~Technique~ The Hipshot

**DaveK** · August 7th, 2006

Oaky, this is a basic staple of the Candid Shooter's methods. This is one of the easiest and most used methods of taking candids. BUT, it does take some practice, so learn it, practice it, use it!

Title: The Hipshot

Equipment Recomended: Compact Digital Camera (anything you can comfortably hold and use with only one hand.

Location Reqirements: Generally a path or something to help you guess where your subject is going to be helps, but really there are no location requirements.

Description: Basicly, you hold the cam discreetly in your hand. Rotate the hand slightly so your aim is good, then squeeze the trigger. Alot of pics will be at funny angles, so you may need to rotate the pics in your digital darkroom. Aiming like this without looking at the camera takes a little practice.

Examples:
1) This is a candid photographer walking directly toward the reflective window which has been used to show what the subject may see. As you can see, the camera is discrete, and is not noticable at first glance. The one camera arm has to not swing wildly, so that your shots are not blurry.

2)This same technique can be used while standing still also. This is a shot taken standing still, looking to the side. Great for concerts or elsewhere where your subject is standing beside you..

This is a fairly simple yet effective technique, it does however require some practice. Another great point to this technique is that your camera is at waist level, which is great for taking close-up ass shots (if thats what you like to see) and because it is a lower angle you get sexy teases of upskirts without really trying.

Anyone have any comments to add to this technique? Suggestions? Hints I missed?

**Emilio** · September 1st, 2006

I discover this technique on my own, after hunting good asses for several months, finally discover this good technique, comfortable for everybody... hehe... For the people, you`re just holding a camera in your hand... but this is tricky... hot chiks always get attention, so be careful... you could look too suspicious behind a hot chick with your camera...

I found this technique very useful in parades (you can approach from behind and stay close), making line to buy something, street shows, fairs, parks... the thing is that your victim is keeping her attention on something...

just look at these examples...

**mtg712** · September 6th, 2006

it takes great hand eye coordination. one thing you can do is look down and the lens of your camera and try to follow it out towards your subject using your eyes.

**DaveK** · September 7th, 2006

Originally Posted by mtg712

it takes great hand eye coordination. one thing you can do is look down and the lens of your camera and try to follow it out towards your subject using your eyes.

I would strongly disagree with that. If someone looks at you they will follow your eyes to see what you are looking at, and your eyes are drawing a straight line from the camera to the target.

I've had my wife watch me taking candids, and she said the fact that I was looking down to the camera right before I took each shot was a giveaway. I suggest getting familiar enough that you can aim with the feal of the camera in your hand.

**King of Teens** · September 7th, 2006

I also do the hip shot
but not with a compact camera
I use my big ole Cannon EOS
and i have learned to shut off the diplay monitor because if you are walking amongst a crowd the people behind you see it light up after the shot
and sometimes it causes problems
its a little more difficult to conceal
I usually us a over the shoulder messenger type bag which covers most of the camera body and just snap in rapid fire usually I get a 40-50 good ones out of the 2 gig card
this is the method I used in my Sugar ass Teen set

**Sam Patcher** · September 7th, 2006

Originally Posted by DaveK

I would strongly disagree with that. If someone looks at you they will follow your eyes to see what you are looking at, and your eyes are drawing a straight line from the camera to the target.

I've had my wife watch me taking candids, and she said the fact that I was looking down to the camera right before I took each shot was a giveaway. I suggest getting familiar enough that you can aim with the feal of the camera in your hand.

That is exactly right, I have been doing it for 10 years, it actually helps to practice in the mirror and pretend to be talking on the cell phone and adjust camera while pretending to dial the number, and burst fire the shutter, your sure to get at least one really good one.

**makavelithedon** · September 8th, 2006

So dizzy, with the larger camera, are you trying to completely conceal it, or just sorta cover it up so that it isn't as obvious? What is a messenger bag? And yeah I agree, my posts are almost entirely made up of hip shots and I never look at the cam. With time I've just gotten better and knowing where I am aiming without looking.

**vegasfox** · September 10th, 2006

Excellent topic----thanks to everyone who has contributed. This is something that I will start working on cause I've never tried it before but based on some of the great shots shared here using this technique, I'm eager to learn!

**tinydog** · October 17th, 2006

Originally Posted by DaveK

I've had my wife watch me taking candids

Howdy DaveK, couple questions for you. The first question is more of an amused curiosity. Your wife is aware of your candid picture taking, and does not have a problem with it? Does she know the nature of the pictures you take?

The second question (or third, if you counted the previous as two) is more serious. I notice that the dude in your avatar looks strikingly similar to the dude holding the camera in your example photos above. I presume that you are this dude. Are you not concerned about protecting your identity, or do you figure that the chance of someone you wouldn't want knowing your "hobby" actually seeing your pic in TCB is slim to none?

**DaveK** · October 19th, 2006

Originally Posted by tinydog

Howdy DaveK, couple questions for you. The first question is more of an amused curiosity. Your wife is aware of your candid picture taking, and does not have a problem with it? Does she know the nature of the pictures you take?

The second question (or third, if you counted the previous as two) is more serious. I notice that the dude in your avatar looks strikingly similar to the dude holding the camera in your example photos above. I presume that you are this dude. Are you not concerned about protecting your identity, or do you figure that the chance of someone you wouldn't want knowing your "hobby" actually seeing your pic in TCB is slim to none?

The wife knows, and sometimes even takes a few shots herself. She 'stumbled' accross them while snooping my computer when we first started living together....she decided it's part of who I am and she gets the good with the bad. She doesn't exactly encourage it, but also won't stop me. We have gone shooting together and she enjoyed it but she's alot more toward the 'artistic' candids and I'm more 'voyeuristic', so thats where we disagree on things. Personally I'm glad I can just be honest about it with her instead of hiding it, because it's not like I would stop even if she didn't like it. Also, it's good to have someone to brag to when I get an exciting set. Can anyone else say "Hey honey, come checkout this great PMT set I just got!" to their wives?

As for the Avatar and the pics...yep...that is a DaveK.... no one has yet come up to say 'hi' while I'm shooting...and if someone did recognize me that would be admiting they are members of TCB...so not likely for anyone that I don't want to recognize me, and fellow shooters I don't care too much if they know (hell, I'll even show them how to post if they want!)