PalePictures Loc: Traveling

The Street Yesterday. It was warm.

Comments Welcome.

Hardship Hands


Big Sky

john blue Loc: Lowndesboro, Al

nice like them both.

Lens Cap Loc: The Cold North Coast

very nice PalePictures, I like that they are in B&W

Ched49 Loc: Pittsburgh, Pa.

Nice black & whites...they really tell a story.

angler Loc: StHelens England

Excellent as usual,really like the hands.

ftpecktim Loc: MONTANA

Those are great shots.

PalePictures Loc: Traveling

Thanks for commenting everyone.

Tim, I should have dedicated "Big Sky" to you.
This guy just hit the street here from Montana.
Hence the title.

fdeak Loc: Saint Michaels Maryland

Nice! :thumbup: 8-)

GrandmaJoy Loc: North Carolina

Good photography and subject matter as usual. You always give us something to think about.

Jusoljoe Loc: Texas

Fine quality photography!! When street shooting like these, do you get permission from the subject beforehand? And how do you approach your subjects?

Joe

rlaugh Loc: Michigan & Florida

Very good indeed!!

Bmac Loc: Long Island, NY

Outstanding. :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

PalePictures Loc: Traveling

I always get permission. They have to sign a release. (Even for the hand shot). I pay them $5. I went out last week to shoot and got rejected by everyone I approached. I went out yesterday and met the brother of Shain(A portrait I did a few months back). He is not homeless and took me to his house.(It was within walking distance about a mile). Jerry, Shains brother, had seen the picture of Shain and wanted me to shoot his other brother "Big Sky". He had just come in from Montana and had gotten a job at the local convenience store.

When I approach people on the street I have a dozen printed pictures to show them. I typically approach a group of them. This is the opposite of what you might think. THey feel a whole lot more secure with their friends.(You feel a whole lot more insecure.. Especially when they start talking about how valuable that camera is you're carrying.) It takes a while to get in the their system. Once you're accepted it becomes a little easier.
Things that makes things easier is if you pay them $5. That's what I do. I still have days where no one will let me photograph them. Everyone is not a candidate to be photographed. I'm getting much more selective. You have to have an interesting face or hands or something.

Thats it. Not rocket science. The biggest challenge is for people to overcome their own fears.

Shot below is of Sonny. I cropped this in real tight. They seem to show up larger with a more portrait type crop on UHH. The picture will be up on my website in a couple of hours(Cropped for Landscape)

Father of a sailor

ravenglass Loc: Wiltshire, United Kingdom

Fabulous photos and surely a great advert for why we should always moisterize lol.

tilde531 Loc: Seaford Delaware

I am SO tickled to hear that you got to find out more about Shain, and that he's not homeless. (Proves how pervasive the stereotype really is, eh!?)

These are, one and all... outstanding. But you know that already :)

This is really, truly your niche and I never tire of viewing your masterpieces, Russ.

(P.S. I am not a photographer of your caliber, but I do a lot of street candids.
I don't have the money to give folks but I do have the personality and genuine interest in people which generally leads to acceptance, even appreciation. I've been quite fortunate. In every case, I explain why I want to take their photo (after asking permission of course) and give them my card and a link for viewing. I don't sell prints of them, but DO use them as examples of my style and quality on my website and blog.
But I've got to tell ya... I wouldn't approach a group of grizzled men or any group of people who might be successful in overpowering me to steal my camera. That's a fear I haven't overcome yet. *blush* )