Image description: a glimpse through the windows of a Kyoto Starbucks—at the center of the frame is an old man reading a book.
OP spotted in the reflection.
Don’t you feel weird taking photos of random people? I feel weird even when they are just accidentally in it. Less so when I am on an event and people expect to be photographed.
I actually do and that’s why I’m a bad street photographer hahaha. Nowadays I do try to ask for the quickest consent by waiting before I click the shutter and making sure the subject sees me (and maybe making hand gestures like pointing at the camera and then doing a thumbs up)—some will see and go on their day, some will pose, and some will protest, at which point I stop and apologise. I know by doing this I lose the “spontaneity” of street photography that street photographers love so much. I also have friends who are more of “shoot first and ask for consent later”. Otherwise most street photographers I know personally or read about do seem to feel like they can take strangers’ photos with no qualms.
I’m definitely the quiet protestor type :)
Yeah I can definitely understand that some photographers just don’t care. It’s a very different photo if the subject knows.