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Shooting from the hip…
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A technique I am trying to master for street photography. Its kinda sneaky but its fun too and ye can get some shots you’d never get if ye had the camera to your eye…. Here are a few I got yesterday in a 20 min walk at lunch time in the city centre…. 5D2 17-40L
Interesting article here on street photography technique…..
http://dbeckerman.wordpress.com/2009/05/25/street-photography-techniques/” onclick=”window.open(this.href);return false;
I sometimes find the street section of PI a little confusing… some people take the title of street photography very literally if ye know what I mean and post shots probably more suited to the Architecture section. Maybe its just me but a lot of em are not what I would class ‘Street Photography’…! Shoot me if ye want but it could be an interesting debate? My idea of street photography is probably way off……….?
Richie
I do understand what you at saying completely with regards street photography and what defines “street photography”, shooting statues, random non interesting scenes and streets in general is not street photography by it’s true meaning. But PI’s “Street Photography” section isn’t just for the hard core, it’s for everyone.
Shooting from the hip is handy at times, but it’s certainly not to be totally relied on as a technique all the time for this genre of photography as it’s incredibly hit & miss. I have done it and sometimes still use it, tho, rarely, as i find it cowardly. Street photography technique is about being fast…
Of the above shots, i like the first one, it’s a decent street shot, a nice moment captured between this couple. For the other shots i really don’t know why you would have shot from the hip for these.
Aye… I tend agree with alancotter’s post.
For me shooting from the hip is for people who are uncomfortable in letting it be known that they are taking someone’s photo… it’s hit and miss… and I’m not aware of too many of the more famous street photographers down the years that used this method.
I don’t see anything here that you couldn’t do holding the camera in the standard manner… other than maybe the height factor.
Nice set… but your comments overshadow your photos… and your remarks sound very authorative. Consider yourself shot :wink:
I like these a lot Richie. I find shooting from eye level gets a lot of downward perspective shorts or head shots in street and I’ve never actually shot from the hip but the perspective works very well. They are all interesting and do keep your attention. I agree re the street interpretation too but you’ll find even on street photography sites the same scenario is quite frequent. I’m part of a street photography forum based in the US and I’m tired of looking at images of people on the subway trains..it’s painful after a while.
Like Alan I think it’s all open to interpretation but I wouldn’t say any one technique is true street…look at Bruce Gilden, for example! Shooting from the hip sounds good…thee’s enough rules out there to say what you should/shouldn’t do.Alan.
I like these Richie, these are real shoot from the hip street photography, I recently bought a yashica tlr to try a bit of the sneaky stuff, I think it’s real when it’s not posed and sometimes I think that street photography is mixed slightly with travel photography.
Paul
Yes, that first especially, that’s street.
And unlike Doisneau’s attempt, it wasn’t even a setup (was it?)It’s the most successful image from the three, I suppose-
The second looks a bit random, I wonder if you might have taken it had you seen it…
The third, looks like there might be something there,
but I don’t think it’s close enough, and there seems to be a lot of wasted space with the composition-
you sense there’s something going on with the two figures, but you’re too far away to see-Shooting from the hip, you have little control over composition, usually-
particularly with small film, and you can’t afford to waste any of that with rotations or cropping.Paul is right, a TLR will get you to waist level easier-
I wonder would live view and a 45º mirror attachment do the same thing for a DSLR?
You’ve got me thinking now, patent pending…I’d agree about the definition of street as a genre-
though this isn’t the only section that’s a victim of being widely interpreted-
Buildings in Landscape, pretty much anything in Still Life,
except for Still Life, and household pets in Nature and Wildlife are some of the common ones-
Street Performers seldom fit into Street, and a picture of a Street is perhaps not aiming high enough either-No matter, people will put pictures wherever they see fit, I don’t think it’s really a big deal-
though more pictures like that first one would be better-Hi all…
Thanks for the responses…
Alan… You are right… The street photography section here on PI is for everyone and I suppose its up to the individual as to where they post their versions of street photography. Shooting from the hip most certainly is very hit and miss but I’ve found with a little practice I get about 1 shot out of every 200 that I’m happy with…. :D … Cowardly… yes… but I aint up to pointing the camera at some of these people. But I am new to this type of photography so my confidence will no doubt build…! The first shot would be my favorite too but I think I will re work it to get a bit more contrast into it. Its a bit mucky or something.
John… You got it in one… I am uncomfortable in letting people know I am taking their pictures… especially in the areas I’ve tried so far..! :shock: … Catier Bresson was know to use this technique… As for being authorative…? Ye lost me there. Opinionated yes but authorative no… hardly in an area where I have no experience. :D
Alan… Cheers for the comments.. Yeah I think the perspective is nice from that angle too..! Street photography is hard to define generally and if ye think about it there are probably no rules to it……????
Paul… Good luck with the Yashica… Regardless of whether its cowardly or not I’ll likely be doing this more often.
Thanks all for the replies… the discussion is interesting…!!!!
Richie
Don’t mind me Ricky… I think I might have initially took you up wrong.
you’d never get if ye had the camera to your eye
But I didn’t agree with this statement. You can get any photo you want… whether the camera is at your hip or used in the typical manner… it’s just a matter of being discrete.
Didn’t someone mentioned that HCB was known to take gazillions of photos and only a small number of them made the cut? That’s shooting from the hip for you… a not so healthy success:failure ratio.
But anyway… it doesn’t really matter at the end of the day… as long as you get something that makes the cut.
Shooting from the hip –
[youtube:3avm88cn]a9rgxZ4_paA[/youtube:3avm88cn]
(Not)
Just to clarify, i never said that you were cowardly, my sincere apologies if it came across this way. Also, IT WILL get easier to point a camera at peoples with practice, i was nervous about doing it aswell when i was starting out.. But just remember, it’s all about how you act in doing so, if you get all worked up about it, well then, it just becomes awkward, if you’re fast and act like nothing happened and just continue on your way.. Then your laughing.
Check this out!
Jeff Mermelstein in action..
http://youtube.com/watch?v=uuXcm35m50Y” onclick=”window.open(this.href);return false;http://youtube.com/watch?v=-vhWLEBimLg&feature=related” onclick=”window.open(this.href);return false;
http://youtube.com/watch?v=RXdE9yU5IM0&feature=related” onclick=”window.open(this.href);return false;
Jb… yeah its like Doisneau’s but certainly not staged… I can imagine going at that couple like Bruce Gilden in NFL’s clip… I’d say my camera would be shooting from the Liffey…! Thanks for comments on my other shots too.
Nfl… When I said “you’d never get if ye had the camera to your eye” I probably meant I’d never get them shots..!!! I haven’t got the balls yet to stick my camera in some strangers face. Gilden is a very brave man… Do ye think that would work on the streets of Dublin? Yeah HCB reckons your first 10,000 photographs are your worst… With me that’s an underestimation…! Can you imagine if he had a modern digital camera….???
Alan… No apology necessary…! I completely agree with you about it being cowardly… No doubt with time my confidence will mature..!
If any of yee are interested there is a lecture in The D Hotel in Drogheda on Sunday 28th Feb 8pm by Magnum Photographer Chris Steele Perkins…! Its organised by Drogheda Camera Club and admission is €10…! Should be a good one.
Cheers again
Richie
Good set Richie. Very difficult from the hip. Of course many of the greats use(d) the method to great success.
Doisneau was indeed staged and I believed was admited too, still wouldn’t be too bad to go down with 1 great
and noteworthy photograph :)On the question of Street photography, I totally agree that photos of streets is not street etc…
You should what would be in some of the forums if they didn’t get moved. Its a full time job really,
sometimes its easier to leave well alone… I might put some renewed effort back into it…Nice photos Ritchie,
For me #1 is the best, it is a great shot, and the low angle suits it.
#3 is in some ways more interesting, because it is less obvious, the interaction is great. She seems to be talking (at least looking) to him, he might be listening but looking at the fruit stall, there is a nice connection between the 3 elements. And a bit of wonder about what communication is going on, if any, between them.
#2 is somewhat interesting; #4 doesn’t do it for me.I decided myself to try and crack street photography this year, it seems to be a gradual process of picking up technique and nerve.
I shot before with an anglefinder on a dslr and most people didn’t notice what I was doing, at least until after the shot was taken.
Looking forward to seeing some more, I must post some of my efforts.Martin
I like the 1st one particularly, a nice capture
As for shooting from the hip, yeah I’d agree with Alan’s comments too
I have used the technique a few times, partly when I have felt a bit chicken and partly because I like the angle and slight randomness of it. Mostly I try to man up and just put the camera up to my eye and be fast and casual about it.
Street is good fun as it’s quite a buzz I find.
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