3 Ways Street Photographers Can Avoid Looking Like Giant Creeps When Taking Pictures of People

No one wants to look like a creep.

But let’s be honest, what street photographers do is inherently a little creepy. We take pictures of random people on the street without their permission. It’s weird.

But at the same time, it’s beautiful. It’s art. It’s IRL storytelling.

As a street photographer myself, I’ve taken thousands of photos over the years.

Here are the 3 easy ways street photographers can avoid looking like creepers.

1️⃣ Keep Your 📸 At Your 👁 Until Your Subject Walks Past You.

If you snap a picture of someone and then immediately drop your camera, it’s obvious that you just took a picture.

And you’ll look like a creep.

Instead, after you snap the picture, keep your camera at your eye until your subject walks far out of frame. This’ll make it look like you were taking a picture of something in the background.

It works like a charm.

2️⃣ Appear Extremely Interested Or Concerned With Something Behind Your Subject.

This one requires a bit of acting.

It you forget Rule #1 and drop your camera before your subject leaves frame, you have two options. You can either…

a) Run away like a bat outta hell – you’ve been caught after all , or

b) Pretend like something in your subjects background has your full attention.

Option ✌️is better.

Scrunch up your face and look at something beyond your subject. This’ll fool their creeper detector.

3️⃣ Never Ever Make Eye Contact.

The second you make eye contact with one of your subjects, you’ve broken the fourth wall. The gig is up. They’re forced to acknowledge your presence.

They’re also forced to acknowledge your creepiness.

So don’t make eye contact. Pretend like your subjects are the Basilisk in Harry Potter – one look will kill ya!

Truth is, we shouldn’t care what strangers think of us. But we do anyways. So do yourself a favor and follow these 3 tips to avoid looking like a giant creeper on the streets!