On 17/4/08, Peter Fairweather, discombobulated, unleashed: >I was prohibited from taking pictures of my grandson's under 10 >football team by "a league official"
I'm ambivalent about this - but not for the reasons you are thinking. If I was a punter (just an everyday bloke who likes taking pictures) then I'd probably react like you did. I get bored with confrontation very quickly so I do everything I can to avoid it, but get the job done (whether professionally for TV or unpaid kicks for stills) as easily as possible. With stills, if I've been told I can't take pictures etc, I nod politely and say things like 'oh, right', then reposition myself and carry on, perhaps less obviously. A school musical was one example. Out of sight, out of mind. I know I should kick up a stink and uphold our rights etc, but I'm just not into all that stuff now. I get a bigger kick out of stepping sideways and doing it more covertly. Better thrill :) With a TV camera, I get told all the time by anyone from Joe Public (whoever he is) through to police royal minders that I can't film this or can't film that. A wink and a smile, sure, no problem. There are ways of filming things without people knowing what's going on. Even when they're stood next to of you. Always cracks me up. BTW, humour interlude - standard wise-ass comments with my standard retorts: Comment: Hey did you get any good shots? Retort: I only ever get good shots. Comment: we're going to have to shoot quickly in this area... Retort: oh, that's a shame because I only ever work at one speed: excellent Comment: hey make sure you get my best side!! Retort: that'll be your backside then? [Reporter: Excuse me sir, we're from ITV and we're just asking people if - ] Comment: get that camera out of my face I don't want to be filmed! Retort: (loudly) Another one who doesn't want the free ten-thousand pounds! Comment: The sun is right in my eyes! Retort: Well, if you keep them closed, you won't see the three million people watching you... Comment: hey can I be on TV? Retort: I believe there's a camera in every cell these days. Comment: you can't park here, move it now Retort: excellent - by the time I've re-parked, I'll have made another 50 quid! Comment: You can't film here! Retort: Hey, you're right - you're stood in the way! *** Actually my attitude is more the 'join-em' rather then 'fight'em' so I prevent confrontation by flagging things up first. I photographed my son playing footy years ago - called the manager and mentioned I was going to take some pics of my lad, and would he like to email on the URL so the other families could see the results? He was happy of my approach - people in positions of responsibility love to feel in control, so Hell, let 'em. A head teacher [principal] told an audience of parents about to watch their 10 yr olds perform a school play that video and photos would not be permitted. A dozen fathers and grandfathers looked crestfallen and laid down their weapons. My weapon stayed down and popped up to rattle off a few snaps during noisy interludes like laughs or applause. Nobody saw me, and I got pics of a bit of the history of my son. Interestingly, the next year, after an onslaught of complaints, the head-teacher changed the policy. I can understand the authorities (in any country) being nervous about sensitive architecture being photographed or filmed. Even today I was filming outside an air base - one where even out on the public highway, the military police will be on you within 2 minutes or so to stop and search, question and harumph there way through a 20 minute ordeal in needless parading of power. Yet, one quick courtesy call to the base PR dept to say we'd be outside doing a piece to camera at 1pm for 15 minutes, and the grateful lady on the other end expressed her thanks and said she's get onto the cops and no problem at all. Net result = cops think they're in control, PR lady thinks she's in control, camera crew out front *know* who's in control ;-) Just a few thoughts. >I looked up the Football Association guidelines which were eminently >sensible and pointed out the legal rughts we have to take pictures in >public places. Define public places. > >I did make one unpardonable error which nearly caused me to be >escorted away. I called the "official" a moron. This is very offensive >to those of limited intelligence through no fault of their own, unlike >the official who had made a positive lifestyle choice!! Tsk - control yourself boy! The aim is to get the pic, not to shorten life :) > >Cotty is also right about the stupidity of this becoming an issue at a >time where the UK has more surveillance cameras than anywhere else and >news organisations routinely publish photos and videos taken on >telephones by members of the public. Hang on, Cotty was the messenger, not the author. But I knew what you meant ;-) -- Cheers, Cotty ___/\__ || (O) | People, Places, Pastiche ||=====| http://www.cottysnaps.com _____________________________ -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
