Street Photography & Getting Stopped - What You Need To Know
Whenever we head out to shoot in a public place, there is always a risk getting stopped by a member of the public or security, questioned, asked to leave or even asked to delete photos. This is one of the biggest roadblocks for so many people and not just within street photography but any photography in a built up environment.
This fear of getting stopped or “caught” is so great that many people just avoid shooting in cities all together. Well in this blog I want to break this whole thing down and hopefully by the end you will you have more confidence and information to go out and shoot comfortably in a built up environment.
Legal Stuff
Obviously I’m not a lawyer nor is this any sort of legal advice. Not only am I saying that for obvious reasons but also because most of you are not from the UK. In fact many of you are not even from the USA or the western world. What is accepted here in London or in New York might be very different elsewhere. For example in the UK the law around photography in public places is very relaxed. However in January I plan on going to Dubai for a bit, and that is a whole different ball game that can even result in a fine. With that in mind, I highly encourage you to brush up on the legal side of taking photos in public where you live and any place you intend on travelling to. It sounds boring, but it is worth it. Not only can it help you avoid potential issues but also boosts your confidence when you know it is ok and you’re not second guessing.
Ethics
Why am I talking about ethics when this video is about getting stopped…. Well because your ethical beliefs will guide what you take photos of, how you behave and how you react if approached. Of course I can only speak for myself however having done tones of workshops, I feel my approach, which is one of respect and empathy is shared by the majority. My ethical stance is very simple:
Never point the camera at someone who can’t defend themselves.
Never point the camera at someone who might feel picked on or bullied.
Never point the camera at anyone if the intention is not pure.
Never point the camera at anyone if it will make them look bad, awkward or in an embarrassing situation.
With this in mind, I am happy with myself, I am happy with why I’m doing what I am doing and I am happy that my photography will not bring any harm to anyone else. From a selfish perspective, it simply means that I do not doubt myself. This translates into confidence. More on confidence later.
Mindset, Attitude & Common Sense
Before getting into specifics I just want to talk about some general observations that I’ve seen both in myself and other photographers. First and foremost the result of any interaction you have on the street will depends on how you respond to that interaction. For example responding to someone asking you why you took their photo with empathy and respect will lead you down a totally different path compared to responding with arrogance and the usual “I am legally allowed to bla bla bla”. Very rarely does acting self important get you anywhere…. Even if you are correct. Secondly street photography is very niche. So don’t be surprised if many people question what you’re doing. It is your job to educate them and open them up to a new art form they might have not known about. Finally just use common sense and learn to read the room. If you’re taking photos and you can see people are uncomfortable, then just leave and come back another time. Just because something is legal does not mean it is right or suitable for a given situation.
Getting stopped by a member of the public
Over the last 5 year I had 2 negative interactions and 100s of positive ones. The first negative interaction was in a market and I was taking a close up photo of a guy making a coffee. All you could see is his hand and the coffee machine. He then proceeded to tell me his coffee machine is not a model for photographers…. I had a chuckle and wondered what else he was adding to that coffee. Second one was some guy at 9am on a Sunday in Soho walking down the middle of the street with like 30 dogs attached to his belt and wasn’t happy I took his photo. However rather than speaking he mumbled some swear words under his breath and stomped off….. odd. On the flip side I hade hundreds of smiles, thumbs ups, waves, funny faces, you name it.
Ive struck conversations with some amazing people and better yet I’ve sent so many photos out that I took of people over the years. I don’t do maths very well but for someone who shoots multiple times a week for nearly 5 years in different countries to only have 2 negative interactions is a pretty good ratio. With that in mind what should you do if you get stopped by a member of the public? Well first and foremost honesty is the best policy. If you were taking their photo, say so. Starting off lying is not a very smart thing to do. People see straight through it and it’s just childish anyway. Explain to them who are you and why you are taking photos. Better yet have a small card with your details or quickly pull up your website, blog or social media. Secondly explain why you took a photo making sure you pay a compliment of some sort. For example if a guy in a suit crossed the road, you can say something like - I loved the minimal clean look of your suit and wanted it to be part of the photo. Obviously make sure it is genuine. People see through false flattery right away. Keep an open body language, a smile and maintain clear communication. Finally offer to email them the photo. No one in their right mind will say no to a professional photo of themselves especially if they look cool. If on the other hand they hate the photo, they think they look ugly or fat or skinny or whatever, then delete it there and then if you can see their identity. No point running someone’s day over a picture.
Getting stopped by security
So this will depend on where you are, what you are doing and should you really be there. Everything I am about to talk about is if you get stopped in a private area but a public right of way. For example, Canary Wharf, More London, St Pauls Churchyard and so on. This does not apply to areas where you should not be or anywhere indoors basically. Just like discussed earlier, how you react towards a security guard will determine how the interaction goes. First and foremost you need to remember that he or she is just doing their job. Chances are someone who operates the CCTV cameras in that location said there is a person with a professional camera taking photos, please go and check who they are. Of course they have to then walk up to you and ask what you are doing… otherwise they would probably not have a job. Sometimes the security guard is just bored because let’s face it, this is not the most fulfilling job out there. Now and again you have that security guard who probably has a bit of a power trip, is mad at the world and just wants to stamp his authority everywhere. Either way, when approached always start with a hello, how are you and a smile. If you’re greeted back, then you know you’re dealing with a person that has a brain. If they ignore your wam greeting, you know you’ve got a bit of a tool on your hands. If you’re dealing with a normal person and they ask why you are taking photos, simply say city photography your hobby, you are visiting this part of town because you read about it in a city guide and then ask them if they have any suggestions for nice locations to explore or a cafe to get lunch at. This straight away puts them at ease knowing you’re a tourist and even gives their ego a little boost because someone asked them for their opinion on where to go. Subsequently they might ask what you will do with the photos, all you say is “oh nothing just memories of my travels”. In 99% of cases they will wish you a nice day, probably say don’t take photos of building entrances and that’s it.
If however you’re dealing with our second example which is basically a robot, they might try to make you feel uncomfortable by asking to see your permit or just straight up telling you don’t take photos. They will usually do so with a bit of an attitude too. This is where your gut instinct is to reply to them with just as much attitude and drop down to their level. It is human nature. However the best way to deal with this, is just like you did with the first person but be extra polite, extra kind and extra chatty. Rather than just saying how you heard this is a good place to shoot, explain what attracts you to this place, point your finger at the amazing architecture or whatever else is interesting in the location. Even tell them a random story if how your grandma got you the camera for Christmas. This is where making up a little sob story can work. I know it is difficult to be extra nice and polite to someone who’s a bit of an idiot and is very rude but trust me it works much better than the alternative. Usually they will leave you alone. However if they are still being difficult and awkward, just leave it. It is not worth ruining your day because let’s say you have a huge row, get their manager involved, you would have not only wasted your time and energy but you would leave the situation with a bitter taste in your mouth and a degree of hate in your heart. You will then carry this bad mood for the rest of the day and it will just ruin your day. Not worth it for a picture. Just walk away and come back another day or time. One thing I do want to make clear is they are not police. They can’t force you to delete photos, they can’t force you to hand anything over nor can the force you to show them the photos. Sure, showing a photo can prove that you’re not taking macro shots of CCTV cameras but you don’t have to if you don’t want to. They are employees of some corporate profit making company. Not police. Finally keep in mind that if you shoot in the private spaces chances are security will stop you more often than members of the public, however for context, I shoot multiple times a week and probably get stopped once or twice a month tops.
Confidence
I want to close this video by saying that in every aspect of life, confidence is everything. Be it taking a photo of a stranger or chatting up a girl at a bar. If you approach the situation with droopy shoulders, a squeaky voice, no eye contact and generally giving off a vibe that you are clueless or nervous, people will sense that right away. If you’re walking the streets with confidence, no one will bat an eyelid and you will just blend in. If you’re out there looking like you’re about to shit yourself, you might as well be holding a giant red arrow above your head. I know some people will say oh but I don’t have any confidence, what do I do…. Well you get out and just fucking do it. You will fall down, but you get up and go again and again. One of my good friends always says that fortune favours the brave…. 100% true.