Some general candid shooting thoughts/advice

[hiddenstorm]

Last month, I spent a few days vacation on the beach practicing our art. The three days represented my first outings of the season - since I live in a colder climate during the Winter. I caught many excellent targets and had a few spectacular failures (of the missed angle / poor lighting type - not of the "busted while shooting" type). You'll see the results in the Candid Bikini section soon. But, for now, I thought someone might benefit from my observations - especially while many of us prepare to dust off our equipment for the 2008 season.

I did my work with a Canon Powershot camera, but most of these musings apply generally.

1: Check your settings before you go out
Depending on your shooting environment (the beach, for example), you may not want to draw a lot of attention to what you're holding. So make sure you pay special attention to settings like Flash On/Off (no good having a flash go off in a mall while you're shooting), White Balance and, especially, ISO. Though Canons feature a "fully automatic" mode which works fine for candid shooting, my version sports two separate "automatic" ISO settings. They are labeled "ISO AUTO HIGH" and "ISO AUTO". For outdoor sunlit shooting, the second is much better than the first. Less ISO = less noise. Like an idiot, I forgot to check this setting and so when the sun went behind a cloud, the camera compensated with higher ISO than necessary - and my photo quality lessened significantly.

2: Double check your flash settings.
Nothing will get a target's attention (or what I call "White Knights" - those members of the public who are likely bust you and do something about it) faster than an unintended flash - especially indoors. Cover the thing with some black electrical tape if you can't be bothered to check the setting each time you go out. Don't forget - if your camera has an auto-shutoff feature, the flash settings (and others) may be reset when this happens.

3: Trying to catch a target that is backlit is much harder than working with a light source behind you.
When you're outside, plan your routes accordingly. On the beach, I tended to shoot in both directions but I had to do a lot of image manipulation in photoshop to compensate for the backlighting problem. Image manipulation almost always equals a loss in overall quality. Sometimes you can live with it. But always keep an eye on where the sun is and, if the targets are equally good in both directions, try and keep it behind you.

4: Shooting in low-angle sunlight is better than shooting in high-angle sunlight
With a nod to #3 above, also remember that high-angle sun causes seriously harsh shadows. That's not too bad if your target is mostly unclothed (beach), but clothes create shadows (as do arms, heads, etc). Your target could be showing off the best cameltoe you've ever seen but if it's noon and she raises her arm the wrong way your shot is spoiled by shadow contamination. And that sucks.

5: Learn how to look in more than one direction, and do several things at once.
This seems impossible, but I think the best candid shooters all know how to do this. I'm not calling myself the best, but I'm pretty good I think and have developed an ability to do several things in rapid succession and a few of them simultaneously:

a - identify target and position myself while ensuring I have my hands on the camera in whatever-is-the-right-position for my technique

b - take a quick glance at the environment while preparing to shoot. Anyone paying too much attention to me? Any potential WK's around?

c - I prefer to look at the target (lots of people feel differently) if she's facing me because I take a lot of hip shots. If I watch her, I can see what she's looking at while I shoot. If she's looking at someone else, something else or even locks eyes with me, then it's ok. If she even glances down, I move to the appropriate Failsafe procedure (see 6).

d - take the shot(s), watch her, watch the environment, check especially the gesturing and facial expressions of incidental people. Anyone laughing and pointing in your direction? Check the guys especially, they usually know before the women do because they're looking at your target too. The good news is, they're also less apt to bust you (unless it's your target's boyfriend / husband).

6: Have at least two levels of Failsafe procedures
The first level is to work to conceal your camera from view and leave the area or, if the environment assumes cameras are common (touristy areas, maybe even the beach), drop your camera into a position where you couldn't possibly be using it (use a wrist loop and just drop the camera into a dangling position). The second level is to work to conceal evidence of what you're been up to. This is only to be used if you are sure you've been busted and it's either by a WK, the target or some authority that makes you relatively sure you'll be challenged. You have to be prepared to destroy or lose the memory card entirely.

7: Practice with your equipment
Especially the newer (to you) that it is. Identify biases both in the equipment and in your method and execution. I, for example, have what I call "Left Bias". If I'm shooting a target just ahead of me and to the right with a hip shot, I very often miss to the left. The camera seems to be in the correct position to me, everything feels right, but I'm almost exactly one camera frame to the left. I had this problem with three other previous cameras so I know it's an issue with me. I also think the cross-body hip shot is one of the hardest to master - and I practice it frequently.

8: Don't take unnecessary chances
You might see the best ass/tits/cameltoe "you've ever seen" but I guarantee that very few shots are once-in-a-lifetime and the ones that are usually are the ones you had no idea about to begin with. I once caught a target on the steps of a museum, just wanted a shot of her cleavage, ended up low on the aim and caught an upshort-no-panties shot instead. The point is, don't just go charging in to a questionable security situation for one target - at least not until you're confident in your ability to look in multiple directions and perform multiple tasks at once.

9: Don't look like a candid shooter
Finally, maybe the most important. If you look like you should be there, people aren't going to give you a second look. If you're improperly dressed, fidgety, nervous, holding something that isn't typical for the environment, you'll draw attention at least, suspicion at worst. Don't go to the beach in jeans and a sweater. Don't hide a bag cam in a backpack and then go to the mall (unless lots of other people have one). Don't carry a messenger bag and then dress in a torn t-shirt and shorts. Don't spend a lot of time adjusting your equipment - especially if it's concealed. Reaching into a bag to adjust your upskirt cam is the quickest way I can think of (short of just reaching with your camera under some girl's skirt) to get busted. If you have to make an adjustment, leave the area, find somewhere that you can make it freely (your car, home, some place that cameras make sense) then return to the area.

I hope this helps someone to improve their work - or gives you some information you hadn't thought of before.

Luck and safety to all who practice the art of the hunt.

::HS

[OneNut]

Great advice. This is one of the best and most practical advice I've seen. The only one that I can't say I've practiced is #6.

[RASECATSINROC]

nice tips and advice for candid starter,tnx

[DaveK]

EXCELLENT POST! In fact, I've been meaning to do something similar for a long time, but havn't gotten around to it. I'll make this post a sticky, and see if we can get a few more good tips contributed to it!

My tip is: Use the things around you, in your environment, to your advantage. For example:
-If a MILF has a kid with her, chances are pretty good she will bend over sometime very soon (good ass shots, great DB opportunities)
-If someone is shopping, they might bend over to get something off the bottom shelf, make sure you're in the correct side to get the view you want
-At fountains, people reach in to the water (DB shot) or they climb right in (wet clothes shot)
-At bus stations people sit still (PMT shots) and usually with their back to a piece of glass you can shoot through
-Clerks in stores dress the window mannequins...usually people don't look out through the windows of a store.
-Pretending to look IN a store window can be a great way to watch your target/threat using the reflection (just make sure it's not a store that you would never shop in!)

[Rowsdower]

Thanks for the great advice!

[RD313]

For shoecam shooters:
1.) Avoid a setup where the camera is pointed directly up. Light sources directly above subjects ruin shots. A good camera setup should have an angle 50-65 degrees from the floor. Your camera shouldn't be under the subject directly, but rather, should be able to get a shot with you about 2 feet behind. If you have to get any closer than that to get a shot, either you've picked a bad subject or your camera angle is too steep. You can easily make a camera angle steeper by pulling the ball of your foot up to compensate for situations which require steeper angles.
2.) Learn the "T-Step" : this is a two-step shooting technique that works for subjects facing to your side. The first step (with uncammed foot) places you in such a position where you can "balance." Step two places the cammed foot into position, most likely with said foot turned slightly sideways (ie, not facing forward). Done slowly enough, it can be used while walking. You can make a "pass" at a subject to your side. The reason you balance with the one foot, is so that you can "sweep" with the cammed foot.
3.) Learn to gauge distance by counting steps. If you can estimate how many steps it'll take you to get to your subject, you can better estimate your "first step" in the T-step technique.
4.) Escalator are great for every camera except shoecams. To get a decent shot on an escalator will often require cammed foot one-step above where you are. This is awkward.
5.) Anything pleated, loose, cotton, and white are your friends. Avoid anything with frills, anything with hoops, and any situation where you can see a slip underneath.
6.) Avoid "walking" upskirts. Most cameras can't adjust to changing light situations fast enough to get anything decent. Not only that, but take more than a few steps closely behind someone, and they'll think you're about to assault them.
7.) If at all possible, try shoecamming any place where the sun provides the majority of the illumination. If indoors, avoid places that are carpeted, or have brown or black tile. White tile, and to some extent, concrete provide an amount of bounce lighting to help with shots. Obviously, never shoot in the same direction as the sun.
8.) If you're trying to get a subject in a queue (supermarket, bank) don't adjust your gear while in the line. Make sure your gear is turned on, adjusted correctly, and ready to record (if not already) recording before you approach your subject. I've seen instances where guys take their phones out to snap an uppie while standing directly behind a subject (they seriously pull their phones out, fiddle with it, etc). I've also seen (far fewer) instances where someone will just pull something out, get their cap, and put it away. You'd never notice it unless you were specifically looking for it. And in many of these cases, I've only ever noticed it because I myself was trying to go for a pass. The same idea goes for shoecammers, don't check your DVR to see if it's recording RIGHT before you go for a pass. Make sure it's already recording before you get into a line. Trust me, cropping 2 minutes of garbage video is nothing when you get a beautiful shot.

I have a lot more techniques, and I want to share them all. But that's it for now.

[I spy]

Thanks. This has been really helpful for a starter like me.

[xxbullxx]

tons of great advice in this thread right here.. Thanks!

[balancejl]

Thank you for posting this. Great advice!