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SECTION 2: SHOOTING TECHNIQUES
In a dynamic environment where scenes and subjects are shifting without warning, it pays to keep your technique simple and uncomplicated.As you walk around the ground, you’ll spot plenty of interesting
people and potential shots but it can still feel intimidating approaching
complete strangers. A good technique to use is to get close, but point
your camera away from your intended subject while you prefocus.
Reframe and then quickly shoot. You’ll probably only get a couple
of shots off before the moment passes, but if you’re quick you can
catch the interaction like a fly on the wall. As photographer Martin Parr
observed, if you don’t make eye contact with people afterwards,
they don’t suspect you’ve taken their picture.With plenty of people milling around the ground before kick-off, the sheer quantity of fans gives you the chance to get close without being
noticed. Street photographers such as Bruce Gilden are masters of getting close and capturing the sheer three-dimensionality of people.
Using a 28mm wideangle lens, see how close you can get and still make a picture. Be bold and try out different compositions, like this example.2 FLY ON THE WALL3 CLOSE AND WIDEPhotographer William Klein famously experimented as a street
photographer by shooting without using the viewfinder. Holding his
camera at waist level, he took advantage of accidental framing and
unexpected collisions and while there was a high proportion of wasted
film, every so often he’d score. Wearing your camera strap around
your neck, keep your camera at waist level and get close to potential
subjects before firing off a few speculative frames. In this example, I’ve
been lucky enough to capture a moment of concentration framed by
some strong shapes around the edges. Nobody suspects being a
subject when you’ve got your camera away from your face, so practise
shooting with a 28mm lens. Review your shots on the LCD and after
a few mistakes you’ll work out the exact height and tilt angle.1 WAIST LEVEL SHOOTING123