Photographing children

[p.giannakis]

Hi everyone,

Those of you who have visited my gallery, you have noticed that i have been taking pictures of people for some time now. The human figure and the way people interact has always been something i have been interested in and i still am.

With time, people's attitude towards being photographed has changed. In the past someone might object in having their picture taken but they would not go to the extent of openly confronting me about it. I spend considerable amount of time nowadays telling them who i am, why i take pictures and giving them cards with my blog to see picture samples.

Where things have become even worse is when it comes to photographing children. In the past, parents would approach me and ask me to give them a print of the picture - not any more.

Two days ago, I received the following email from my daughter's school, titled "Urgent - Cause for Concern - Safeguarding".

[FONT=&quot]Dear Parent/Guardian[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Please see below a message we have received from ***** High School this morning.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]We have received cause for concern today, regarding students’ safety whilst en-route to and from school in our catchment area. This has involved students being approached by a stranger who has taken photographs of them. The police have been informed and we have been advised to ask parents to remind students to be wary of potentially dangerous situations and suspicious behaviour. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]It is important that children [FONT=&quot]trust their instincts and if [/FONT]they ever feel scared or uncomfortable, they should get away as fast as they can and tell an adult. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]We would appreciate you taking the time to discuss these concerns with your child and remind them that they can report any worries to school, as well as parents.
[/FONT]

"Safeguarding issues". I have been taking pictures of adults and children on my holidays abroad - never had any issues, let alone those being safeguarding ones.

Is this the playground of paranoia? Are we going back to those times when having had your picture taken, it meant that someone stole your soul?

 

[lynnb]

Sorry to read about this. I believe it's paranoia specific to certain countries/cultures, which conflates photographing children in public places with predatory behaviour. I get the impression the popular media is at least partly responsible for spreading such ideas.

(Satire alert) Perhaps a suitable response would be to write to the school urging that all mobile phones in the possession of both students and parents be banned, as well as in the possession of anyone within a 2 mile radius of schools or playgrounds, as children are at risk from such devices, given their ubiquity and ease of uploading photos/videos to the internet. This would be reasonable if it only saves one child from danger.

 

[lynnb]

I must add that children should always be taught about "stranger danger" - this has always been the case. The issue is how to identify what is dangerous. Incidences like Rotherham left parents, carers and teachers highly aware of and sensitised to risk.

Photographers are always vulnerable in such circumstances as most people are not aware of the tradition of social documentary and street photography. Anything even slightly unusual in these circumstances is bound to draw attention.

 

[Steve M.]

I'll be brutally honest w/ the risk of PO'ing people here. I could care less about all the fear mongering that is generated in this society (and this society being most every society in the world). I do what I want, when I want, and do not care if it harelips everyone back on Bear Creek because I'm a good person. That radiates out, so if someone objects to something I am doing w/ my life, well, that's THEIR problem, ain't it? Strangers are NOT dangerous. Strangers are just a probable friend you have not made yet, and I give everyone the benefit of the doubt until they prove me wrong. I would never, ever teach my children that people are dangerous, and didn't do that when I raised mine. That is just not OK.

It is really foolish to live your life in fear, so it behooves us not to buy into this culture of fear, paranoia and suspicion. My motives are good, that's all that matters. So if I want to photograph someone or something, or sketch them, I just do it. If it creates a problem w/ someone, it gets dealt w/ then. Almost never does it create a problem by the way. You have to smile when you take a shot, put the camera down, and move on. If someone follows you and causes a problem, at that point it's harassment and a potential lawsuit, so make sure they know that. Someone that does not understand how image making works needs to hang it up. If someone hassles you, put them on the spot. Tell them to call a cop. You'll stand right there and wait patiently.

In one situation on the street I went and fetched a cop myself, and the cop told them that they could not stop anyone from taking a photograph in a public place. That is how it works, at least here in America. Don't let people or governments or so called law enforcement agencies attempt to take your freedoms away, because once they're gone they may not be coming back in your lifetime. This life, being the only one we will have on this earth, is precious. Do something w/ it. Be fearless, call people on their behavior if they interfere w/ your freedoms.

 

[robert blu]

It's a paranoiac situation which is more and more spread around the world.
In Italy where I live if you just walk near a school with a camera you are someone to be careful of. It also happened that someone who took pictures of children was approached by the parents who ask him money not to bring him to the court (which would be anyway expensive and with a doubtful result even when you are an honest person).
It's a sad world we are living in and I'm afraid it will become always more complicated.
robert

 

[BuzzyOne]

High School "Children"? Mmmkay.

I'm with Steve M. on this. I'm willing to give up a cleft palate or two on Bear Creek. The world can't cotton to such irrational fears.

Doesn't anyone have logical reasoning skills any longer? What is happening in the world? Why does one person with an irrational fear get to champion over logic and cause grief for the rest of us? This is up there with the whole foreign terrorist thing. Did you know in the US, you have a better change of being shot and killed by a baby in a diaper than you do a foreign Islamic terrorist?

Lawnmowers kill more people than diapered babies and terrorists combined.

What is the old saying about if you are the only sane person around then maybe you're the nutter?

Maybe I'm the nutter.

 

[BuzzyOne]

It's a paranoiac situation which is more and more spread around the world.
In Italy where I live if you just walk near a school with a camera you are someone to be careful of. It also happened that someone who took pictures of children was approached by the parents who ask him money not to bring him to the court (which would be anyway expensive and with a doubtful result even when you are an honest person).
It's a sad world we are living in and I'm afraid it will become always more complicated.
robert

After the whole Amanda Knox thing, I'd rather stay out of Italy.

 

[Erik van Straten]

Leica I, Elmar 50mm f/3.5, 400-2TMY.

Erik.

 

[Erik van Straten]

It has to do with the cameras. "Normal people" nowadays use their phone to take pictures. In the eyes of many, a camera is a dangerous thing, even a Leica I from 1930.

Erik.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

It was on the radio yesterday. Somewhere in USA 12 YO girl was selling plastic toys for charity at school. She was expelled from school because according to the principal she was selling sex toys.
What it tells us? It tells us what not only idiot could be in charge of entire country, but of the regular school.

What story tells me in OP? Here is the school. At normal day, parents are at work, kids are going somewhere on the bus. Total stranger takes their pictures by approaching close.
What is my conclusion? At school where principal is compliant for the job - stranger will be approached immediately by school stuff and asked WTFotography is going on in very first seconds. And letter will be sent, of course.
We have similar case at our town recently. Someone was taking pictures of kids playing outside during school brake. Letter was sent.

For those who are crying here how time was change. Yes, it is changed. By the time you were at school how many times schools were attacked with firearms?
Do not be crying babies here. Any normal person and experienced photographer in situation like in OP would approach school and get into the office, first. To identify, explain and ask for permission to photograph kids close and at the school.

Here is nothing wrong if you take one picture like Eric showed here. But if you are getting close to children at school and keep on photograph them it is too weirdo.

Feel free to me I'm an idiot.

 

[p.giannakis]

I am afraid you haven't read the OP properly Co.Fe.
The email was sent to every parent in a number of school around the named High school. It spoke about someone taking a picture of kids walking to school. We are talking about an area of more than 10 square miles - somewhere someone took a picture of kids. It does not talk about someone taking pictures of kids playing in the playground.
And by the way, in UK there has been no school attacks. Last one was in 1996 and there is none before that.

 

[Corran]

By the time you were at school how many times schools were attacked with firearms?

http://www.k12academics.com/school-shootings/history-school-shootings-united-states#.WNaFV2_yvmg

School shootings are not a recent thing.

Any normal person and experienced photographer in situation like in OP would approach school and get into the office, first. To identify, explain and ask for permission to photograph kids close and at the school.

Any experienced person would know they would never be allowed to do that. Anything outside of typical day-to-day stuff is denied immediately. Taking pictures, doubly so, likely due to perceived privacy issues.

I worked at a high school shortly and then a college for 5 years. Asking permission to do anything just eliminates your plausible deniability. If it's not formally allowed, it's "against the rules."

 

[p.giannakis]

Just to clarify something, i am just a recipient of the email, not the person that the email refers to.

 

[Mackinaw]

A couple of years ago, I wanted to finish up a roll of Tri-X I had. There was probably six shots remaining on the roll so I quickly walked through a local street-fair in my small town, taking pictures of the ferris wheel and that sort of stuff with my 15mm fisheye lens. By chance, I photographed a few young kids who were in the background (because I was using a fisheye lens, I didn’t even notice them). About 30 minutes later, a friend of mine who was on Facebook, told me that there were several posts about a guy taking pictures of kids. All the comments are negative. I don’t know for sure if that were referring to me, but I suspect they were.

As a general rule, whenever I do street photography, I don’t photograph children. Ever.

Jim B.

 

[raid]

I do my best not to include any children other than my own in my photos.

 

[Scapevision]

I think it's a very simple solution. Only photograph your own kids, don't approach kids you don't know. Can't reason with idiots.

 

[aicardi]

As a general rule, whenever I do street photography, I don’t photograph children. Ever.
Jim B.

These days this is my rule as well.

 

[Erik van Straten]

As a general rule, whenever I do street photography, I don’t photograph children.

It starts with not photographing children. Where will it end?

Erik.

 

[Mackinaw]

It starts with not photographing children. Where will it end?....

Honestly, for street photography, not photographing children will have no impact on me. I much rather photograph adults.

If a parent wants me to photograph their kids, all they have to do is ask. Or better yet, hire me.

Jim B.

 

[Hatchetman]

It starts with not photographing children. Where will it end?

Erik.

Exactly. Maybe some people find it creepy are we going to outlaw everything people find creepy?