Candid Tips

TIPS ON: HOW TO TAKE GOOD CANDID PICS

        "Good Candid Foot Hunting is an Art, and just like Karate or the Piano,
        must be studied for years before mastering."
                    (Unknown Pervert, 2006)

I. TOOLS

1. A digital camera;

Face facts, this is the only way to go. I used to shoot candids with a film camera, and it sucks. You can't see what you're aiming at, and you can't zoom. If you can do those things, the camera is probably too big to hold in one hand. Digital cameras have a viewfinder in the back for easy aiming, and if you have a 3x optical zoom you can really close in on your target. They're small and easy to conceal in your hand or your pocket. Plus, no swapping of film rolls at a bad time, when you're trying to shoot pics. And believe me, picking up a 36-shot roll of feet pics at your local drugstore can be embarrassing. I have had several snickers from various employees when I used to do this. Go digital, and view them all at home.

2. Extra battery and extra memory cards;

When you find that Ultimate TT Goddess, and you get your perfect opportunity to stand next to her, and you turn on the camera and it says "Insert Battery Pack" or "Memory Card Full" you will kick yourself forever. So don't be cheap, stock up before you go. 2 charged batteries should last you about 6 hours, and 256 MB of memory is the minimum.

II. PREPARATION

You can just go out and start snapping feet pics, but you'll probably be caught, embarrassed and possibly harassed by somebody, including bitchy women, angry boyfriends and some type of law enforcement personnel. So, preparing first is essential. Basically, you need something to hide your camera from being easily seen. There are a couple options here:

1. Tight camera case

The idea here is to conceal the shiny silver camera from being seen.
I used a thin leather case made for binoculars, which happens to be the exact same size as
my digital camera. I cut a horizontal and a vertical slit, like a plus sign (+), so the lens comes
thru the front, and then I cut a viewfinder opening in the back, which is the same size as the viewfinder. The top has a zipper, so I can operate the power, shutter and the zoom.
It's small and fits in your hand, so doesn't attract a lot of attention. It's black, so not
eye-catching like a silver camera. And you don't feel self-conscious like if you have a fanny pack on. In fact, people probably think it's a phone, and a lot of people walk around with phones in their hand for no apparent reason.

2. Fanny pack

I took a fanny pack and cut it like the camera case to allow my camera lens to protrude through one end while I can see the viewfinder on the other end. This way you can do stealth filming, with no visible
camera. Fanny packs might be dorky, but not too suspicious.
The one I use has a flap in front that velcros it in place. That's where the camera goes. I just lift the flap and hold it up, while the lens comes through the bottom of it. I've got a cut-out for the viewfinder, and a hole for my finger to turn on the camera and zoom in. I don't like to use it much because I feel like everyone is looking at the fanny pack and wondering what's in it or why I'm wearing it.

3. Small gift bag

Somebody wrote in once and said he used a small gift bag at a mall and stuck his video camcorder in it, beneath a bunch of wadded up gift bag tissue paper. He made a hole in the bottom of the bag for the lens to stick through. Then he positioned it above feet and filmed video. He kept his hand in the bag to control the camera. I've never tried this, but it sounds ok.

III. COVER

You need something to distract people from seeing your camera, no matter what kind of case the camera is in. If you're using the Small gift bag, then that's your Cover. If not, then you need something else.

If you're outdoors, like at a sporting event, get a program or a newspaper. If you're at an outdoor festival or concert, there's usually either a program or a map. If you're indoors, in a mall, use a small shopping bag. I either bring one in with me or buy something right away. Carry a bag in your car from a store that's in most malls, like The Gap or Banana Republic or some other gender-neutral store. Make sure there's something in it, of course, instead of just using an empty bag. If you're in a small store or grocery store, pick up something in the store like you're carrying it to buy, and use that as your cover. If nothing else is available, use your hat - always wear a hat or cap.

The idea is to block the view of your camera. If the Foot Queen looks over and sees you holding a camera over her feet, you're screwed. If she looks over and sees you holding a shopping bag, you're ok. She won't know the other hand is holding a camera beneath the cover bag.

IV. LOCATION

You need a location with, obviously, lots of female feet in open-toed shoes. Depending on where you live, certain times of the year are worthless, of course. But assuming the weather is warm, here is the mathematical formula to learn:

Lots of people = lots of women; Lots of women = lots of female feet;
Lots of female feet = some Tapered Toes.

1. Outdoors

Outside is ideal, because of the lighting. You don't need a flash, which is a no-no with candid shooting. You need a location with an event that attracts a lot of people, including or especially a lot of women, and something that will distract their attention away from you and your special purpose.

Sporting events, outdoor festivals, outdoor concerts and parades are the best.

You want a captive audience. For example, while they stand in place awaiting a
parade, I'll be scouring for TTs. When they're in line for food at an outdoor arts festival, I'm behind them snapping pics. When they're watching their team score, or their favorite car race by, or the horse they just bet on run, they're not watching me and my camera.

2. Indoors

If it's too hot out for any outdoor events, you know there's always women in the malls. The problem is that with a few exceptions, most malls have crappy lighting. Sometimes there's an open ceiling that allows light in, but it's not always enough. And you can't use a flash, unless you don't mind getting caught. You can do this, but just once. If the feet are worth it, and there's no other way, take the flash shot and get the hell out of there.

Otherwise, you need video. Most digital cameras have a video function, and you can take a 3-minute video clip. These don't require a flash, and get pretty decent clips even in poor lighting. It's better than nothing, but eats up a lot of memory.

V. TECHNIQUE

1. Photos or video?

Whether you take still shots or video clips will depend on the circumstances.
Since the clips are not very high quality, I prefer still shots. But those are sometimes hard to get.
You need a stationary subject, good lighting, sufficient noise (or you get caught by the lens noise and/or the snap), etc. I like to shoot the clips because they take little work, you can do them indoors
without a flash, and you don't have to focus.

So, if you're outdoors, and it's bright and noisy, I would shoot still shots. If you're indoors, or there's a lot of movement, go for the video. If you're outside in a long, slow line, I would snap still shots all day (as long as the camera noise doesn't give you away.) If you're in a shop where people move around a lot, I'd take video.

2. Walking shots

Sometimes the girl doesn't stop. I like to get something while they're moving, just to make sure I capture something. If they stop later and I get great still shots, that's even better. So you can either film video of them walking, or you can snap still shots.

Video is easy. You just zoom in and hold the camera out above their foot as they walk. Try to stay behind her and to the side, and pick a foot. Don't worry about the viewfinder too much, just concentrate on not being noticed, and hope for the best.

The secret with walking still shots is:
1) don't zoom in at all. If you zoom, the pics will be blurry.
2) make sure you are taking the pics on the Largest size setting. This will make up for being zoomed out.
3) use Continuous Shooting Mode to capture almost every step. This is the Shotgun Approach. You're bound to get at least 1 good pic this way.

3. Etc.

- Time is of the Essence - you usually only have one good opportunity.
I can't stress this point enough. Everything else revolves around this idea.

- Always use Continuous Shooting Mode. Multiple shots in a limited time means you can get out of there quicker, and you don't have to keep re-focusing.

- Make sure you focus on the foot before you start snapping. I hold the camera out away from the leg to make sure the lens focuses on the foot and not the leg.

- Wear pants or shorts with baggy pockets. Jeans are usually bad. Turn on the camera inside your pocket with your hand, zoom all the way in, then when you pull it out, you're already filming or ready to shoot.

- Don't stick out in a crowd. Wear boring colors, like beige or gray or black or white. Think about how the girl or her boyfriend might try to describe you to someone else, if you get caught. "He had brown hair and was wearing a white shirt" is gonna be harder to find than "He had a blond mohawk and was wearing an orange shirt with red pants."

- Always wear sunglasses! That way you can scan the ground for feet without anyone seeing where you're looking.

- Err on the side of larger pictures. But be aware that you don't need the largest size for zoomed-in, close-up still shots. I usually use the medium size for those. Larger pics are great if the foot is a small part of the shot, due to distance, but they eat up a lot of memory on your card and on your computer.

- Carry a cell phone as a possible method of distraction. You can pretend to talk quietly on the phone and people will ignore you. Hold the camera in your other hand and snap away. Just keep the ringer off so it doesn't ring at a bad time, like when you've just perfectly positioned yourself to take pics.

- Know your camera. When you're standing next to your dream Foot Girl, that's not the time to try to figure out how to use the camera. Be ready to rock at a moment's notice.

- Go thru a mental checklist: (is the camera on? is it zoomed in? it is in the correct shooting mode? is it in Record and not in Play? is the flash off?, etc.)

4. Sample situation:

I'm at an outdoor arts festival in the Spring. Feet are everywhere. I'm wearing boring clothes, baggy shorts, no facial hair, a baseball cap with no logo, and sunglasses. I'm holding a folded-up festival program in my left hand, and my right hand is free. I'm scanning the feet of every woman that I walk by, but my head is up, so nobody can see what I'm looking at. Suddenly a woman walks by me in the opposite direction, and I catch a glimpse at her feet. She is very average-looking, slim but not overly attractive, but her feet - they nearly stop my heart!! She has incredible, perfect Tapered Toes. She's wearing the sexiest black strappy sandals, with 4" heels. Her toenails are painted blood red. Her boyfriend or husband is walking with her. (Dammit, they're always with a guy!)

I memorize her clothing, so I know what to look for. I walk another step or 2, just so I don't look obvious. I stop and look around like I'm lost. I turn around and head the other direction. I spot her about 20' ahead of me. She's wearing a blue t-shirt, and I don't take my eyes off her, because I know if I do I'll lose her in this crowd. I stay back so she and her friend don't even know I exist.

I put my right hand into my right pocket and pull out my camera in its little black case. The zipper is open so I can easily power it on and zoom all the way in. The lens pokes through the hole in front. I put it into Continuous Shooting Mode, then I wrap it in my program so nobody can see it.

A couple of times they stop. They want something to eat at one of the food stands. I stop and look at another food stand, pretending to read the menu. When they walk, I walk. When they stop, I stop. I don't want them to know I'm there until my camera is trained on her.

Finally they stop at a beer line. There's only a couple people ahead of them, so there won't be much time. I hurry to get in line behind them. If I'm not directly behind her, there's no point. I just sneak in right in front of another group. Now I'm behind her, and I take the camera in my right hand and the program in my left. I hold the program like I'm reading it, and I hold the camera underneath it. I tilt the program forward and lift the end closest to me so I can see the camera's viewfinder. I train the viewfinder on her gorgeous toes, making sure the focus box either catches her foot or the ground next to it, and not her legs. I make sure to glance up to make sure the boyfriend isn't watching me. He's standing directly to her left, so I have to stay back away from her a little. I also have to be careful that the people behind me don't see what I'm doing, so I'm blocking them out with my body.

I focus and start snapping away. I just let the camera do its thing, taking multiple pics of her wonderful feet. I'm standing to her left, so I got a bunch of her left foot, but I also want the right. I angle the camera to catch the right foot in the same shot with the left. Then I casually move to her right side and hold the camera directly over her right foot. Since the boyfriend isn't on this side, I don't have to worry about him, so I get bold. I hold the camera out away from my body and right over her foot, and start snapping. But wait, the girl working behind the beer counter can see everything! She's totally watching me. Shit. I pull the camera back up and wait for another opportunity.

I would recommend doing some practice work on some boring feet, just to get
'in shape.' I have screwed up a couple times because I hadn't shot candids in a while. I forgot to zoom in before I started filming, and ended up with distant clips on a girl who had awesome feet. Don't get caught on boring feet though - if you're gonna get caught, make sure she's worth it!! Don't take stupid chances on the borderline ones.

It does take balls, but you have to figure you'll never see these people again anyway, so who cares if you get caught? Nobody says anything; they can't figure out exactly what you're doing, and I take off casually but quickly. If you play it cool most of these chicks don't even know you were there. The boyfriends and others are the ones you have to watch, though! But they're probably not gonna think you're taking feet pics - most people would never guess that. They may think you're trying to take upskirt shots, though, which will piss them off even more. That's why you have to know when to bail.

Remember the basic rules are: 1) be cool, 2) be aware of who's watching you, 3) hold something in your free hand to cover or distract attention from your camera (a bag, a hat, a newspaper, etc.), and 4) pick a time or place when the girl is looking somewhere else, like a parade, concert, horse/car/dog race.

GOOD LUCK AND SEND US THE BEST ONES TO SEE!!

**This website does NOT recommend or condone any illegal activity in taking foot photographs.