressed in a vintage outfit that day, so I guess I looked interesting.

[shootingstar]

Several months ago, I just discovered a videoclip that is on the Internet and posted by our regional transportation government dept. on cycling in Vancouver that was promoting a particular cycling route that was created a few years ago. Now it has been recently extended for extra few kms.

Within the lst 8 min. of the clip, to my surprise, it included a video clip of 3 cyclists filmed in summer of 2005... 2 of them ..were myself and my dearie on our bikes! It was an aerial shoot of us from several hundred ft. above probably from a balcony somewhere. We were merely going somewhere on that day. There was no cycling event. We were not aware of being videotaped/photographed.

I nearly freaked since neither he nor I had any knowledge of this video clip existed at all. So nearly 5 yrs. later., I discovered it.
But I now treasure this video clip. It really is a rare cycling treat for he and I have this.

[shootingstar]

For the original news article that I posted at beginning, I was reminded of a photo that I took of my cousin's little boy in San Francisco's Chinatown when I was visiting relatives there.

The photo of the boy is spontaneous and I suppose "artsy" with the Chinese calligraphy in chalk on a blackboard somewhere at a storefront, but I didn't plan it that way at all.

When I first got the photo developed (it was over 20 yrs. ago), I suddenly realized that I don't go around deliberately shooting portraits of people I didn't know. I barely knew the little boy since he belonged to a cousin who I met for the lst time and previously I didn't even know she existed even though she is my age.

_________________________
A long time ago, a good friend's brother went to Asia, hiking and touring for a few months. I went to an evening get together where he showed a slide show of his best photos. He did have a few portrait facial shots of Asians who were strangers to him. He is Polish-Canadian. He sort of made comments in this distant analytical way of how they looked from an aesthetic viewpt.

The viewing group of friends, were all people I didn't know except for his sister, a good friend of mine. There was one other woman of Asian descent, who reacted quite strongly. I can't remember the whole incident, but basically she was furious at the paternalistic attitude of how these photos "objectified" people in this "exotic" country...well, if you think about it, these people could easily be a relative of hers or mine...at a different time or place. The rest of the acquaintances were all white.

I did feel very strange watching and hearing the commentary about the portrait shots, even before her outburst to the host. In all honesty, I actually did not watch the remainder of the slide show.

One person's exotica can be (but not always) another person's distant reminder of their loved ones/ancestors.

I do have an exotic shot of myself...I'm a baby and my mother is wearing a cheong-sam, the high collar Chinese dress. It is a shot that my siblings wish they had a similar photos of themselves when they were babies.

[channlluv]

I'm more in the "wish I had my camera" category these days, but once upon a time, I took lots of portrait shots and have even had one in a juried show. I only took these portraits with permission, mainly because portraiture is a look not only at the subject, but into the world of the subject, and often shows some deeper emotional level than you'll get in a landscape shot. Depends on the subject, of course, but I'd feel really weird taking pictures of people without their permission, especially kids.

That said, my brother was stationed in South Korea a few years ago and he used to go out into the markets and sent me some really beautiful pictures of the people there. One of my favorites is two old men playing something that looks like checkers. I think it may be go, but I'm not familiar enough with that game to know the difference.

My favorite photography subject these days is my daughter. Luckily, she's a very agreeable subject.

Roxy

[Andrea]

I've been on the "stranger" end of this a few times at some of the bigger-name bike races I've gone to. I'd be warming up on the trainer or discussing race tactics with teammates in a huddle & see a camera pointed at me/us out of the corner of my eye. It was a really odd feeling at first, but I guess I was a little flattered at the same time

[invsblwmn]

I videotaped a whole town of strangers...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWC-8...e=channel_page

[loki234]

I never had the chance to take a photo of a stranger for any reason. I just take photos with my relatives and friends. Taking photos of strangers is really a strange thing for me.