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Candid, Stealth & Street Photography
For over 15 years, I have pursued a personal interest in what
I call stealth photography. This is essentially a form of candid
or "street" photography.
I feel that people act more naturally and honestly themselves when they are not directly aware of the photographer and the camera. Several subjects have told me, later, that my stealth portraits of them were "the best photo anyone has ever taken of me," which I attribute to the inherent relaxed naturalism of the un-posed subject.
How does stealth photography work? Well, first you have to be a little bit sneaky at heart! The real "trick," though, is to remain unobtrusive and keep a low profile. A small camera which you know well can be very helpful, since you can shoot from the hip; people are often aware that you are taking a photo only when you raise the camera to your eye and look through the viewfinder. I always use available light, with no flash, which is essential to avoid calling attention to the camera.
The basic methods of stealth photography are also useful for photographing
dance and theatre performances, so I have included a few dance
photos here to show what's possible. I have also included a few
informally posed shots at the bottom of the page, to show diversity
and range.
Minnesota State Fair, St. Paul, MN, 2002
Jim S., St. Paul, MN, 1998
Como Conservatory, St. Paul, MN, 2003
Renaissance Festival, Shakopee, MN, 2002
Renaissance Festival, Shakopee, MN, 2002
Street Scene, Minneapolis, MN, 2000
Street Scene, Minneapolis, MN, 2004
Playing in the fountain, Loring Park, Minneapolis, MN, 2002
Some images on this page use customized processing in Photoshop.
The examples here showcase techniques ranging from an antique
sepia look to an artistic pen-and-ink rendered look. These techniques
can be applied to any image to create an enhanced, artistic, unique
image. For inquiries and rates about event photography please
email me at Stickdragn@aol.com.
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