# Why you should be a street photographer



## PhotoWhoa

In this interview with Thomas Leuthard, he explains why he does street photography and how it can help improve your skills as a photographer.

Thomas Leuthard Interview: Why You Should be a Street Photographer at PhotoWhoa Blog | Discover how you can be a better photographer


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## nikT2i

thanks for sharing! great article :sillysmi:


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## CallMeBob

He includes links to his three free ebooks there. I read through one of  them which was great. In it, he has two links to two short videos  showing him in his style of street shooting. A comment on one of his  videos calls his style creepy. I have to agree. He doesn't ask for  permission of close up face shots - he just gets in their face and  shoots. Not my style, but it's interesting. His ebook was good though.  If his other two ebooks are as informative as the first one, they're  definitely worth a look.


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## weepete

Good interview, I downloaded the ebooks as well which look Look like a pretty Good read


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## gsgary

CallMeBob said:


> He includes links to his three free ebooks there. I read through one of  them which was great. In it, he has two links to two short videos  showing him in his style of street shooting. A comment on one of his  videos calls his style creepy. I have to agree. He doesn't ask for  permission of close up face shots - he just gets in their face and  shoots. Not my style, but it's interesting. His ebook was good though.  If his other two ebooks are as informative as the first one, they're  definitely worth a look.



If you ask permission to take the shot you have missed the moment i never ask


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## Awiserbud

gsgary said:


> CallMeBob said:
> 
> 
> 
> He includes links to his three free ebooks there. I read through one of  them which was great. In it, he has two links to two short videos  showing him in his style of street shooting. A comment on one of his  videos calls his style creepy. I have to agree. He doesn't ask for  permission of close up face shots - he just gets in their face and  shoots. Not my style, but it's interesting. His ebook was good though.  If his other two ebooks are as informative as the first one, they're  definitely worth a look.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> If you ask permission to take the shot you have missed the moment i never ask
Click to expand...


I almost got into big trouble for that on new years eve in vegas, 99.9% of people were more than happy to either pose or be photographed, but there is always 1 that makes a huge deal over it. I can hold my own and while not being rude or offensive i explained that her threats to "call security" would be pointless since i had done nothing wrong. Her "boyfriend" tried to grab my camera and it was quickly explained to him that if he did it again he would regret it...I did delete the photo purely out of courtesy, but i think one of them was having an affair and was worried about where the photos might end up. Its not all plain sailing !


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## gsgary

Awiserbud said:


> gsgary said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> CallMeBob said:
> 
> 
> 
> He includes links to his three free ebooks there. I read through one of  them which was great. In it, he has two links to two short videos  showing him in his style of street shooting. A comment on one of his  videos calls his style creepy. I have to agree. He doesn't ask for  permission of close up face shots - he just gets in their face and  shoots. Not my style, but it's interesting. His ebook was good though.  If his other two ebooks are as informative as the first one, they're  definitely worth a look.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> If you ask permission to take the shot you have missed the moment i never ask
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> I almost got into big trouble for that on new years eve in vegas, 99.9% of people were more than happy to either pose or be photographed, but there is always 1 that makes a huge deal over it. I can hold my own and while not being rude or offensive i explained that her threats to "call security" would be pointless since i had done nothing wrong. Her "boyfriend" tried to grab my camera and it was quickly explained to him that if he did it again he would regret it...I did delete the photo purely out of courtesy, but i think one of them was having an affair and was worried about where the photos might end up. Its not all plain sailing !
Click to expand...



A lot depends on the camera you use, most people dont know i have taken their photo i use an M4 prefocused at about 10 foot


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## Awiserbud

gsgary said:


> Awiserbud said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> gsgary said:
> 
> 
> 
> If you ask permission to take the shot you have missed the moment i never ask
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I almost got into big trouble for that on new years eve in vegas, 99.9% of people were more than happy to either pose or be photographed, but there is always 1 that makes a huge deal over it. I can hold my own and while not being rude or offensive i explained that her threats to "call security" would be pointless since i had done nothing wrong. Her "boyfriend" tried to grab my camera and it was quickly explained to him that if he did it again he would regret it...I did delete the photo purely out of courtesy, but i think one of them was having an affair and was worried about where the photos might end up. Its not all plain sailing !
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> 
> A lot depends on the camera you use, most people dont know i have taken their photo i use an M4 prefocused at about 10 foot
Click to expand...


yes i agree in certain cases, much easier to get away with that "sneaky" shot, however the consequenses if caught could potentially be much worse, people might assume your up to no good, or just a general perv (people can be funny about being photographed by strangers) however with a large DSLR, battery grip, and speedlight attached people often assume your an official photographer and tend not to question your motives for taking pictures of them, yes some people do, but I explain my reasons by telling them i am a freelance photog and more often than not they then ask for another shot. 
I think you need to be a bit streetwise, be able to predict situations and know when or when not to press the shutter, I'm a bit of a people watcher, and like to think i can read the situation reasonably well, but obviously we can't all be 100% right all the time.


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## dbvirago

I was surprised at his choice of lenses. A 20mm and a 45mm when he needed a 'longer lens.'


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## FireMedic772

dbvirago said:


> I was surprised at his choice of lenses. A 20mm and a 45mm when he needed a 'longer lens.'



Well with the "free roam" effect you zoom with your feet. 45 or 50mm lenses are considered longer (especially for crop sensors) for street photography because it keeps things tight but still provides you with the distance you need to stay candid. At least that's how I've always thought of it and it's never given me a problem. I couldn't go with anything bigger, it would be much too narrow to accommodate framing such a quick opportunity


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## sekhar

dbvirago said:


> I was surprised at his choice of lenses. A 20mm and a 45mm when he needed a 'longer lens.'


He was using a micro four-third (Olympus OM-D), which makes it a not-too-bad 90mm.


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## flow

I always worry about shooting people on the street. Actually, the way people are anymore, I worry about buildings, boats, and random trees too. Always concerned that someone is going to be offended or angry. I've had people question what I was doing before, ask who I'm "working for"...


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## sekhar

flow said:


> I always worry about shooting people on the street. Actually, the way people are anymore, I worry about buildings, boats, and random trees too. Always concerned that someone is going to be offended or angry. I've had people question what I was doing before, ask who I'm "working for"...


Were you using a big (i.e., conspicuous) gear or a P/S? I just got back from shooting some people at a street crossing with a DSLR and a long zoom that is highly visible, and even people way back would look at me if I point the camera at them. Not sure they minded, but it made me hesitate a bit. I'm hoping people accept it the way Awiserbud is saying they would when they see a bigger camera.


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## _HH_

As he said, he likes to shot in train stations, safety in numbers ...


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## flow

No, an old Minolta SLR (when I was doing film) or D40 after I switched. No ginormous lenses either, but apparently big enough that it would be easy to see what I was doing. Maybe it's just me being paranoid, & they're just curious, not offended.


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## FireMedic772

flow said:


> I always worry about shooting people on the street. Actually, the way people are anymore, I worry about buildings, boats, and random trees too. Always concerned that someone is going to be offended or angry. I've had people question what I was doing before, ask who I'm "working for"...



When you go to shoot with that kind of thought process people can and will pick up on it. If you're out of your comfort zone people notice. Start small go to a park just take pictures of objects while people are there. It's all about confidence. I was the same way, though totally different ecosystem, when I first got my ems license. I was more worried about what to do and if it was going to be the right intervention that I could tell it didn't make my patient very comfortable. If you aren't confident in your skills you won't get near the results you're after. Someone will always be negative in life that's just the rule. You just gotta be able to keep calm and collected. If you feel unsure move on. Most people don't mind. We get amateur and pro photographers on our scene all the time. We don't mind it since they keep to themselves. If it's a bad scene we will ask them to politely move on. It's when they ignore it that it becomes a problem and yes we will forcefully remove you. So all in all just be quiet be confident and be polite, and don't be afraid to kiss a little butt if someone disagrees with your mission.


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## Awiserbud

FireMedic772 said:


> flow said:
> 
> 
> 
> I always worry about shooting people on the street. Actually, the way people are anymore, I worry about buildings, boats, and random trees too. Always concerned that someone is going to be offended or angry. I've had people question what I was doing before, ask who I'm "working for"...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> When you go to shoot with that kind of thought process people can and will pick up on it. If you're out of your comfort zone people notice. Start small go to a park just take pictures of objects while people are there. It's all about confidence. I was the same way, though totally different ecosystem, when I first got my ems license. I was more worried about what to do and if it was going to be the right intervention that I could tell it didn't make my patient very comfortable. If you aren't confident in your skills you won't get near the results you're after. Someone will always be negative in life that's just the rule. You just gotta be able to keep calm and collected. If you feel unsure move on. Most people don't mind. We get amateur and pro photographers on our scene all the time. We don't mind it since they keep to themselves. If it's a bad scene we will ask them to politely move on. It's when they ignore it that it becomes a problem and yes we will forcefully remove you. So all in all just be quiet be confident and be polite, and don't be afraid to kiss a little butt if someone disagrees with your mission.
Click to expand...


Thats very true, it is all about confidence. you need to have the right attitude and always stay in control, the moment you feel unsure about your situation or whether you should actually be there is the moment everyone around you will confirm your fears. 
This has nothing to do with being a good photographer, its all about the kind of person you are.


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## gsgary

Awiserbud said:


> gsgary said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Awiserbud said:
> 
> 
> 
> I almost got into big trouble for that on new years eve in vegas, 99.9% of people were more than happy to either pose or be photographed, but there is always 1 that makes a huge deal over it. I can hold my own and while not being rude or offensive i explained that her threats to "call security" would be pointless since i had done nothing wrong. Her "boyfriend" tried to grab my camera and it was quickly explained to him that if he did it again he would regret it...I did delete the photo purely out of courtesy, but i think one of them was having an affair and was worried about where the photos might end up. Its not all plain sailing !
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> A lot depends on the camera you use, most people dont know i have taken their photo i use an M4 prefocused at about 10 foot
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> yes i agree in certain cases, much easier to get away with that "sneaky" shot, however the consequenses if caught could potentially be much worse, people might assume your up to no good, or just a general perv (people can be funny about being photographed by strangers) however with a large DSLR, battery grip, and speedlight attached people often assume your an official photographer and tend not to question your motives for taking pictures of them, yes some people do, but I explain my reasons by telling them i am a freelance photog and more often than not they then ask for another shot.
> I think you need to be a bit streetwise, be able to predict situations and know when or when not to press the shutter, I'm a bit of a people watcher, and like to think i can read the situation reasonably well, but obviously we can't all be 100% right all the time.
Click to expand...


I have used a big DSLR for street photography and it does not work well ( 1D's do not have a battery grip ) shooting street with a DSLR and longer lens looks creepier than a small RF that fits in 1 hand 
Dog noticed me but woman did not have a clue (28mm)


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## juliarvil973

thanks for sharing. in my opinion, when you wander around street, you can find inspiration what you don't know why you come across. it can be an old happy couple that live with each other for a life time. he


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## kokonut

thanks for sharing! 
I read the article and loved it. And his pictures have great people looks! I am an amateur and I have difficulties on getting this kind of pictures at the street, especially because they capture others people behavior, psychology, reaction...
I have a lot to learn!


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## nick8

thanks for sharing!


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## nick8

thanks for sharing


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## Jad

I am not a big street photographer but I have done it both ways. There are times I use my little Canon G12 that lets me turn the LCD screen to change the viewing angle and I can get peoples pictures without ever bringing the camera up to my eye. Many other times I just ask the person and have found that I can make some very interesting images when I break the ice and talk with them for a few minutes. In my view camera days I had no choice other than to ask. I learned that the art of conversation while setting up my equipment. It was better than poking a camera is someones face and turning away. Two Lane Highway


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## S.Pierce

Nice find! Thanks for sharing. Reading through the other members posts made me recall an article I recently read on "Asking Strangers to Star in Your Candid Photos" here --> Asking Strangers to Star in Your Candid Photos | Photography Mad.


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## Joaanapeek

Yes that was the really good interview with Mr Thomas Leuthard


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## psimos

What?


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## Ilovemycam

Enjoyed the links and comments. 

Thanks!


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## Ilovemycam

I was sad I was not able to save a few of his pix at the website. But his Flickr allowed downloads. I went through 18 pages of snapshots to find a handful of keepers that I really liked and would take the time to print. He even had a few 'selective color' specials. Very impressive body of work in any case.

I esp enjoyed his geometry shots and chiaroscuro work.


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## Didereaux

Street shooting? [h=3]Henri _Cartier_-_Bresson_[/h], and WeeGee.  

Nothing else has to be said.


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