Street portraits

[Aceituna]

I´m starting in photography. My main interest is portrait but, at the moment, I haven´t made photos out of family circle.
I have seen a lot of photography, because I have interest in it 15 years ago.
But I would like to develop my personal style.
I would like to make street people portraits. The singularity of routine life atracts me.
But I have problems for getting models. About this matter I have some questions:
For making studio portraits, ¿how can I get models?. I imagine it´s neccesary to pay them, ¿how much is one hour?.
I am interested in street social portraits, but I don´t like to use my camera like a submachine gun, I prefer to dialogue with people who I want to photograph. Yesterday, I went out three hours in my city and I didn´t get any people who wanted to be photographed by me.
How do you get people trust?.
Thank you very much.
Best regards.

[joker2107]

Quote :
I am interested in street social portraits, but I don´t like to use my camera like a submachine gun, I prefer to dialogue with people who I want to photograph.
Unquote

sounds like u r talking journalistic fotografi. what i do is shoot any face i fancy - no, not em pretty damsels, but anything feature that might tell a story. i dont 'dialogue' with my subjects like a reporter extracting a confession 2 make a story. rather i frame my shots, angle em, crop em, give em lights n shades, etc 2 make em talk 2 d world. my picture talks, not d subject, not me. my 'portrait' might b a portrait as in a full face, or it could be just d lips or eyes or lines on the body.

quote:
I would like to make street people portraits. The singularity of routine life atracts me.
unquote

that phrase singularity of routine life sounds very contradictory 2 'street people'. in d streets every face, every moment, every emotion, every feeling, every story is different. d same face at d same moment might tell a different story from a different angle - yes its very ironic, but thats also gospel truth in other facades of life.

routine and singularity suggests d confines of studio work where imagination is limited and shoot after shoot produce much d same oft repeated story - a couple getting married, somebody's graduated, etc - but thats where commercial money lies.

try joining some photography clubs, visiting exhibitions, reading photography magazines, etc. look at photos differently from now - not at d tech quality first but try 2 c d story d author intended 2 tell.

[aRwEn]

hmm.... if u r talkin abt photographin d guy on d street.... eg: d hawker standin at d streetcorner peddlin his warez, a beggar sittin on d sidewalk.... stimez, it juz dependz on bein at d right time at d right place.... i seldom shoot such shotz w/o permission but usuali wn i ask if i can photograph tm, they r most willin 2b photographd.... it haz been oni a few timez wn they din wanna b photographd or dat i got shooed away.... usuali a lotta ppl wud b willin 2b photographd if u either pay tm a token sum (eg a street beggar).... or buy sthin from them (eg a stall vendor)....

if u r referrin 2 street ppl as in d homelez kind... hmm.... i'm sure if u offer tm money, they wud b willin 2b photographd, after all, dat iz wat they need 4 survival. of courze, u may meet sum violent or abusive kind, cuz they may b stoned wn u approach tm, so it iz best 2b wary if u r thinkin of diz kinda photography.

it iz kinda diff if u actuali hire ppl 2 pose 4 u.... may nt b as natural tn.... oso wud b more expensive....

hav u ever tot of goin out wit a bunch of frenz n bringin ur camera, n shootin ur frenz 4 a start, as they r walkin along d street... ie candid shotz.... ;)

[joker2107]

aRwEn, i appreciate all d niceties in getting approval from a subject in d street. but then again, my photography is alot 2 do wit a split moment. a natural situation. an innocent subject. often these r forever lost once d subject is approached.

"hav u ever tot of goin out wit a bunch of frenz n bringin ur camera, "

yup, its fun n fun n fun. but d serious stuff i still prefer it alone, when d mood strikes.

"n shootin ur frenz 4 a start, as they r walkin along d street... ie candid shotz.... "

i m d "crazy cameraman" whuz so often facing d other pixmen who r so focused on d same subject. yr idea, they'll give u great shots, great memories.

[fRaNkY]

In Malaysia, it is not difficult to do street shooting. I can go out and take what I want. If that person do not want me to take their pictures, then I stop and move on. Normally, they will ask me which newspaper I am from, which I say for lensamalaysia.com or USJ gallery.

As for models, perhaps you can ask your female friends to become your models. Model prices differs greatly among models, so it is difficult to tell you. One way to shoot models for free is to attend fashion show :D.

There are many international photography forums which might have a chapter in Spain or where you stay, you just have to look for it. Try www.pbase.com, http://www.deviantart.com/ , http://www.flickr.com/ and others. You just have to find groups nearer to you, for activities and contacts.

Good Luck