Weirdest Reaction You Got When Taking Photos Of Strangers On The Street

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Deleted member 585609

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I want to try taking some pictures of people in the street, but worried about the looks i'll get for it and peoples reactions.

So it got me wondering, what has been the weirdest/funniest reaction you have gotten from someone when taking a picture on the street?
 
Ive only shot one full day on the street, using a variant of 24-70 70-200 and 135mm lenses, so all shots I managed to keep my distance, but even still nobody asked me what I was doing, few odd looks but just keep shooting, its great once you get going.
 
I was taking a photo of a lady in a colourful outfit and a lad walking past said something along the lines of "Take a photo and it'll last longer right.." -- um sure

I took a photo of a guy who then started saying "oi,oi,oi,oi,oi,oi,oi,oi,oi,oi,oi,oi,oi,oi" but it was hard to tell if they were directed at me.

One person asked if I would shoot their wedding..

I had a lot of people speak to me when I had the 200mm f2 on the camera, people asked what it was... I think the answer they were looking for was 'a lens' - I gave various levels of techno babble before I realised this.
 
Not done a lot of street stuff as I live in a small town and you just don't see folk with cameras so when I went out with mine I may as well have had a flashing beacon over my head. Needless to say it wasn't a very enjoyable experience and I only took about 4 shots, from long range. I'm dying to go somewhere more cosmopolitan or touristy so I don't feel so self conscious and obvious.

I did take a few on my recent trip to Marrakech, some were on the sly but in the square if you took a pic of someone they came chasing you for money. My favourite shot was one of some guys playing chess, and I just asked them before I took the pic and they had no issue. I took another of a group of guys down one of the narrow alleys and one say me and started shouting so I scarpered quick. Last experience was of a guy trying to flog stuff to the tourists as they got on the coach. I vaguely had the camera pointing in his direction but didn't actually take his pic, but he thought I did and he got a bit shirty. I showed him the pics on the camera showing I didn't have one of him and then he was nice as pie ;)
 
Done a fair bit of street photography and had a few stand-off's with real ar$ewipes but never felt scared or anything, so far! I would say I have had more fun with the stupid questions asked, like - "What you doing?"..............Em...........what do you think!! - That kind of thing.

I did have this dumb a$$ during the Edinburgh Festival a few years back who was really pi$$ed because I wouldn't give him money, but he wouldn't play anything on his electric guitar and he got a bit loud.............so I pushed him (verbally) to get his back up...........and got the shot anyway

You by icemanonline, on Flickr

Sure this bawbag was on tv not that long ago.................

Anyway...............I have always been able to get the shots I wanted more or less without any agro and still do. I do carry a 2nd monopod that I always have under arm or on show anyway............and if I had to I would use it.

But, if in doubt use a long lens.................like I did in this shot............I wasn't that sure about this dude so long lens done the job

Redtop 2011 by icemanonline, on Flickr

ice
 
I got some of my photos printed, just to see how they would look 6x4 - I popped into Guildford at lunch and handed some out. Had some nice little chats, even got some more photos - of what I wouldn't have had access to normally :)
 
So I'm presuming that the "targets" were pretty permanent the Dan and it was the subjects you gave the prints to ?
 
So I'm presuming that the "targets" were pretty permanent the Dan and it was the subjects you gave the prints to ?

Two shop girls, two buskers and a guy I see all the time reading his paper outside the same eatery.

I spoke to this girl here

FQ2A1053-2 by dancook1982, on Flickr

There's a guy in there too chopping meat on a board, I said I often try to take photos but the reflections are too great. He said I was welcome to come in and take some - so I got one whilst I was there. was able to go behind the counter

FQ2A3655 by dancook1982, on Flickr
 
Another 'weird' reaction :) a month or so ago I got asked to shoot this guys wedding, it's now on Sunday - and I'm not convinced he has a photographer - but I'm busy anyway. I don't know him, he served me in Ted Baker, since I had my camera on me he asked me about it.

FQ2A4048 by dancook1982, on Flickr

FQ2A4047 by dancook1982, on Flickr
 
Had a guy threaten to call the police, he told me I should ask before I take photos.

He was a monk with a bad experience with a journalist.

It was all ok though, he was a nice enough guy
 
Sounds like he might have had a Bad Habit....
 
Sounds like he might have had a Bad Habit....

whoopi-300.jpg
 

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