Photography Q&A: Real Questions. Real Answers.

Asking strangers for photos.

Q: DO YOU ALWAYS ASK PEOPLE IF YOU CAN TAKE THEIR PHOTO WHEN MAKING PICTURES ON THE STREET?

A: If I’m shooting candid street stuff, then no. I work to make sure they don’t know I’m taking their photo. I’m stealing their moment; I’m pick-pocketing an image.

With street portraits, there is interaction. I stop them, talk to them, and hope to get a portrait that I then direct. Look this way. Look at the camera. Look over there at that building. Step over into this light for me. So forth and so on.

This question comes up a lot as well—I don’t get releases. In the States I can shoot whatever and whomever I want as long as we’re all on public property. Restaurants, and the like, are grey areas since they are technically ...