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Home » Photography Techniques

Behind-The-Camera Shy: Tips for the Timid Photographer

By Guest Poster 6 Comments

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If you’re at all like me, circumspect and bashful, then taking candid portraits of strangers can be intimidating, if not something you avoid altogether. Candids of everyday people are what drew me to photography in the first place, so to get over my reticence I came up with the following strategies.

Table of Contents

  • Holidays, Festivals and Celebrations
  • When Backs are Turned
  • In Motion
  • Too Busy Taking Selfies
  • Under the Cover of Night
  • Just Smile!

Holidays, Festivals and Celebrations

For the shy photographer, holidays and special events can be a boon: most participants expect to be gawked at and photographed, and a few are often thrilled to be the object of your attention, primed to pose for you as soon as they spot your camera at the ready. I happened to be in Kyoto, Japan, during the colorful, expressive Jidai Matsuri festival celebrating the founding of the city. Parades and performances large and small were going on all day, and not only was it a great opportunity to capture dynamic portraits, but the abundance of other photographers, professional and amateur, meant I blended right in.

Jidai Matsuri
NIKON D800 + 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 @ 300mm, ISO 1800, 1/320, f/5.6

Though it should go without saying, I will mention that as photographers we must respect those holidays and festivals that are treated with solemnity by its celebrants. Exercise thoughtfulness and deference, and never snap a photo that you perceive might cause offense.

When Backs are Turned

For the very shy, this is a great way to ease into capturing folks on the street. The trick to turning this approach into a captivating photo is to find the story within the image. Maybe you’re down in Venice Beach, and you’re standing behind the fire-breathing street performer as he’s blowing out that veil of flame in front of a gaping crowd; or perhaps you catch a quiet, affectionate moment between two friends. Whoever you’re behind, make sure you’ve caught a bit of drama.

Dear Friends-Maruyama Park
NIKON D800 + 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 @ 165mm, ISO 160, 1/200, f/6.3

Sometimes you don’t need to see much of a person at all to still shoot an interesting portrait. In Marrakech, I almost missed seeing this guy cat-napping inside a cart:

A Fine Place for a Nap
NIKON D800 + 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5 @ 52mm, ISO 320, 1/400, f/10.0

In Motion

Another way to photograph someone without seeming too obvious is when she or he is in motion. San Francisco’s Chinatown is a fun place to people watch, a neighborhood buzzing with activity from sunrise to sunset. Nevertheless, I still feel quite conspicuous with my big ‘ol camera, so I devised this little strategy to cover for my lack of courage. One rainy day I perched on a street corner and watched as people dashed across the street. Holding my shutter speed open for about a quarter of a second, I would aim at the intersection, capturing folks in mid-sprint, without ever seeming to photograph any specific person. Voilà, photographer incognito!

Chinatown - San Francisco
NIKON D800 + 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 @ 70mm, ISO 100, 1/5, f/32.0

Too Busy Taking Selfies

This approach is a hoot, because while people are so absorbed with taking that perfect selfie, they rarely notice me. I’m sure pickpockets use this move, too, but I like to pretend that my stealing a picture is a more worthy endeavor than stealing a wallet. Once again I captured this scene in Kyoto, but as I stood with my camera before these ladies for quite some time, fiddling with my settings, neither of the three noticed me at all, ever.

Selfie, Kyoto Style
NIKON D800 + 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5 @ 48mm, ISO 320, 1/50, f/4.2

Under the Cover of Night

Darkness really does provide some cover, so grab your camera and hit the streets at night. Find places that provide good ambient lighting around your potential subjects but not around you. That lighting could also help set some interesting moods, too, so think about framing your subjects around it, letting the light tell their story.

Food Truck
NIKON D800 + 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5 @ 32mm, ISO 1800, 1/125, f/4.0

Just Smile!

When you’re feeling bolder, then go for direct eye contact with your subject and smile! This doesn’t always work, but the feeling you get when someone does smile back is worth it. Not only did this banjo player at Glass Beach, California, smile back, he played a whole song, just for me.

Man with a Banjo
NIKON D800 + 0mm f/0 ISO 100, 1/640, f/1.0

This guest post was contributed by Anita Sagástegui. Anita is an Art Educator, Photographer and Translator. To see more of her work, please visit her online porfolio.

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Filed Under: Photography Techniques Tagged With: Portrait Photography, Street Photography, Guest Posts

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Giuseppe
    April 13, 2018 at 5:09 am

    Thank you so much for such inspirational article.

    I wish I could be bold as you while taking a picture, I always act too quickly due to my fear of being saw.
    I have to say I found people shy almost as much as me :)

    Giuseppe

    Reply
    • Giuseppe
      April 13, 2018 at 5:17 am

      I forgot to write

      “I have to say I found people shy almost as much as me , during my visit in kyoto” :) ”

      :)

      Reply
  2. Clarisse Cespedes
    April 13, 2018 at 8:23 am

    Amazing pictures, Anita. And thanks so much for the valuable insights. I loved this post.

    Reply
  3. Stella Ward
    April 13, 2018 at 8:33 am

    Hello! I’ve been involved with photography for about 6 months, and I’ve fallen head over heels for it. I love nature and nature photos, but the thing I really want to do is take candids of strangers. I’m so shy and anxious that I’ve wondered how to ever do it, especially since I live in a small town. Thanks for this article! It gave me some techniques to be stealthy, and also gave me some more courage to get out there, make eye contact, and take some beautiful photos!

    Reply
  4. Thomas B Padgett
    April 16, 2018 at 12:05 pm

    Great article. I too have always had a hard time with candid’s. You want to catch them in the act of doing something and not have them pose. If you ask permission they all want to look at you and smile. I just read an article done for CBS about a photographer who stood on a corner in New York for a year taking candid shots of people walking by. This would definitely help in overcoming the fear of candid shooting. After awhile they just ignore you are there.

    Reply
  5. Anita Sagastegui
    April 22, 2018 at 5:30 pm

    Thank you all so much for this wonderful feedback! I’m glad to know I’m not alone as a shy photographer. Despite the many years I’ve practiced photography, confidence in front of strangers is still something I have to work at.

    Reply

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