David Kilpatrick wrote:You should not forget that Dorothea Lange and colleagues were equipped with Farm Securities Administration ID and remit, and therefore were able to be 'official' when asking people to be included in pictures. Mass Observation had a similar 'pseudo authority'. I guess we have had some similar initiatives in Britain, mainly recruiting people to record life on one day (Millennium stuff) or to work free for national heritage projects.
The moment you say to someone, 'this is for X', like a report or an exhibition, they are far more likely to agree to photography.
Yes, that is a good point. There are times when I wish I had some "authority" to open some doors.

Speaking of doors, there have been times when I have been in a place where a cool photo was taken and published in National Geographic or some other well known publication, but once I was there it was clear that the photographer had some special pull in order to get in a position (on the roof of a building, etc.) that no one else would have access to. Or, inside of a place where photography is not allowed and so on.
David Kilpatrick wrote:
You do extremely well just by interacting with people, without any kind of official permission. I know from years of editing photo mags that this is a rare talent.
Thanks, David. I can't tell you how many wonderful photos I have passed up because I didn't feel bold enough though. Some of them are people displaying strong emotions and/or interacting with others in a situation or surroundings that would make a great photo. I don't miss all, but miss more than I get. I just reluctantly walk on by with my camera down while all the time thinking how much I want the photo. Sometimes I stop and talk to people, but those are always different types of photos -- sometimes good, but not a candid view into their world.