Street Shots: A Columbia Heights Street Portrait

Posted on by Eric Spiegel

6083050706 2afe55e621 Street Shots: A Columbia Heights Street Portrait

Earlier this month, I met up with a few fellow photographers in Columbia Heights for some drinks and discussion. In particular, we were all interested in talking about the rights of the photographer. This was sparked through both my encounter with a not-so-nice gentleman and the recent press given to the blog DC Metro People.

I planned to get there early so I could walk around the neighborhood doing some street work. While doing so I came across this young lady sitting on a bench across from the DCUSA Building. We made eye contact, I pointed to my camera and she nodded her head yes. I thanked her for the portrait, gave her my card then headed to the meet-up.



Related posts:

  1. Street Shots: From the Hip
  2. How a Photograph Got Me Assaulted
  3. Getting Back on the Street Photography Horse
  4. Street Shots: Old Town, Fairfax and Chinatown
  5. Street Shots: Two Signs
  • Anonymous

    Well done portrait.

    I’ve been doing street photography for years, but rarely take portraits are direct as you because I feel it is invasive. There are exceptions, and clearly the admirable approach you took with this young lady is one.

    Women are already subject to a great deal of street harassment in the District and I believe aggressive street photography will be seen by them as just another form of it.

    I read your post about the confrontation in Alexandria. Agree completely that you handled it very well. But let’s face it, some people will view street photography as troubling, especially if they are clearly the object of the photographer’s attention. There’s no I’m-in-a-public-place-law that’s going to fix that problem and over reactions are a clear risk. .

    The work of the photographer who snaps portraits of people on the Metro does bother me, in particular. It’s rude and not the behavior of a gentleman.

    Most of the street photographs that I take, but especially the ones that I may publish, rarely have people that can be clearly identified. I don’t feel this limits my ability to capture the pulse of the city, but just channels my approach in a different way.

  • Krisha

    Hey! That’s me :) Thanks for the awesome shot. Your photography is wonderful – keep it up!