People ducking/stopping to stay out of your shot

[fotophox]

You probably know what I'm talking about. . . do you appreciate the consideration or does it annoy you? What do you do if you want people walking through the shot?

 

[Wayne]

What do you do if you want people walking through the shot?

I try to respect what they want.

Thats a lie. I dont do street photography, but if I DID, thats what I would do.

 

[bdial]

If I want people in the shot I try and be less obvious about taking the picture, or wait until no one's paying attention.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I have had some people move in front of my camera just to talk with each other blocking my photograph. Yes, I will tell them to move.

 

[Jeff Kubach]

When people come into my view, I start to tell some of my jokes and then they run off in terror!

Jeff

 

[hoffy]

I actually prefer that they keep moving as opposed to me taking the shot. If I don't want them in the shot, they won't be. I don't know, but if someone stops and waits for me to take the shot, I feel rushed to actually do it, where's I would prefer they just keep moving.

 

[PVia]

I wave them on with quick friendly banter and a smile, always gracious.

 

[tkamiya]

Stoppers and duckers have never been an issue for me. Those people are being accommodating to my needs and being (trying to be) nice. I'm always appreciative of such gesture.

If I was ready to shoot, I'd go ahead and shoot.
If I wasn't ready to shoot, or a queue is starting to build up, then I'd say "I'm not ready yet, go ahead" (and wave)
If I wanted people walking through my frame, then I'd let people through and wait for next opportunity. Once people are aware of the camera, they won't "act normal".
In very rare occasions, if those people look interested or interesting, I explain what I am trying to do and sort of make them one of my "models." It happens rarely though. I've done that once with a lady and a cute little dog.

What annoys me sometimes is people not paying any attention to anything what-so-ever, talking on cell phone, and walk really slowly through my frame or stop right in the middle. Usually, I just wait or move to a new location. I'm usually not in rush to complete my photograph.

Especially for travel photographs, I do not like producing something that looks like travel brochures - pristine beach - no one but YOU in the scene.... it's so unrealistic. You KNOW it wasn't like that.... So I know what you are talking about.....

 

[Ross Chambers]

But how about walking through other people's shots?

If I'm in areas of Sydney city which are major tourist attractions with high density snappers I'm afraid I just walk on through if there isn't an easy detour or around if there is.

I will always await a clear moment if I'm shooting something myself where I'd rather not have folk in shot. I find people ducking and weaving about within their perception of the field of my shot very mildly annoying, but it's no big deal. I guess that I expect the same from others.

 

[j-dogg]

speak softly and carry a big tripod, people instantly see you.

 

[chrismoret]

I do streetphotography, so if it's usable in the shot everything goes. And sometimes there emerges an other photo out of the duckers and stoppers

 

[Steve Smith]

do you appreciate the consideration or does it annoy you? What do you do if you want people walking through the shot?

As they are trying to be considerate it would be wrong to be annoyed by them even if they're not doing what you want them to do.


Steve.

 

[railwayman3]

I'll always stop (and wait a moment if necessary) rather than knowingly walk in front of someone taking a picture (whether they be a professional photographer or a kid with a mobile phone).

And I appreciate it when someone does the same for me...a quick thank-you if I'm taking the shot, or waving them on, again with a quick "OK" or "thanks", if I;m not quite ready to press the shutter.

Surely it's just common sense and normal politeness? Or I am just old-fashioned? :confused:

 

[perkeleellinen]

I stop also and smile when others stop for me. I normally wave them on.

 

[eddym]

When people come into my view, I start to tell some of my jokes and then they run off in terror!

Jeff

Don't we all...!

 

[eddym]

What annoys me sometimes is people not paying any attention to anything what-so-ever, talking on cell phone, and walk really slowly through my frame or stop right in the middle. Usually, I just wait or move to a new location. I'm usually not in rush to complete my photograph.

Try walking right up to them and shooting closeups. If they complain, just say innocently, "Oh! I thought you wanted to be in my picture!

 

[AgX]

But how about walking through other people's shots?

In former times I always stopped when I realised someone was trying to take a photograph of some object/person and I was crossing the angle of view (asserting that only a rare breed of photographers would like me to interfere with their image).

With all that constant photographing all around I don't bother with any kind of photographer any longer.
(Might do so though with an analogue photographer, but don't come across such any longer anyway.)

 

[Dan Henderson]

The subject of the photograph dictates whether I stop or walk through. If someone is photographing other people who are obviously posing for the picture, they don't want me in the frame, so I stop, or walk behind the photographer. If someone is doing street photography, I just keep on moving, assuming that "street photography"implies the presence of "street people."

But the question does remind me of a humorous anecdote: I was making long exposures of a Great Lakes freighter unloading aggregate one night. A dock worker walked up and then stopped so as not to get in my picture. I told him that as long as he kept moving he would not appear in my picture, which of course absolutely astounded him.

 

[patrickjames]

I usually just smile and wave 'em on. The people that want to talk can be annoying, but I consider that I am a freakshow hiding under a big cape like batman or something. If I am in a hurry, I speak to them in another language. That always works to dispatch them quickly. Swedish is my preferable language for this since no one speaks it, but I like Swedes so if someone spoke back I wouldn't mind missing the shot in order to meet a Swede. Never has happened though.

 

[Kisatchie]

I wave people through and, if they insist on waiting, I thank them and take the shot.
Once, I was walking in New Orleans' French Quarter and this fellow was getting ready to take a photo. I stopped and waited... and waited... and waited. After a couple of minutes, I started walking and he snapped the photo with me in it. He called me a turkey.

It still makes me when I think about it.

 

[Early Riser]

I was recently in Spain. I had a 4x5 Linhof and a mamiya 7II set up on tripods in a wide open field. Not exactly a subtle set up. Myself and my cameras were easily visible from quite a distance and yet people would walk directly in front of the cameras when they had literally a hundred yards advance notice to slightly alter their course to pass behind the cameras. Almost none did. In fact I even had people come right up to my set up, who could have passed on either side of the cameras without ANY disruption to their movement, and yet they nearly always passed in front. I even gently asked people to pass around the gear, to no avail. I just don't get people sometimes.

I ended up going to a long exposure just to make the people invisible.

 

[eddym]

But the question does remind me of a humorous anecdote: I was making long exposures of a Great Lakes freighter unloading aggregate one night. A dock worker walked up and then stopped so as not to get in my picture. I told him that as long as he kept moving he would not appear in my picture, which of course absolutely astounded him.

I had a similar experience late one night whilst shooting a pub on River Street in Savannah, Ga. I was making a long exposure with an 8x10, and a well-lubricated young man stumbled up in front of the camera, looked into the the lens, and mumbled something like "Wha' tha fxxx is that thing?" Then he stumbled away. No trace of him on the film whatsoever!

 

[Erik Petersson]

I usually just smile and wave 'em on. The people that want to talk can be annoying, but I consider that I am a freakshow hiding under a big cape like batman or something. If I am in a hurry, I speak to them in another language. That always works to dispatch them quickly. Swedish is my preferable language for this since no one speaks it, but I like Swedes so if someone spoke back I wouldn't mind missing the shot in order to meet a Swede. Never has happened though.

Det beror på var du fotograferar!

 

[mfratt]

I've been setting up my tripod, without even having a camera on it yet, and had people stop and wait for me. A kind gesture, indeed. Camera or not, I usually just say, "you're fine, go ahead," and wave them past. If they were in my way, I wouldn't expose the frame anyway. If I were doing street photography, I wouldn't be as obvious as if I were doing my typical 4x5 work.

If I see someone else taking a picture, from digicam snapshot of their kids on up, I'll walk behind the photographer if possible, otherwise I'll wait.

 

[Vaughn]

I have had cars stop when I am shooting the 8x10 across the road. I just wave them through with a smile. People do not realize that if I have the darkcloth over my head, I am not actually exposing!

Now cell phones. If someone is talking on them in public, most of the I do not tell my boys to be quiet, nor do I whisper, but continue on with our activities as if they were not there.