An Expert Guide to Camera Etiquette
When it comes to being a photographer or even just taking pictures in general, it’s quite hard to not invade the privacy of people around you.
Even though you will be in your subject’s personal space while you are taking photographs, it is extremely important to know how to make the situation less awkward and as least invasive as possible for your subject… and you!
It has emerged this week that Benedict Cumberbatch tackled the subject of photography and filming during his theatre performance of Hamlet with fans who were waiting for him outside the stage door. He was mortified that fans were filming his performance instead of watching it and enjoying the show as a live performance.
In light of this, we’ve put together a short guide on how to perform the best camera etiquette possible to make the experience the best possible for all parties involved.
Shhh! Keep Silence Golden
The first thing that you should do to ensure that you are creating the perfect atmosphere for your photography is to keep everything quiet.
Keep conversation topics relevant and reassuring; don’t try awkward small talk or over enthusiastic comments. Try to keep your subject calm and comfortable with the situation.
It’s also a good idea to use equipment that doesn’t make a lot of noise when operated. It’s a lot of added pressure when you can hear the camera shutter click loudly after every shot. If you don’t own any equipment that has a mute of muffling option, our next tip has you covered…
Warn Your Subject
Giving a heads up when you are going to snap a shot is a polite way to alert your subject and people around you that you are about to photograph them. This is a great way to inform people who you may be disrupting while you are snapping your pictures.
People appreciate consideration, so make sure to warn everyone in the area if they looked settled down. That way, if people feel uncomfortable with being photographed, they can move out of the shot, leaving you with willing participants for your shot.
Consider Your Equipment
The general rule of photography is to be as considerate as possible, as we have mentioned countless times before. This also extends to the equipment you are using, as some cameras and kit can seem quite intrusive in some environments.
A good photographer will always have an option in his or her bag of tricks to make an environment feel more natural and comfortable if it is deemed that the subject isn’t comfy.
This point is entirely situational and we can’t tell you what cameras and kit you shouldn’t use. You should be able to judge an environment and organise what kit you will need accordingly. Don’t need that extra bright flash or extra long zoom lens? Leave it at home.
With all these tips in mind, it’s also important to still be able to take a great shot with your camera. It’s a given that at some point while taking photographs, you will get in someone’s way, but as long as you have taken some steps to alleviate your intrusiveness, go get that perfect shot!
