Accosted in COSTA

Only rarely have I been confronted in person, but that's probably because I don't do "people" shots. Instead, I get the random passers-by who like to call me in to the cops as a "suspicious man with a camera or some sort of weapon" (seriously!).
 
The law in the USA: THERE IS NO EXPECTATION OF PRIVACY ON A PUBLIC SPACE. COMMERCIAL PHOTOGRAPHY IS DIFFERENT. IF THE IMAGE IS FOR PROFIT THEN YOU NEED EITHER A PERMIT OR A WAIVER. NEWS EVENTS, I.E. PARADES, PUBLIC ADDRESSES NO PERMIT OR WAIVER NEEDED.
 
Huss said:
I find that when I use a Rolleiflex people come up to me and ask for their photo to be taken.
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this

had several people linger expectantly in front of an idle view camera on tripod while I waited to photograph a (empty) walkway the other week...

also: dashcams
 
It’s sad the amount of fear and paranoia that’s around in the affluent west.
Unfortunately it seems to allow powerful people to manipulate that fear for their advantage.

Several years ago I was traveling in the Indian state of Goa and stopped to take a photo. The subject was a house whose front yard was being used to store a large watermelon harvest. Was just focusing on the huge pile of fruit when a woman in the yard yelled for me to stop. This caught me by surprise, then she said, “Wait for the children to get in the picture “! I waited and got a more meaningful photo, her and the three children beside the pile of melons.

What a contrast to irrational camera fear.

Glenn
 
Sorry to hear you had to put up with this, kuvvy. Paranoia and its cousin profiling can be unpleasant. There are probably two issues here, mistaken concepts about privacy, and gender. If you'd been a young woman, or any woman, with a camera it's unlikely anyone would have paid attention, least of all the young women in the cafe.
 
PRJ said:
Turn it back on them. If they are creating a scene, tell them you would be happy to call the police so they can be arrested for disturbing the peace, which is an actual crime. Put it back on them. Self preservation is one of the strongest motivators in my experience.
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“What are you doing?”

“Calling the police, I can’t have you harassing me while I’m trying to work, can you just wait here till they arrive please? What’s your name?”

Problem has always decided that there is something more pressing deserving their time.

Of course, if the military is involved there is no chance that the photographer gets off without a long interrogation. Mere law is not of any concern to them.
 
Hey Paul sorry to hear about the situation you found yourself in mate, rest assured you did no wrong my friend, makes you wonder what HCB would have thought regarding the current social climate
 
If one wants privacy, stay at home.....with the shades drawn.....and make sure that camera in your monitor if it has one isn't on....LOL...
 
Just got hassled today, right around the corner from my house. With a Rollei. I made a picture of a snow covered car in a driveway from the side of the road. Guy pulled up and immediately started yelling. "Get off my property - get away from my car - you can't take a picture of my car" etc. etc. When he got out and started towards me I asked if he wanted me to call the police. He said yes. Wouldn't give me his name while I was on the phone. He stood there in the cold for about ten minutes then went inside. His wife came out, she and I always say hi when passing. She apologized for him, said she told him that he's seen me taking pictures all the time. He's a prison guard, so a stressful job (apparently also isn't used to dealing with people who have rights). Took about twenty minutes for the cop to show up. I explained my situation, he had me wait behind the cruiser while he chatted with the guy. Came back and told me to have a good day. Explained the prison guard thing again, how they are always worried that someone is stalking them, plotting something with pictures. Jesus. With a Rollei, right.
 
Again, if you are standing on a public space you can photography anything as long as it is not for commercial use. (Consider, or example, the Mall in Washington, DC: How is it possible to photograph a National Monument without having other tourists in the photo?) If you are standing on private property that you are allowed to be on (i.e. your own lawn) you can photography anything that passes. As far as photographing in restaurants I have not found one that will NOT allow it.
 
No idea what Costa is. What is this?
Where I'm it is allowed to take pictures in public places and events.
If it is not public, then different rules applies.
 
semi-ambivalent said:
Your "normal" camera is not the norm anymore. It's 2019.
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I wonder what would happen if I set up a 8x10 view camera, heavy tripod and black cloth and all in a public place for wet-plate photography?

Would these overly paranoid complainers who see a threat when they spot any male with camera get on their high horse and instantly accuse him of being a pervert or a terrorist or both for just doing any form of photography. ( maybe if we were born with the XX chromosome we would surely be left alone to go about our hobby unhindered)

I mean a 20 second exposure for the collodion plate in good daylight is going to blur even slow moving subjects anyways.
 
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