Street photohraphy in Japan
 

I'm going to Japan this summer.

Being a keen amateur photographer I wonder how people will react if I take pictures of them on the street. I'd like to try to take shots in this style: The Online Photographer: An Approach to Street Photography

Is street photography frowned upon i Japan?

I've done something similar when i was in japan. Generally, people are ok with you taking pictures, some of them will even pose for you (of course thats not what you want judging from your style)... Some girls may turn around and hide from you if they notice you taking pictures of them...... I also had some trouble because I almost took pictures of someone thats part of a FAMILY...

I have often wished that I could take photos in the street or elsewhere but often hesitated because it feels like an intrusion.

I am no photographer, have no sense of the technical aspects but I do admire photos that capture expressions of people.


Probably if I tried I might get a black eye LOL.

I hasten to add that the pictures in the link aren't mine! But maybe some day I might get to that level.

I want to take pictures of people going about their daily life.

Thank you for your answer godwine. It sounds like there is no cultural taboo againtst taking pictures in the street at least, so I'm going to give it a go. Maybe I'll get a black eye or maybe I'll end up with cement shoes at the bottom of Tokyo harbour :eek:

You mean Tokyo bay :) Just do your research, some areas are just not meant for you to be taking candid shots of people...

I enjoy street photography, and as I live in Tokyo there are more than
a few things to take pictures of. In most cases Japanese do not like to be photographed, but it's common for foreign tourists to take pictures of everything, so they usually don't say anything.

Getting good street photographs takes some technique. I generally use a smaller rangefinder camera with a quiet shutter, and I use a small aperture with the lens focused to hyperfocal length. In this way I merely have to point and shoot, without bothering to focus. I know at what distances things will be framed and in focus. I don't want people to know I'm photographing them, not because I am afraid of upsetting them, but because I want to catch them in a natural moment.

I never use SLR cameras, they are too noisy and noticeable. I usually carry 2 Leica cameras, a black M4, and a black M6, using a 50mm lens on one and a 35mm lens on the other. If I want a normal perspective I use the 50mm, if I want a wider shot, or need to shoot closer, I use the 35mm. The best all-around street photography camera I have is a Yashica Electro CC. It is smaller and quieter than a Leica, and it has a wide and fast 35mm/f1.8 lens. These Yashicas are a little rare and expensive, but they cost hundreds (or thousands) less than a Leica kit. Yashica CC cameras can sometimes be found on eBay if you are lucky.

I almost always shoot film, digital still can't quite capture the magic (yet).

I totally agree with you... I love film, but i suckered into swiching to digital few years ago. Up till about 6 years ago, i was still shooking with a Pentax K and a Canon AE1...

I do prefer DSLR over P&S.. for various reason, the only complain i have is that anything decent (lens) is bulky... i don't mind it being noticeable...

I started shooting digital about 10 years ago, and I was amazed by it's convenience. But I noticed that there was something not quite right with the photos, there were too colorful, rather plasticky. I could edit them easily enough with Photoshop, but I hate digitally editing photos.

On top of these things, a top quality DSLR with a good lens is a heavy pig, as heavy as carrying two rangefinder cameras. Then there were the times when cold weather killed my batteries, or when I would all of my photos when a memory card would malfunction.

Awhile back I picked up a 75 year old Leica camera and lens. I was amazed by the small size and liquid-smooth operation, but I was even more amazed at the photos I got out of this camera. It made photography much more fun, despite having to figure out my exposure settings with no meter. I learned that in photography, "less" can indeed be more.

Its not too difficult to figure your exposure setting with no meter, especially with your experience, there is always digital meter that you can purchase... but i hear you, those old cameras are amazing... i still love the AE1... Comparing to lens back then and lens today, they are far smaller but they use real glass optics.. modern lens are HUGE... look at the 50mm f 1.2.... and in some cases, they don't use glass optics