Let me know if you would like to discuss other rules and myths of candid street photography.
Use your own judgment and be creative.
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Some experts support the notion that for candid photography to be “authentic” you cannot use postprocessing for enhancement. Some may say that while it’s ok to use mercury during image development and spiral into insanity, the computer is the “poison” for your creativity.
This idea probably stems from the fear that the computer makes things so easy, professionals are going to be overwhelmed by amateurs. It is similar to the perpetual struggle of professional gilds against mass production. Ultimately, progress is inevitable.
Opponents of postprocessing are fundamentally misguided because the more good pictures we have, the better. Even with the edition of postprocessing, nothing can make a dull image interesting. The art of photography will always remain in the skill of the photographer.
I use very simple post processing tasks:
Usually this takes no more than 10 minutes. If I feel that my postprocessing is taking me too long, it’s probably a bad image in the first place. It’s better to take the time to find a better shot, than slave away behind a poor composition.
I chose this image as an example because I did nothing with it.
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Rules and myths of candid photography: Black & White or Color
First and foremost, this blog is about candid photography. If you ask the subject for permission, no matter how you do it, the person has time to get ready for the picture. The photographer can get an interesting and excellent artistic result, but this cannot be considered candid.
If you’re worried about privacy invasion, law-breaking, possible confrontation, or other problems, don’t do candid photography. There is no other solution. It is the same as driving a car or traveling. You can get a ticket, be mugged or just get into a bad accident. Photographers have to use common sense and accept the risks.
After you’ve made your shot, please, feel free to talk, ask permission, and give business cards or anything else to resolve a possible conflict.
Sometimes you can be pleasantly surprised from your “victim’s” positive reaction.
These pictures illustrate another point. Even a person, obviously seeing a lens directed at him, creates genuine expression of confusion. This interesting case deserves a separate topic.
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Candid Street Photo 