How to overcome apprehension

Ko.Fe. said:
I am not too sure about harassing. Kim acted like an idiot and it is signaling to people on the streets. Everyone is well aware. It is not as odd as peeing on the streets and else discharging. I have seen it in Flanders and Nietherlands. White dudes thing. And I haven't seen Octoberfirst gatherings, yet.
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Public urination is not a "white dude" thing. It is universal. Sheesh
 
boojum said:
Public urination is not a "white dude" thing. It is universal. Sheesh
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Can't comment on entire universe.
My comment was only for what I have seen in Belgium and Netherlands. Where people are predominately white.
I only have seen one with none European roots done so here so far.


While in Amsterdam I participated in such thing, but it was under mild form, they have slightly fenced open air places for it.
Oh, while on bicycle and car I see dudes peeing regularly beside busy roads all over Belgium. Or just by the entrance of establishment.
Not a hobos. With well dressed female waiting nearby.
This is a bit unusual to me. I get used to take a hide for it.

It seems to be specific to Belgium. This weekend they had cycling event near apartment I'm for now.
Police, fences, support vehicles, hundred or so participants.... No porta potties.
One young cyclist has to pee on the road next to the start line.

I hope, I have provided enough details to fill in the picture.
 
Better to remain silent and thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.

To embroider this, contemplate anyone, anywhere who has an overwhelming urge to go to the bathroom. And there are no toilets nearby. Got it? I am sure you can figure this out. And there is a lot more going on in this world than that which you have seen. Because you have not seen it does not mean it has not happened.
 
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So, the way to overcome apprehension is to piss all over the place.

Apprehension (noun) anxiety or fear that something bad or unpleasant will happen.

Okay, whatever works.

Mike
 
Ko.Fe. said:
I am not too sure about harassing. Kim acted like an idiot and it is signaling to people on the streets. Everyone is well aware. It is not as odd as peeing on the streets and else discharging. I have seen it in Flanders and Nietherlands. White dudes thing. And I haven't seen Octoberfirst gatherings, yet.
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I'd happily punch Eric Kim out on the street.
 
I really appreciate all the comments. Vitaly's question really got me to thinking. Why do I want to do this? Well, there has been the component of a lot of people seem to be doing it so maybe it's rewarding, or fun. I want to challenge myself to find serendipitous moments where, to me, the shot is interesting. With the little bit I've done, it is more comfortable to ask, rather than just doing it, but of course that runs against the whole serendipity thing. That's how I took the picture of this street preacher. He hammed it up when I started taking pictures on my Yashica Electro.

Maybe I was hoping some of my pictures would be so powerful my wife would suggest I buy an M6. He he. I live in a little rural town in the mountains, so it's like the country mouse in the big city. I think simply more time in crowds will help me to feel more comfortable taking pictures.

The suggestion of starting with some events and easing into it makes sense. I've done that and it did feel less intimidating. In the end, it sounds like a lot of you have had to work through the same comfort zone.

Thanks again for the comments, well, apart from the urination tangent.


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Back to the thread, just take the damned picture. It is ourselves not the subjects who are objecting the most. Like riding a bicycle it gets easier with practice and is soon done easily and naturally.
Ko.Fe. said:
I am not too sure about harassing. Kim acted like an idiot and it is signaling to people on the streets. Everyone is well aware. It is not as odd as peeing on the streets and else discharging. I have seen it in Flanders and Nietherlands. White dudes thing. And I haven't seen Octoberfirst gatherings, yet.
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This reminded me of the story of three fellows on a train from London to Glasgow. One was a salesman, one was an accountant and one was a mathematician. Shortly after crossing into Scotland the salesman looked out the train window to a field they were passing and noticed it had black sheep in it. "Hey," he says, "all the sheep in Scotland are black!" The accountant says, "No, all the sheep in that field are black." The mathematician says, "No, the sheep we have seen in that field are black on at least one side." The lesson? To solve a problem first define it correctly. ;o) Ask a mathematician for help if you have trouble.
 
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To OP:
Since iPhone photography is accepted and tolerated on a large scale, you should be able to ask yourself the retorical question: “if that’s tolerated, why would I with my rangefinder be less accepted”?
I don’t know if you travel a lot but tolerance for being photographed can be very different between countries. In my experience, not only tolerance, but even joy and pleasure can be met in Asian countries much more than in Paris for instance.
The only way to overcome shyness is jumping into it and gathering positive feedbacks. Travelling, away from your own known environment, country and language, will certainly help.
 
boojum said:
The mathematician says, "No, the sheep we have seen in that field are black on at least one side." The lesson? To solve a problem first define Ask a mathematician for help if you have trouble.
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This won’t help against anxiety, on the contrary, it will only result in worrying about the other side of the sheep; life is dangerous and all that stuff.
 
agentlossing said:
I'd happily punch Eric Kim out on the street.
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After your comment I thought I'd have another look at his site as it must be years since I had even thought about him.

He is so full of shit it's unbelievable....

His recent series on Angkor Wat are some of the worst photographs I have ever seen, just appalling photographs appallingly processed.

As for his bullshit advice about Bitcoin, health, fashion, blah blah blah... I think he must be doing an enormous amount of drugs. It's a very sad thing if the newbies read this shit and think that's the direction to go in.

Anyway if you're going to punch him out in the street, I'd like to go next.

Hell, I feel better now.
 
To the OP, sorry about the last tangent.
The advice to try events is very good as is the advice to avoid the obvious like parades; look for what's happening on the periphery.
Also small towns are hard work to start with, try a big city if you can, everyone's so bloody busy they will hardly notice you.
I've been doing this for 40 years and it slowly becomes easier. I find a smile and a thank you go a long way.
Good luck and be persistent.
 
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