One area of photography I would really like to improve upon is street scene shooting. Currently I am very self conscious shooting people on the street which tends to make my shots a bit rushed. The people for the most part probably don't mind getting their picture taken nearly as much as I am uncomfortable with taking them.Here are a few from a recent trip that I had made to Chengdu, China. Please feel free to provide any comments to the photos or about street shooting people in general. Thanks.

Hi Craig! If you are uncomfortable taking pictures of people - ask them first, get i dialogue going with them, get interested in what they do. If you don't know the language most people will understand if you show your camera and say OK??? Show respect if people don't want their picture taken and be aware of the culture (in some cultures they believe that their soul will disappear if photographed).Get interested in what it is you take pictures of. I tend to think like this that if I can't tell a short story about the picture later on, it's not worth taking (we are talking street and travel photography strictly here).Your basic technique seams to lack or limited by you being uncomfortable. 1) Several pictures are taken from a higher point of view than the subjects (pic # 1, 2, 3, 4 and 8 especially). Try to get down on level with what you're taking pictures of. 2) Framing seams rushed without idea or time for proper composition. Get the subject and the action to fill the frame without "dead" areas. Where possible and relevant get the surroundings in the background.Sorry - no intention to be rude or a snob just trying to help. Hope it's useful.

9ck wrote:Hi Craig! If you are uncomfortable taking pictures of people - ask them first, get i dialogue going with them, get interested in what they do. If you don't know the language most people will understand if you show your camera and say OK??? Show respect if people don't want their picture taken and be aware of the culture (in some cultures they believe that their soul will disappear if photographed).Get interested in what it is you take pictures of. I tend to think like this that if I can't tell a short story about the picture later on, it's not worth taking (we are talking street and travel photography strictly here).Your basic technique seams to lack or limited by you being uncomfortable. 1) Several pictures are taken from a higher point of view than the subjects (pic # 1, 2, 3, 4 and 8 especially). Try to get down on level with what you're taking pictures of. 2) Framing seams rushed without idea or time for proper composition. Get the subject and the action to fill the frame without "dead" areas. Where possible and relevant get the surroundings in the background.Sorry - no intention to be rude or a snob just trying to help. Hope it's useful.+ 1.Work with your camera settings to reduce the clutter in the background.In time you will start feeling more comfortable shooting in the streets..;-)..

Hansa Yindee wrote:9ck wrote:Hi Craig! If you are uncomfortable taking pictures of people - ask them first, get i dialogue going with them, get interested in what they do. If you don't know the language most people will understand if you show your camera and say OK??? Show respect if people don't want their picture taken and be aware of the culture (in some cultures they believe that their soul will disappear if photographed).Get interested in what it is you take pictures of. I tend to think like this that if I can't tell a short story about the picture later on, it's not worth taking (we are talking street and travel photography strictly here).Your basic technique seams to lack or limited by you being uncomfortable. 1) Several pictures are taken from a higher point of view than the subjects (pic # 1, 2, 3, 4 and 8 especially). Try to get down on level with what you're taking pictures of. 2) Framing seams rushed without idea or time for proper composition. Get the subject and the action to fill the frame without "dead" areas. Where possible and relevant get the surroundings in the background.Sorry - no intention to be rude or a snob just trying to help. Hope it's useful.+ 1.Work with your camera settings to reduce the clutter in the background.In time you will start feeling more comfortable shooting in the streets..;-)..Thanks. No I  don't take any of the comments as rude - I do take them as helpful. I know that things can be better that is why I put these out there and I asked. I expect to be going over to another part of China in a about a month (my job has me going every 4 months or so). I will try and keep the suggestions in mind.

you show many street merchants in their daily life, none of us are very interesting in the daily grind. Maybe seeing the interaction between these vendors and their customers etc. would be more interesting. Possibly a more posed shot of them presenting their wares. Or a close up of the hands doing their craft?