Children, do they stop you shooting?

raid said:
I was with my family at a childrens' fair. As I was walking around with my camera, I could swear that a man was following me for about ten minutes. When I then stood with my wife and two daughters, he gave me a last look and then walked away. It makes people uncomfortable to see a man with a camera when there are many children around.
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My son has been swimming for the local city’s swimming club since he was 11, he’s 19 now, in recent years if I want to photograph at meetings I have to register and wear a label round my neck. I half understand why, but I personally feel offered by that a, a lack of trust thing I think
 
if I want to photograph at meetings I have to register and wear a label round my neck. I half understand why, but I personally feel offered by that a, a lack of trust thing I think__________________

At least that's a fair chance as having that lebel you have an answer for those who might ask you
 
Here is an example of when well intentioned laws are misused by authorities. In 2003, I believe, Texas passed a law prohibiting unauthorized photography inside locker rooms, dressing rooms, etc. The law was so vaguely written however, that soon, prosecutors began extending the scope of the original law to "catch" perverts in public taking "questionable" photos.

In 2005, in Southlake, Texas, a very affluent suburb of Dallas, Lewis Vogel was arrested for shooting innapropriate photos at an Octoberfest celebration in the town square. Several ladies at the event noticed him shooting photos of, what they said were young girls. The ladies approached a couple of police officers and told them about it. They asked Vogel if they could see the pictures. He showed the photos to them and they promptly arrested him and confiscated the camera.

The Southlake police department held a press conference a few hours later detailing the arrest of Vogel to the media. That evening, Vogel's name and photo was played on every evening TV newscast. Vogel had no prior criminal record. Not even a ticket. Nothing. He explained to the authorities that he was testing out his new camera and he had shot several photos of pretty girls in the crowd, as well as other things happening at the event.

Vogel was released on bail. A few days later, another press conference was held in which a city attorney announced that all charges against Vogel had been dropped and an official apology was made to Vogel. The attorney said, that after reviewing the photos, there was absolutely nothing illegal about his activity.

Of course, the damage to Vogel's reputation had been done. I believe that Vogel later filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against the City of Southlake.

This is what happens when you have vaguely written laws and then ask the police to enforce these laws. A lot of times, publicity seeking politicians pass band-aid type laws instead of dealing responsibly with the real problem.

These are the kind of laws that worry me, and they are popping up all over the country.
 
Yes, I support the right to photograph anywhere.

But, a good friend of mine is a keen swimmer.

She used to swim every day when the pool was empty.

She's a very attractive young woman.

A guy started showing up with a video camera and filming her every day.

She felt intimidated by his behavior and switched to another pool.

We do have rights to make photos, but we should not scare people.
 
That Vogel case is scary, but seems to be an extension of the paranoia the current government has worked very diligently to instill in U.S. citizens. It's all part of the cutback on civil rights and personal freedoms - I am just glad the legal system supported Vogel in this case. If some meathead wants to arrest me for practicing free speech and expression in a public place, then let em, and I'll sue as well. I'm starting to believe even though the legal system is routinely abused with frivolous law suits, that the Law is our last defense against the abuses of our government - they're becoming real heroes in my mind, and deserve every penny they get. Thank God for checks and balances and term limits!
 
Yes, Matt, the legal system may be our last recourse to stopping a lot of this nonsense. If you hit 'em in the pocketbook, that usually gets someone's attention.

And you are absolutely right, we have become a nation living in a perpetual state of fear. It is really sad.....
 
Whole thread sounds weird for me. What is that paranoya about photographing kids?
I occasionally photograph kids - when they are posing, or asking for shot.
there is a 4yr girl in our neighboorhod, who likes to pose if she see me with camera - and she happy about that (maybe future model? :) )
 
The paranoia is because we live in societies where we are automatically labelled perverts, freaks, future murderers etc. The UK is getting really bad for this, really really bad.

However, I noticed if you have a medium format and are really, REALLY obvious, nobody cares?
 
The other side to this issue is photographing one's own children and not being able to post them on Photo websites due to the fear that the images will end up in other locations.
My kids are my always available, go-to test models for new lenses, resident goofballs, and precious innocents, all of which are excellent for photo opportunities.
Nevertheless I've never posted recognizable images of them on my Flickr site, which is too bad because being a kid is a documentary project in itself.
 
strange that people feel fear about their children being taken in photo in the UK while their so many CCTV cameras everywhere in the streets??
 
ERV said:
The other side to this issue is photographing one's own children and not being able to post them on Photo websites due to the fear that the images will end up in other locations.
My kids are my always available, go-to test models for new lenses, resident goofballs, and precious innocents, all of which are excellent for photo opportunities.
Nevertheless I've never posted recognizable images of them on my Flickr site, which is too bad because being a kid is a documentary project in itself.
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ERV, agreed -- the best photos I've ever taken are of my children, but I do not feel comfortable posting them online. My wife laid down the law "no photos of the girls online" -- at first I thought she was being over-cautious, but then I started to see it her way.
A bit like Islamic sharia law (keep the ladies covered up and out of sight)? Maybe, maybe...a complicated question...
 
ClaremontPhoto said:
A friend of mine has a t-shirt with 'Film Crew' on the back.

I was already thinking of getting some with 'Photographer' on the back in big letters.
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I actually have a t-shirt that reads on the front- "Street Photographer" and on the back it reads "Not a Terrorist"
 
I was shooting a color combination of a red serpentine bike rack next to a bright blue trash container. Nearby was a playground with the usual equipment and a couple of kids playing. Two days later the police came to my house and asked what I was up to. Seems a mother wrote down my license number and called it in. As soon as the officer saw the numerous prints on my walls it was evident I was a photographer. Left a bad taste in my mouth nonetheless.
 
danwilly said:
I was shooting a color combination of a red serpentine bike rack next to a bright blue trash container. Nearby was a playground with the usual equipment and a couple of kids playing. Two days later the police came to my house and asked what I was up to. Seems a mother wrote down my license number and called it in. As soon as the officer saw the numerous prints on my walls it was evident I was a photographer. Left a bad taste in my mouth nonetheless.
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Sometimes I think our country has gone insane.
 
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