Urban Shooting

[Benthic]

So I made my first attempt at urban shooting last night. I'm in downtown Denver for work and I took my camera along. I spent a couple hours walking up and down the 16th Street Mall and, while I did take some shots, I didn't take many.

I was afraid that folks would get offended if they thought I was taking their picture, or that people would wonder what the heck I was doing. Crazy, I know. I did find a street musician, threw a couple bucks in his cup, and then asked if I could take some pictures. He said yes. But other than that, how do you guys do things. Do you just head downtown and shoot to your heart's content?

Brian

[lisadaisy36]

Brian .. I feel the same exact way! I once was a t a park and this family started talking to me about the shots I was taking, so I could tell they were ineterested. So I told them that I am taking a class (I wasnt at the time) and asked if I could take a couple shots of them looking at the water. They seemed excited about it. I sually say I am taking a class because then they feel like they are helping me learn more, and not afraid that they might show up in the local newspapare or something ... lol

[dallasm]

I live in Denver, the 16th St Mall is a great place to shoot people,some strange ones. I was down there for the DNC last week and got shots of the police in riot gear and of thr protesters. I will stand in the middle and just shoot up or down the mall. Go down to Union Station and shoot up 17th St., also around Coors Feild. Civic Center Park is a nice area to, you have the capital bldg. and the city court house there. If you want good shots of down town at night go across the hiway on Speer ahd up to the right and you can get great shots of the city scape from there.
Enjoy our city.
DallasM

[Benthic]

Well, I'm back at home now. I was mostly just wondering about how folks deal with shooting in an urban area--or if it's even an issue.

Brian

[coffee]

Well, I'm back at home now. I was mostly just wondering about how folks deal with shooting in an urban area--or if it's even an issue.

Brian

There are several things you can do. You can ask to take a shot of someone like you already talked about. You can use a very long lens where they won't see you taking the shot. You can also hold the camera down at your side when taking a shot so you don't draw interest or lok like you are taking thier picture. I guess you can just start shooting away also. But I've never done that myself.

I do think however that if a person didn't have a care, he would have the right to take photos of anyone that is out in public. At least that's my tkae on it. I could be wrong on this. maybe someone else can help out here.

[LensBaby]

If you try that in some neighborhoods by me you might get shot! I have to be very careful of what I am doing.

[perfectoarts]

I take hubby with me when I do night shots and in town. Not feeling that confident to go on my own and parade my expensive equipment. It is a dilemma we all have to face I guess. Maybe with experience it becomes easier. I was brace and ask 3 total strangers to pose for me as they had the most interesting features and demeaner. No problems, they were as nice as pie!

[dkippen]

Brian - I echo what Sue said about being careful. Course - urban shooting at night just scares me overall, maybe for me, it's a female thing. I would rather get night landscape shots than people shots. There are some that do very well at night urban shooting and I give them credit. If you are comfortable with it and do well - I say be careful and go for it.

[daltoned]

Regarding Night Time shots' I agree that one has to be careful, it's not only a female thing, cause I for one would not feel safe in some of the area's I would like to shoot at night, ie Docks , City Centre etc. Unfortunately we live in a violent age and likely to get mugged if seen with expensive and resaleable gear. I would also add that one should be extra careful taking cityscape or beach shots if there are any children likely to be in the frame, parents are now rightly concerned about such shots and where they'll end up.

[jerryph]

Do a search on youtube for street photography... you will see most photographers are very aggressive with their cameras, I mean right up people's faces and POP!!

I have no issues doing it, but this was after I took out my camera to last year's St. Patrick's day parade and broke that bad habit of being shy officially.

What is the WORST they can do? Yell rant and rave, and you can offer to erase the pic in front of them. No biggie.

Now, going into the seedier parts of town after dark... well that takes no brains to know that it poses some very real dangers. This aspect of it is not for everyone.