Photos on the Fly

A few weeks ago, I spent a few hours in the city.  It was one of those glorious fall days where even the city air smelled crisp and clean, the sky was a gorgeous blue, and people were out in droves.  Natalya and I went to a gallery (more on that later) and then walked to lunch.  I thought it was a fabulous opportunity to surreptitiously take photos of folks passing by.

Fail, fail, fail.

Most of the pictures turned out something like this: a close-up of my scarf


or a view of our shadows on the sidewalk.


If you've ever successfully taken pictures on the street, how did you do it?  I'm using my small camera so I can be as unobtrusive as possible, but clearly, I need some help.   I would love to use photos of people as inspiration for artwork and I don't want to give up yet.  Suggestions, please!

Comments

Kathleen Loomis said…
I have similar yearnings, and similar difficulties. When I got a new camera with a 7x zoom (my old one had been just 3x) it made things a lot easier. Might be easier with a cellphone instead of a regular camera, but I don't have one of those. Back views may also work -- I often turn my camera on as people overtake me walking, and then shoot as they go by.
Vivien Zepf said…
That's a good idea, Kathy. I'll have to see if I can get the timing right.
Vivian said…
I usually have my small camera in my pocket >>> quick draw!
A photo doesn't need to be perfect to capture the image that interests you. Just click a few and check later. Often they need to be straightened and cropped. They are good enough to sketch from.
Vivian said…
Something i forgot to say is that I often take a photo from inside a car/plane. Watch that you don't have reflection - use natural light. As well as images that work, you often get abstract smears of colour.