picturing people
As an amateur photography fan, one of the things I love most in photography are candid shots of everyday people about their day, whatever that may be. As a very amateur photographer, one of the things I hate is taking pictures of people. There's something about the intrusive nature, the "stranger danger" we're warned of as children, which runs deep into our adulthood that makes it very uncomfortable to photograph people just doing their thing in everyday life.
“As much as you think it’s informative and interesting, it’s voyeuristic.”
There are a few factors involved in my opinions of taking photographs of people; where, what on and who. The worst "who" is of course taking pictures of children. The world's biggest "no-no". When it comes to what on, it's as simple as size and discretion. Taking a picture on your phone is a lot less imposing than a DSLR. Film and point-and-shoot cameras fit somewhere in between to two, depending on size. "Where" is my biggest issue. Average Joe, on holiday, out and bout taking snaps of the locals, to me, seems a lot easier than shooting people who live round the corner - my actual locals. I think there's something in being able to get away with taking pictures of people in a foreign country is more expected than taking photos in your own back yard. Of course, there's a negative side to that as well.
I spoke to a couple of friends in the photography world, one a semi-pro photographer, the other a newly graduated photography major. Both had their own input of people as subjects;
Semi-pro Photographer: I get what you mean, I find it hard taking pictures of people. But I don't think it's necessarily easier taking pictures in foreign countries. As much as you think it's informative and interesting, it's voyeuristic. You're taking advantage of someone else's culture and lifestyle.
Graduate: I don't find it hard taking pictures of people at all. Of course, photographing children is still a taboo thing, but overall, it's not an issue for me. The biggest issue I find is consent.
And that's what it all comes down to really. I'm learning to be less forgiving when taking photographs of people, but if they don't offer you consent to do so and it reaches the public domain in a way they're not happy about, you're just asking for a law suit. So have we lost the ability to find any interesting subject and candidly take a picture of them? Is there a way to show our best intent when capturing an enticing scene unfold before our eyes and our cameras? Or am I just going to keep taking photographs of pretty landscapes?