Funny things to say to people when you’re taking their photos on the street (video)

 

 

Everyone knows that shooting street photography can get a bit dicey, especially if the random person you've decided to photograph doesn't want their picture taken. One way to break the ice with a shy or potentially, hostile subject is to feed them a comforting line, such as "You look great!" or "You have a fantastic smile!"

Sometimes though, those lines can wind up getting you into even more trouble. Even worse is when the excuse you use is horrible.

A while ago, street photographer Thomas Leuthard put together a funny list of "The best excuses on the street…" with some of the worst things you can say to a street subject. Examples include: "You look like Osama Bin Laden" or "I want to marry you."

Photographer Eric Kim decided to put some of Leuthard's lines to the test on the streets of Los Angeles and made a short film of what happened using a GoPro camera attached to the top of his Leica M9.

The results are amusing and actually quite positive.

(Also check out Kim's free e-book on how to overcome your fear of street photography and this funny illustration showing what's in the mind of the street photographer.)

(Via Reddit)