A key attraction for me with street photography has always been the immediacy and subject interaction...granted we can't do that with every shot.
In the end, it is not about gaffer tapes, or zooms, or hiding, or subterfuge...a shot becomes dear when it has a memory, a story, or moment however mundane.
I have done a fair bit of wandering...and as you indicate South Asia, here is a bucolic "street" shot...
Some years ago, during a trip into the villages of India, I came across this goat herder sitting on the grass... while all her goats were out in the field, this one kid-goat was milling around her feet coming up to nuzzle and she was clearly fond of it.
I learned that either his mom had died or had rejected the little guy and he had taken to hanging around the herder. I politely asked if I could take a picture and she agreed.
While this is clearly not a sharp picture, and I think I may have used a point and shoot, I still smile at remembering the encounter.
I guess we will have to differ on our views on what is the attraction of street photography - to me it is not subject interaction but capturing life candidly. That is not to say that I do not interact with my subjects, I do but after the event, not before. Otherwise my presence is affecting the image.
Gaffer tape - as I have indicated, this primarily do with making people think my camera is old and so they are not inclined to steal it - its not a big deal.
Zooms - since you put this in the same sentence Ill make the assumption you are referring to my post - you will notice that I shoot with a small 35mm prime, close to my subject. I dont use zooms.
Subterfuge - I dont hide. I work close to my subjects and use my body language to disappear as much as I can by encouraging them to forget about me.
A shot can become dear for a variety of reasons, not just because someone has told you some interesting background to a picture. I like layers to in my images - they can tell stories without my needing to ask anyone anything.
The shot in which you asked for a portrait is a nice shot and has good story. For me a requested portrait in my opinion is not 'street photography' in the traditional sense which I would suggest at least has the premise that pictures are not requested. I will occasionally request a portrait, Im not saying I see anything wrong with this. It is a different style of photography to that which I am practising however.
Yes its good to be polite and I often thank and engage people after I have taken a candid shot and talk to them and thank them if appropriate.
Your subsequent image - Im not sure what point you are trying to make since I never take images as far away as that -
