Developing your confidence

This first exercise is to get confident in taking people unaware.

I went to Bath for this exercise. It is an excellent location for taking people unaware; busy, good mix of people - shoppers, tourists and workers. At the time I visited (4pm), there were also some school children around. I started by simply sitting on a bench near the Abbey,then walked around Abbey square.

I took many images for this exercise. I don't find taking people unaware particularly unnerving, and enjoyed the free flow of the task. Some of the images are used in other exercises. I have selected twelve below:

This is almost a classic unaware shot: a couple strolling down Milsom Street, chatting.

A child shot. It is perhaps worth here discussing the legal aspects of taking images of people in general, and children in particular, in public, based on reading the up to date position on http://www.urban75.org/photos/photographers-rights-and-the-law.html.

The general  principle is that street photographers may go about their business uninterrupted:

If you're on a public right of way - such as a public pavement, footpath or public highway - you're free to take photographs for personal and commercial use so long as you're not causing an obstruction to other users or falling foul of anti-Terrorism laws or even the Official Secrets Act.

This general right applies equally to taking images of children:

There are no laws against taking photos of children, but someone taking an unhealthy interest can rightly expect to attract unwelcome attention from the authorities (and quite probably passers by) pretty sharpish.


It makes sense that, as along as one is sensible, does not take too many shots of the same person, avoids getting too close (and thereby risking harassment charges), then one can take images perfectly legally as a street photographer.


I like the implied line as the boy looks towards his parent.

A slightly brighter image, this works less well as the woman's eyes are closed.

Hats are a problem with people pictures.The shadow is difficult to overcome even if you have time to adjust exposure. I used some post processing to bring out the expression and it works reasonably well. I rather like the pompous, slightly stern expression.

Managed to catch the subject looking at me on this image.

Not a great image - says very little. Included here to demonstrate what that does not work so well.

Here we have two subjects: the smiling face in the foreground, and the concentrated look of the further subject. The reasonably narrow aperture helps to keep all in focus. There is interest here: is the near subject engaged with the further one? Is the woman in the middle talking to the further subject, or someone off shot? It shows how street photography can ask questions.

The subjects in this image are engaged but somehow not engaged. You rather wonder what the conversation could be about. Rather spoilt by the closed eyes of the woman.

A group of youngsters in this image. The eye passes from one subject to the other. Taken with a longer lens.

Also taken with a long zoom lens, this is a good image of two girls, pleased with the clarity. Are they friends?

I generally shoot aperture priority. This works fine for most images of people as my default aperture of f13 does give good depth of field and allows for the possibility of the camera using a non optimal aperture point when auto focussing. It does not work here because the light allowed only 1/45 shutter speed, not enough to capture the girl on the left. Shame, because subject wise it is an interesting image. Lesson to be heeded.

A rather pained expression. Annoyingly, the face is slightly out of focus (or else there is movement blur) but left in here as good example of a close shot - it is possible to get close without subjects realizing at times.


I enjoyed this exercise, although did not particularly feel the need to gain confidence taking subjects. I do not find street photography scary in the main. I did learn the need to be more aware of what the camera is doing, not just leave on f13 and let the camera decide the rest. At times, shutter prioroty is more important. I also took the chance to remind myself of the law and log the legal side of street photography.