As a photographer, I’ve lost count of how may times this dilemma has reared its head. You want to capture of a situation or someone who interest you but than internal dialogue born through lack of confidence sometimes gets in the way….
“Should I take their photo?” “How will they react?” “Maybe I should ask permission to put them at ease? But if I do, does that mean the photo is staged?”
That moment of indecision could cost you that image and ultimately hold you back on being as creative as you could be. We’ve all done it at some point or other. Its a fact that the best photos are always an assertion of the artist vision above all else, though something should be said for balancing your need as an artist against that of the subject. Respect is important too. That said, to be too cautious could mean you never push the envelope of creativity.
Famous street photographer Bruce Gilden (pictured above) once declared “I have no ethics”. He is a prime example of someone who always pressed click, often peoples faces with flash in hand. For him consequence was never as important as circumstance and opportunity and for that he could be admired. However he represent an extreme end of the scale. For most of us there needs to be a balance between need, ethics and confidence. British street photographer Nick Turpin puts it best when he says,
“The right of a person to privacy in a public place is equal to the right of a photographer to take a photograph in a public place”.
Therefore by all means use a long focal length lens safely from a distance if you wish, but ultimately photography is most fun and informative when it’s is a symbiotic experience, a creative exchange between artist and subject that’s understood by both either by engagement or unspoken. Either way there’s no harm showing them the result afterwards, you may make someone’s day whilst getting the photo that you deserve.
