I don't think there's a right or wrong here. Some shots you have to shoot without asking, because you'll simply miss the moment (see my shot this month in PUG - not that it's a great shot, but I would have never gotten the shot if I'd have asked everyone if I could take the pic):
http://pug.komkon.org/03jul/ken_pug.html But, Paul, in your Paris folder, some of those cafe shots ~depend~ on the subjects reacting to the camera, for instance: http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=1542497&size=lg I guess my point, is that both stealth photography and having the subject aware of and reacting to the camera are both valid, and important parts of street photography. Both are "slices of life". And to do street photography, both the photographer and camera should be capable of both, imho. regards, frank Paul Stenquist wrote: > T Rittenhouse wrote: > > > I did that kind of > > stuff when I was a teenager, but finally realized that giving people the > > opportunity to wave me off if they really didn't want their picture taken > > was more honest. > > Yeah, but you don't get the shots. If the subject knows you're shooting > them, they pose or react in some other way. If you want to capture a > slice of life, you have to sneak up on them. It sucks, I don't like > doing it, but it's the best way to get good street shots. > Paul -- "I don't believe in God, but I do believe in pi" - Henri Cartier-Bresson
