My first hit...

The area you were photographing in sounds to me like the odd adrenalin rush is to be expected ... getting attacked is a little extreme though!

In my limited attempts at street photography I've had two very unpleasant experiences and one was with the law. For me that type of crap doesn't justify the results! There are other fish worth frying.
 
Keith said:
The area you were photographing in sounds to me like the odd adrenalin rush is to be expected ... getting attacked is a little extreme though!

In my limited attempts at street photography I've had two very unpleasant experiences and one was with the law. For me that type of crap doesn't justify the results! There are other fish worth frying.
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Hi Keith,

Agree 100%. No preference for decadence here at all.

Cheers,

Juan
 
This could happen to anybody, even those not taking pictures. A paranoid junkie could flip on anyone. For example once I saw some junkies pick on a woman because she was nice enough to smile at them. The junkies started calling her all sorts of name, thinking she was laughing at them.

Don't think too much about it. Forgive the junkie because you know people in their right mind won't act in that way.


As far as shooting style is concerned, if you shoot from the hip and you're watched on CCTV, it looks pretty creepy and suspicious. In fact your camera might have looked small for the police thats why she was suspicious of you... The more conspicuous you're the more it shows your confidence and in fact it might even ward of muggers and paranoid women.
 
The most dangerous animals on earth are humans. Nothing should ever surprise us in the wide range of strange behavior exhibited by other members of our species. Be careful out there. Glad you're okay.
 
robklurfield said:
The most dangerous animals on earth are humans. Nothing should ever surprise us in the wide range of strange behavior exhibited by other members of our species. Be careful out there. Glad you're okay.
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Well no one's ever had their leg bitten off by a fellow bather while swimming at Bondi Beach ... but I understand where you're coming from Rob! 😀


Great-White-Shark.jpg
 
Quite a story, Juan!

Relieved to read both you and the Hexar made it home in one piece!

Let's be positive about it and assume the female officer and her colleagues were debriefed on the issue properly, so she will keep her cool in the future!
 
but juan, think you could find her and talk to her? sounds like an awesome character study. see if you can follow and photograph her for a few months. but, uh, with EXPLICIT permission 🙂
 
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Street photography in hard core areas is mentally challenging as well as the obvious dangers IMO. When I was photographing the homeless indigenous street people, most of whom were alcoholics or addicts at West End in Brisbane a while ago, the ocassional violence was confronting though it was seldom directed at me. What ended it for me eventually was not being able to deal emotionally with their situation. I would come away from that place some days so distraught it was difficult to get in my car and drive back to my comfortable life! 🙁
 
Firist off, Juan... Are you OK? No scratches or any broken skin?

Now... one thing to learn, kind readers: this was NOT a seedy, hard-core, red-light district. Juan was walking down Las Ramblas, which is a nice, wide, pedestrian way down which one can find creatures from all walks of life at almost any time.

I know Las Ramblas, and what Juan did takes guts... especially after 4 PM, when all students, kids and bureaucrats are off to their homes. That's when the ordinary traffic in Las Ramblas turns downright weird... because (if you're going Southbound, to the sea) to the West or right of Las Ramblas, there's an old neighborhood in which nobody should venture at any time, the "Barrio Chino." On the opposite side, there's the nice, old historical Barcelona, with cafés, stores and plazas. Las Ramblas divides both faces of the city, and it's a kind of "no man's land" after dusk.

I am sure the incident took the wind off your sails, Juan, but I'm also sure you won't give up photographing BCN just on account of a disturbed woman. Now, I worry about the police officer... and she should be better informed. If I were you, I don't know what I'd do to tell her there was nothing untoward in what you were doing... Let's hope she learned something after your experience.

Take care and have an Estrella to wash it off! Saludos!
 
You handled it well, Juan. Assaults on street prostitutes are not unusual. I suspect that was behind the reaction of the female cop.
 
Thanks all for the kind comments! I'm fine, thanks, even physically... When she hit my face with all her forces as I was opening my jacket pocket to save my camera and I didn't look at her for a second, indeed I thought "oh my, she's an skeleton, it's not been worse than a child's punch!"... I was really scared for a minute just because I didn't know if she had any weapon or if her "boss" could be around, so I just couldn't defend myself... But then the cops came, (they were passing by) and all I was worried about from then on was to keep my roll with me because of my yesterday's shots... Finally it all had a good end, and I know it could have been much worse without the police.

Cheers,

Juan
 
Juan Valdenebro said:
Anything's valid for getting the shot: what to offer her? There must be something she appreciates and calms her down... 🙂

Cheers,

Juan
Click to expand...

More dope? Heh just kidding. Glad to hear you're okay. What you did was show composure and not retaliate. I think that was the most important part - keeping your cool.
 
Juan

Good to know you and the Roll are ok (cameras we can buy, lost photos no one can).
I know the place very well and I would be surprise too (to say the least) if that happen to me, but there you go, expect the unexpected. You act very Kool. Brave Man.
If possible I would clear with a small chat any possible bad second thoughts with the Police woman, she may see you again (she may be upset with their male comrades for not let her "having" you...) and..., just to clear it up, buy a cafe show some of your work... it may help in the future.

And go back there again and shoot.. just don't go alone on the first attempt.

Saludo
 
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