Travel Street Photography by Mike Tagg

Mia-Daniel Bester

11 years ago

~ Photo Essay by Mike Tagg

Danie asked me to share some of my experiences in my approach and development in travel and street photography. My aim is to assist those who are keen to start and also to persuade photographers how relatively easy it is to progress and achieve the very rewarding results it can yield. Many of the shots taken in the streets can be classed as photojournalism if they tell a newsworthy story.

A lot of people feel intimidated shooting in the streets for a number of reasons. These might include being concerned about intruding on peoples’ privacy, being concerned about their physical security as well as being daunted by how difficult it might be. These concerns are natural but by using the appropriate approach are really not issues at all.

I had been shooting for years but until I started street photography my work was going nowhere. I have no artistic skills at all so fine art was a no go; wildlife requires opportunity and lots of patience and specialist equipment; landscapes were okay but my attempts at macro were a flop.

Then some years ago I got involved in a feeding scheme at the local informal settlement. I started using my camera and soon I got images with some merit. I was accepted very well by the community and then felt very comfortable in wandering around with my camera even late afternoon when the light was suitable. This is what got me going. It was very rewarding and suddenly my work started to take on a new dimension.

What I find so exciting is that when you set off you can never be sure what you are going to see. There will always be surprises. After a shoot I cannot wait to get back and see the results which will also have their surprises.

The picture of the three boys was shot in the settlement and it was this picture that really got me very interested.. They had just emerged from a shop and were fooling around. The other was taken in a street after very heavy rains.

HOW TO GET STARTED

I suggest that you start in a place where you feel comfortable. It could be a park or a flea market. Start there and when you feel comfortable move into the streets but first choose a location where there are no threats. Smaller towns are often easier to start in than a run-down part of a city. Go in pairs or a small group because as soon as you get beyond four it becomes a problem as subjects get alerted and you tend to get in the way of your fellow togs.

Informal settlements are great but need to be carefully chosen. Again, it is easier to be accepted in smaller towns. Certainly, some are no go areas. I found one in Cullinan which I can recommend visiting for those in or around Pretoria. I stopped while driving past and looked at some people selling various goods on the side of the road. From there I walked in and got chatting to some residents who showed me around. I ended up buying a round of Hansa quarts in the local shebeen-I got some very interesting pics. I felt absolutely safe with these kind and generous people. You will be surprised how quickly your confidence will grow.

EQUIPMENT

The first rule is to travel with the minimum amount of gear. This is for mobility and you do not want to appear intimidating by carrying a large back pack full of gear.

I use a DSLR and my favourite lens is a 24-10; in addition, I take a 70-300. There is the odd occasion where I have used a wide angle but using it requires experience and a very particular type of situation. The key is to have a lens or lenses that you can use without needing to get too close. Certainly when starting this is the way to go. An ideal lens would be something like an 18-135 or an 18-200 or even a 70-300. If you carry only one lens this avoids the hassle of changing lenses which might mean losing a shot. There are also situations where using a small pocket camera is more appropriate.

Often the light might be poor but I very quickly learnt that a flash is a big NO NO. This can be guaranteed to get subjects running for cover. Besides, the pics will simply be lousy.

Make sure to take a spare battery and a spare storage card. In a good location with lots of action, you could easily shoot up to a thousand pics in one full day. Remember that the more you shoot the greater the chance of getting that special image.

Remember to continually check your settings. You might have gone into a dark area and then forget to change when the light is much brighter. This could mean shooting in bright light at a much higher ISO than necessary.

PHOTOGRAPHY AND THE LAW

One is permitted to take images in public areas. However, you should respect the privacy of people so err on the side of caution. In some countries, it is illegal to take pictures of places such as military installations. Be cautious of taking a photograph of illegal activities where there is a chance of being noticed. In Paris years ago I had to run and hide in a department store. I had taken pictures of a group of dodgy looking men who in hindsight might well have been drug dealers.

INTERACTING WITH SUBJECTS

You can shoot without the subject being aware of you which is the best approach to get that entirely natural shot. The alternative is to find an interesting subject or subjects. If more than one they tend to be more relaxed. Chat to them and tell them what you are doing and why. If they are agreeable take a few and then ask them to carry on with what they were doing; you will get more natural looking shots. Depending on the circumstances show them your efforts. This works really well with kids but the danger is you may well be flooded with requests. Like “take my picture” with each kid trying to grab the headlines. Go along with it and you will get some good ones. Kids will pose and do so very naturally.

There will be times when you are trying to steal a shot but will be noticed. I then pretend to be shooting nearby subjects at random and then, when they turn back to what they were doing I can get the shot I want. People will relax when they get the feeling you are not after just them.

In talking to your subjects ask them about their lives and show interest in what they are doing. You will be very surprised how people will warm to you. Find a subject of common interest and share your interests. It is all about interacting with people. If you are spotted after you have taken a shot give a friendly nod or go and talk to the person telling them what you are doing. Always express your heart felt gratitude after getting your pictures.

The next issue is what sorts of subjects to capture. Kids are great to start with particularly in poorer areas and in informal settlements. The surroundings are different to the norm and thus add interest. Old people are my other favourite subjects. Try to capture their very lined faces that tell a story.

When going out on a shoot dress in a low key manner so as not to draw attention to yourself. Pitching up in bright clothes wearing a cowboy hat and a camera around your neck would be like having a flashing neon light attached to you. It might be a crowd puller but will make getting totally unposed shots more than a little problematic.

Another important point to bear in mind is to look around you before you start shooting in a particular location. I cannot stress this enough. Then you need to plan what sort of shots you are after. It might be a group of women chatting or a stall where people are selling things. It might also be a special spot like a street corner where people are appearing at regular intervals. Now you are ready to start. Well almost because there is one other factor you need to think about and that is the background and the light. Often you will have no control over these but by moving around you will at least find the best spot from which to shoot. Try to minimise BG clutter so that your subject stands out. That is unless you are capturing a broader scene.

Now I would not be surprised if you closed this blog down and moved onto something else. You will probably feel overloaded with things you have to remember. Well, do not switch off-or as the TV people say “Don’t Go Away”.!! You will certainly forget a lot of things initially. I did it all the time as it is so difficult when getting caught up in the excitement of a shoot to forget most things. But when you review your pics you will recognize your mistakes. In time most of these tips will become second nature.

Finally women tend to have a big advantage as they are seen to be non-threatening and people are much more inclined to open up easily. Might I be bold enough to say that they often are better than their male counterparts. Being two metres tall and built like a lock forward tends to make people a little wary. You might even be mistaken for an undercover cop.

Raku Loren took this pic of me showing kids pics I had taken of them. Shot in an informal Indian settlement in Kathmandu.

PICTURE STYLES

There are basically two types of shot that I tend to focus on. One is the portrait type image which is mostly just of a single individual. In it, you try to capture the character of the person. I find that older people with lined faces come out very well as do shots of kids. The unposed ones in particular in which a certain emotion appears have lots of appeal. I always like to try and make the eyes a feature in the image. They convey so much. In doing so you should as always focus on an eye. A good image needs to have one as sharp as can be. I tend to crop very closely. This does not at all mean that these types of shot need to be closely cropped. It is simply a style that I have almost sub-consciously developed, almost to being a fault.

The other type of street shot shows a person or several people in the pic engaged in an activity and in the context of their environment. But it is important that one of these people is clearly the main subject or the pic simply loses impact. I find this type of shot more difficult to capture and is the area I need to work on.

Often you will have the luxury of taking many shots of a particular subject. Take lots of time. On other occasions, the opportunity will last only seconds and you have to be very quick. Shoot at as high a frame rate as you can to ensure getting the best action, sharpness and all the other attributes that make a good picture.

So in essence what I try to capture is the nature and character of the people of the land not only as individuals but also how they interact with their environment.

DISCUSSION OF EXAMPLE IMAGES

I find it easier now to discuss a number of my shots to try and show by example what I have been trying to say. I hope you will follow this part much more easily than the ramble above.

So let me start firstly with images captured in Nepal and India during my trip two years ago. At that stage, I did not have much experience in this genre but I had read a lot and had studied as many pictures as I could. This is an excellent way to learn. I studied most pictures by the legendary Henri Cartier-Bresson who is recognised as the pioneer of this type of photography. I tied up with an American photographer who helped me mostly with how to observe and then interact with people. I must add that in Kathmandu where I started the trip it took me at least 3 days and probably more than 1000 pics before I got one really decent image.

This was taken at a religious festival in a temple complex in Kathmandu. I had seen this woman and she was appearing to bless people. The background was great and the light good. The trick was to wait for an appropriate pose but she became aware of me. I watched and took several pics and then moved elsewhere-I did this several times and then approached her for a blessing which I got. Then I started shooting again and she ignored my presence. This is an example of a portrait which shows an interesting face without saying anything about what she was doing nor where she was.

Once you have found an interesting subject be prepared to take many images. Walk away and check your pics. Often you will then realise what would work better so keep going back. Be prepared to spend half an hour when you find a subject like this. Study the scene and your subject’s behaviour. I cannot emphasise this enough. You have found a great subject so make sure you get the great shot.

This was taken at a very large religious festival in the streets of Kathmandu. Again there were opportunities everywhere. I had spotted this young man and had just briefly showed him my camera and got a nod. It was a situation where I felt I needed to get his permission. So I took a few shots and wandered off coming back several times and he then payed me no attention at all. I got this unposed shot and it is again the eyes which in my opinion make this quite a powerful image; it is one of my favourites. I probably took 20 shots having spent probably 30 minutes in total around him.

I spotted this woman from a distance, appearing to pray at the largest Muslim temple in Old Delhi. I just waited for her to move into a spot where the light was good and with an uncluttered BG. I took this with my telephoto lens. This is another close up portrait attempting to show the character of the face but also showing her active in prayer. It would have been much better had I managed to get the mosque in the background.

This picture of a Hindu pilgrim to the Ganges. I simply shot from a distance so to show the full context of this cleansing ritual. It is an example of showing a subject in their environment engaged in a particular activity which most people will recognize

One might not consider this image of a man and his kids riding on a horse as street photography but it does show people engaged in an activity.. It was taken on the far bank of the Ganges in very harsh light. At first I nearly deleted the image as it appeared to be a real dud. But just to experiment I gave it the harsh treatment in LR. The lesson I learnt was never to throw out pics without very careful consideration. It is one of my favourites as it is a rescued pic that is very simple and tells an interesting story. It is probably better classified as a travelogue type image.

This was shot in a third class compartment in a train on my way to Agra the home of the incredible Taj Majal. I wanted to take some shots of my fellow travellers but knew that if I pulled out the big camera all would be lost. So I took out my little Canon mik ‘n druk and pretended just to be playing with it. After some curious interest the others simply ignored me and I managed to capture several very good images.

This was taken in a street in Varanasi which is on the banks of the Ganges and is incredible in the number of potential images that are simply everywhere. It is probably the most fascinating city I have ever visited. I had noticed a number of people on a street who appeared to be living in the street. I observed them for quite a while and noticed that they were almost oblivious to those in their surroundings. I waited for this man to move into a spot with good light with a relatively clean BG. I took many shots with my 70-300 at 300 mm with the aperture wide open to get as much blur in the BG. This image has generated much comment. One might argue that it shows an individual in a negative light. I do not think so as it reflects what one sees so often in India.

As a matter of rule, I avoid taking shots where the individual would be offended.

I should add that I tend to shoot wide open to get as much of a blurred Background as possible and also to get a faster shutter speed, particularly with the longer lens. I am a bit neurotic in getting sharp pics, especially where eyes are involved.

This is the last example of a shot taken in India-it was shot in a street in Old Delhi. The images show the original and the edited image. This man and another had set up home in a tree located in the middle of a busy road on a traffic island-in fact it appeared that they ran a small bicycle repair business from it. The BG was a shocker and the light was a harsh midday sun. The pic was also a strong candidate for the delete button. But remembering the family and horse scene I decided to experiment using LR. I darkened the BG as much as possible and then using the Adjustment Brush Tool managed to produce this somewhat improved image. It is another of my favourites showing this very dignified man in extremely humble surroundings. India is full of such people who carry on with their lives despite all the hardships they face.

While on the subject of editing; I use Lightroom on every image I consider worthwhile. The above shows how much of a difference an edit can make. I should add that most edits take only a few minutes where I adjust the various sliders that affect the light, contrast, saturation and clarity. LR is as much a part of producing an image as the camera and lens themselves.

No collection of India would be complete without an image of the sacred cow. I had to get up early to get this shot in a very narrow alley close to the $6 a night “hotel” we were staying in. Any later and the alleys would be packed with people strating their daily routine making it difficult to get a clear shot. I have other shots of bulls simply lying in the road at very busy intersections. I used a wide angle lens to get this as the alley was narrow and I wanted the bulls head to almost dominate the scene. It was less than a meter from me when I pressed the shutter button.

These were shot in Bangkok en route to Myanmar (Burma) where I spent a few weeks in December 2013. They are examples of pics taken in a potentially dangerous situation with lots of potential human drama. I was there in early December when there were violent anti-government protests. A major protest had been on the cards near the military headquarters and it later transpired that a number of protestors were killed by the military. I could not get a taxi driver to take me there so caught a train which was unfortunately stopped 2 stations short of my destination. Getting off I found myself in the midst of a peaceful demonstration. I am not suggesting you go out and find riots but they do offer great opportunities. These pics have a lot of noise as I just was forced to use ISO 1600. So on technical grounds, they fail but they tell a dramatic story. The image of the woman demonstrates how important it is to have a main subject in a crowd scene.
These images also fit into the genre of photojournalism.

This was shot at the Floating Market outside Bangkok. I like it because it shows this elegant old lady dressed up and selling her nuts and so tells an interesting story. This is an example of the person engaged in an activity shown in the context of her environment.

I had been trying to get a picture of a monk but was failing badly as they were nearly always in a group in a town with a poor BG. Then I was on a little pier outside Mandalay when I spotted this monk. I had to keep ahead of him waiting for the right moment and finally got this shot. I had taken a lot and this one I chose because of his downcast eyes and the good BG. He is in context as he is clearly a Buddhist monk.

I got unexpectedly lucky with this image of some young monks playing some sort of ball game in a forest in the hills outside a village a few hours’ drive from Mandalay. I particularly like it as it shows the monks in a very different situation from the norm. I like the composition and the way they continued with their game even though a couple were aware of my presence. The monk in the saffron coloured robe adds interest.

This was taken in the same market. This woman was chatting to a friend when she spotted me about to take a shot. She laughed and tried to hide her face. I kept lifting the camera playing a game which both of them enjoyed. Then I got a few shots and proceeded to show them. Much laughter. This is another example of “chatting” to the subject.

This is another favourite because it shows the man in context and the viewer can see what he is doing rather than just a close-up. I had watched him for a while until there was a gap in people walking by on their way to work. I took this with the 24-105. Myanmar had stood still in terms of keeping up with the world of technology because of the strict embargos imposed because of the corrupt military regime. The man using the old manual typewriter is an example of this. I edited this in LR adding a bit of black, clarity and contrast to give it a bit of as boost as the light had been very soft. I should add that I edit every image in LR and shoot in RAW. The light is often not the best so I use curves , clarity, contrast and add a little black where appropriate.

This is an image of a very young novitiate nun. She was one of a fairly large number of nuns taking part in a ceremony at a temple complex in Mandalay. They walked several times around the complex and I kept following them and shooting. I got this particular shot as they walked into the shade-I needed to do this as the light was very harsh being close to midday. You will notice the impact her eyes make and the distant look on her face which to me is the appeal of the image. The soft light in the shadows enabled the lovely colours of her face to be captured.

This image is different from most of the others as it shows two people interacting which add context and interest. They were chatting before setting up their little stalls in a small market. A lot of rural people make a living from selling produce in small open air markets.

This is another close-up of a young girl-it was taken in a market in Yangon (Rangoon-Burma). She had been sitting on the ground and was unaware of my presence. I was also sitting on the ground to make myself inconspicuous but more importantly to get down to her eye level. It is important to try and get down to the eye level of the subject-this also applies to animals (well you can be excused for not trying this with a hungry lion or bad tempered leopard). I started shooting knowing that she would look up when she heard the shutter. I was fortunate to get this candid pic with such strong eye contact. Because of the strong eye contact and the look on her face it ranks in the top 4 or 5 of my favourites

SUMMARY

For those of you who have made it to the end, I would hope that this article has maybe sparked an interest in this genre. I assure you that given the right location and some experience and patience, you will start to capture these sorts of images. There will be many disappointments in the beginning but then nothing that is worthwhile comes easily otherwise the world would be full of good photographers.

I realise that time is often a problem and there are many competing priorities. Set aside some time even if for only half an hour in the streets close to you. Another good way is to deliberately when on holiday, take these types of shots among the others you like to take. With guidance and enthusiasm, you will get there. With all of the talent among the members of PhotoCritic, there will be many successes.

PS-SOME NOTES ON NEPAL, INDIA AND MYANMAR

It is very inexpensive to travel around the first two. On our trek up to Annapurna Base Camp, the all in cost was around R200 per day including one porter. Basic comfortable hotels are around $15-25 and even less in Nepal. I even stayed in several costing around $6 in India. However, I can very strongly advise spending more than this. Transport and food are very cheap.

The same is true for Myanmar but the exception is the cost of hotels. They are now relatively expensive compared to say Thailand or Vietnam. The demand is growing rapidly as the country is moving away from a corrupt military dictatorship and is now attracting a vastly growing number of tourists.

Mike Tagg

About Mike Tagg

Mike lives in the beautiful Western Cape, South Africa