Saw a street photographer duck into a doorway in Portland yesterday and it clicked for me

I was walking through the Pearl District trying to get candid shots but everyone kept noticing me and posing stiff... this guy just melted into a shadow and caught this perfect moment of a kid splashing in a puddle. How do you get close enough without people freezing up on you?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_derek29d ago

Three feet. That's how close this guy in Denver got to me before I realized he was shooting. He was wearing all black, leaning against a dumpster like he was waiting for a bus that was never coming. People freeze up because they see the camera coming from a mile away, you know? Just wear neutral colors and pick a spot where you look like you belong. Pretend you're tying your shoe or checking your phone for like ten minutes until everyone forgets you exist. Works better than trying to be a ninja (unless you actually are one, in which case, teach me your ways).

cameron76329d ago

Bought a cheap pair of work boots from Goodwill and stood by a bus stop for 20 minutes snapping photos of a fire escape. Nobody even looked twice, just figured I was a tired construction guy waiting on the 7:15. Blend in like a beige wall and people will walk right past you every time.