Glen wrote: Over the last 24 hours I have been constantly saddened by the number of posts indicating how many of you out there are having confrontations about taking pictures in public places.
My troubles have been minor, but I am always surprised at the assumption that I should not be taking photographs. It's almost as if photography has become shameful overnight. Now I appreciate that some folk don't like their picture taken and I wouldn't go out of my way to do something someone clearly didn't want, but in 99% of the photos I want, I don't really want people in them anyway and if I do, they are very much in the distance. In many ways it's all a nonsense; chances are in a small town you are appearing on CCTV somewhere and in a big city maybe 50, 100, 200 cameras? Not that I have any objection to that - I welcome it today - but the principle should be both ways. If you objecting to being in a photo, chances are it's already too late, your image has been recorded. > What's a photographer to do? What are some good ways to > handle the common questions asked by such people, such as: > > > Why are you taking pictures? What are people going to object to next, eating in the street? Hey you, eating your fish and chips, don't you have cutlery and a table and chairs at home? It's not a big step. > Who are you working for? (This one always annoyed me. It's > as if you have > to work for someone else, to be "legitimate" in their mind.) No answer is right here, as you shouldn't have to justify taking a photograph. For goodness sake! > Do you have a studio / where's your studio? (Once again, > they are looking > for something that says you are "legitimate", based on their > erroneous > preconceived notions of what a "real" photographer would be > like. Never > mind the fact, that there are many respected professionals > without a studio > of their own, and that a lack of a commercial studio actually > means nothing.) > > Do you have a business card? (Same as before, if you can't > convince them > that you fit their preconceived notions of a commercial > photographer, then > you have no credibility in their eyes. It sometimes makes me > want to ask > them for their credentials to be a "professional onlooker", or a > "professional nosy pain in the ass", or whatever.) See above. > What are you going to do with these pictures? (Whatever you > tell them, > they never seem to actually trust the answer. Remember, if > they thought > they could trust you, they wouldn't have been pestering you > in the first > place.) This is a question which people feel free to ask. If you reverse that question, why do you need to know - they will be most unhappy. > Hey, you don't have permission to photograph me (or my > property)! (Even > though the photographer is definitely standing in a public place.) How much paranoia will it take for some bright individual to licence camera users in public places? > I think we should actually form a list of similar questions > and comments, > and take suggestions about how to best handle these common situations. I don't take vast amounts of photos on streets, but I think about the potential hassle. At one time, someone approaching you about what you were doing, was the prelude to a nice conversation, but I inwardly groan if I see someone approach now. I no longer talk to others I see out with a camera, in case that goes off to bad start, with the assumption I'm going to say he/she shouldn't be doing that. What a life, eh? Malcolm
