Proud Orange Beard - Bside123

[Bside123]

Bside123

SONY ILCA-A99MK2 (A99ll)

Legacy Minolta 80-200 f/2.8 @ 80mm

Azimpur Road, Dhaka, Bangladesh

 

In the Indian Sub-contininet, men like to apply henna (mehndi) to their hair and beard. Starting out as dark auburn, over a short time, the color soon changes to orange when applied to gray and white hair!

 

 

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[Guest Jaf-Photo]

Cool photo and I wondered about the colour (thought turmeric). How do people there react to street photography?

[Bside123]

Cool photo and I wondered about the colour (thought turmeric). How do people there react to street photography?

 

Yep... to our western eye, the orange is quite arresting... even clown-like. To the people in the Indian Subcontinent however, the orange is customary, good looking and stylish.

Overall, I find most people around the world fairly open to street photography, especially if they are approached with friendliness and respect. Just take a look at this fellow. 

He was happy to converse and even invited me to his home for a bite after I shot his portrait. Street photography is tricky and can be very tricky at times. Perhaps worth a longer discussion!

[Guest Jaf-Photo]

Cool. I was just curious because sometimes when I show my street photos, some people still think it's a weird thing to do.

[Bside123]

... some people still think it's a weird thing to do.

 

Jaf: What do you mean by this?

[Guest Jaf-Photo]

Jaf: What do you mean by this?

Only that some people who aren't aware of street photography as a genre think it's strange or rude to photograph strangers in the street.

 

I've never had any problems shooting street because friendliness goes a long way, as you say. But some people object to it so I just wondered what it would be like in a country that presumably has had less exposure to street photography.

[Bside123]

If I can, I try to engage with the people I am photographing in the street. This can happen in a number of ways: direct approach, conversation, eye contact looking for "permission" and/or even some kind of non-verbal, mutual understanding... last but not least, I always try to be sensitive to the vibes. 

With a shorter lens, personal contact is almost always necessary and/or inevitable. Longer lenses provide a more laid back approach and can capture portraits and scenes candidly. Of course you know all this, but I just thought I'd mention it.

 

Sometimes I take some risks by getting a little more "personal" than what might be ordinarily comfortable. But... I always back off if I get "bad vibes" or if the subjects let me know I am unwelcome. I never push it and am never aggressive. I try to be respectful, accommodating and stealth!

Knowing a little bit of the local language and customs can really help to open up people. By in large in my experience, people love it when someone shows interest in their culture.