Photographing in public & feeling like an idiot

Not sure if this is a function of biology or maturity, but, when I turned 50, I stopped caring too much about how people perceive me in public with a camera. I certainly try to avoid offending or impinging on anyone, but what they think of me is their business. This has been liberating.
 
Disaster_Area said:
I kind of like being mistaken for a tourist... I live in Ottawa where at any given time between 25-90% of the down town crowd are tourists. It actually makes it MUCH easier to take pictures... all the market stall owners are usually more than happy to make a tourist feel welcome... and in Ottawa most people have learned to tune out the tourists reflexively so I can be pretty much invisible in the middle of a crowd.
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Absolutely! When I lived in Cambridge I often wore a camera for protective colouration.

The other thing is that the majority of sane people don't mind being photographed, unless you really shove the camera in their faces or are offensive about it. In many cases when someone complains about your taking a picture, therefore, you're dealing with an eccentric, weirdo, paranoiac or someone with something to hide. Or possibly what the French call an Anglo-Saxon. I don't feel much obligated to conform to their world picture.

Cheers,

R.
 
Yes, I know what you mean. I've had that feeling. The trick is to look casual. If you take it out quickly, snap a shot stick it in your pocket and walk away before embarrassment encompasses you, passers-by will think you are a criminal.
I'll be wishing I had my glasses on to see what you were shooting and what with, but that's me. If I wasn't into this sort of thing(and therefore wouldn't have any knowledge of it), one look at you and I'd think "criminal".
 
When I visited my home town in 1981, I walked around and took shots of buildings and parts of buildings. I was heavy into model railroading (plane to take it back up one day) and wanted to record some of the buildings so I could scratch build them later.

I noticed people were stopping to see what I was shooting. Now I live here once again and the towns people are used to me walking around taking photos. The ones I took in 1981, well, the town wants me to make 8x10 prints and donate them to the historical society. A lot of those buildings have been torn down.
 
bmattock said:
I think Gang of Four said it best:



I just get on with my life. Who is watching me, what do they think of me? I don't know. Should I know? I don't care. Should I care?
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At times Bill you seem to have an almost existential attiude towards your surroundings?

Existentialism has always fascinated me!
 
jsrockit said:
I just tell not to flatter themselves and that the real subject (generally an inanimate object) I photographed was more interesting then their sorry ass. 😉
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Just like the bald fat greasy guy at the park, who growled at me, "Doan tek pitchers of the kids!"

I stuck my nose in his face and told him, "Doan wirry, Im not intersted in pitchers of your grubby little house ape, crumb-snatching, curtain climbers!"

He relented. I wish there had been a cop nearby. I'd have been happy to show them the 300 plus pictures I had taken of the cars at the car show at the other end of the park!
 
August Derleth said:
You're not obligated, but it's mean and petty to hog a table for a long time out of spite or for some possibly misperceived sense of being "rushed".

You deprive the waiter of sorely needed income, and keep some other diners waiting for a table just to "teach them a lesson".

I find that to be sociopathic behavior.

You've already stated you linger over coffee and dessert just to eat up more time.

.
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I'm "sociopathic" because I get annoyed when waiters are rude to me? Get a grip, OK?

A waiter will get "sorely needed income" from me if he treats me like a welcome customer. I'm not a small tipper. If he treats me like an unwelcome annoyance, he won't get much. I'm a paying customer in a restaurant, not a donor to a charity case.

I'm under no obligation to leave a restaurant before I'm ready. If a waiter is obviously rushing me, especially in a restaurant that is not busy, I am liable to linger longer than I planned. I also have been known to say something to the waiter, or the manager. Nothing "sociopathic" about that.

If restaurants don't want solo customers, they need to put signs on their doors. They need to fire any staff who are rude to solo diners.

[EDIT: How do I know I'm being rushed? When the waiter presents the bill with the entrée and comes back two minutes later and asks why I haven't pulled out my credit card. It's happened. Most wait staff are pleasant and efficient. But, not all.]
 
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wgerrard said:
In the UK last autumn. In Canterbury, in some kind of pseudo-French bistro. Painted red. I think it's part of a franchise.

I admit I get really ticked off when someone gives me the "Aren't you done yet?" look. A customer is a customer, though.
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Sounds like Café Rouge, one of those chain places that's a huge crock of sh*t... In fairness some of them are fine but I'd sooner choose a local place (says me who had Nandos the last time I was in Canterbury, but I had fish and chips the night before!)

Vicky
 
kuzano said:
Just like the bald fat greasy guy at the park, who growled at me, "Doan tek pitchers of the kids!"

I stuck my nose in his face and told him, "Doan wirry, Im not intersted in pitchers of your grubby little house ape, crumb-snatching, curtain climbers!"

He relented. I wish there had been a cop nearby. I'd have been happy to show them the 300 plus pictures I had taken of the cars at the car show at the other end of the park!
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What a charming and diplomatic attitude you have!, some day - whether right or wrong, someone is likely to take your camera and put it in a very uncomfortable place, if you don't modify your reactions a little!. Perhaps if you had started to show him the 300 car pictures that you had just taken, he would have soon disappeared! 🙄
 
Lilserenity said:
Sounds like Café Rouge, one of those chain places that's a huge crock of sh*t... In fairness some of them are fine but I'd sooner choose a local place (says me who had Nandos the last time I was in Canterbury, but I had fish and chips the night before!)

Vicky
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Ah but nandos is amazing lol.

As far as photographing in public, I don't let it bother me. Id rather be out taking photos than shopping for clothes all day long.
 
Threads like this appear occasionally, and some people take delight in letting us all know - how ill-mannered, offensive, and downright belligerent they can be - when someone questions, or takes extra interest in their activities or pastimes!. No - I have never been a 'ultra humble', 'turn the other cheek' type person, and stand up for rights as rigidly as the next man.......but there are ways of speaking to people - in the first instance!
Dave.
 
I only feel uncomfortable photographing when there are kids around AND I don't have mine with me.
The rest of the time, it's all good.

Having said that, if I did live in a small town I would find it much harder. I agree with the advice that a local exhibition may be the way forward in this instance. Either that or some casual (possibly unpaid) commision work for a local business/cafe/pub.
 
Lilserenity said:
Sounds like Café Rouge, one of those chain places that's a huge crock of sh*t... In fairness some of them are fine but I'd sooner choose a local place (says me who had Nandos the last time I was in Canterbury, but I had fish and chips the night before!)

Vicky
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Yep, that's it. I didn't see the clues about it being part of a chain until I was inside. The weather was nasty, I was looking for the cathedral, and cold and wet after walking from the station. Countering the waiter's shenanigans was the couple at the next table: An elderly mother and her daughter who made it into their third drink while they were studying the menu, then ordered two bottles of wine.

Anyway, next trip I'll avoid Café Rouge.

I typically use the "blunder in" approach to finding a restaurant when I'm traveling. Results are decidedly mixed.
 
Dave Wilkinson said:
Threads like this appear occasionally, and some people take delight in letting us all know - how ill-mannered, offensive, and downright belligerent they can be - when someone questions, or takes extra interest in their activities or pastimes!. No - I have never been a 'ultra humble', 'turn the other cheek' type person, and stand up for rights as rigidly as the next man.......but there are ways of speaking to people - in the first instance!
Dave.
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Politeness is important.

I generally don't take pictures of people who do not want their picture taken. At least if they visibly (or audibly) are not interested in it. If they don't see me / my camera, I could not possibly care less what they want or don't want.

In my current "shooting people with the 4x5 in bars" I have had only one person who was against having his picture taken. Everyone else was: Cool camera or did not care.

There is no way to sneak a shot with a press camera.
 
wgerrard said:
I'm eating alone when I travel because I prefer to travel alone.

Frankly, I'm insulted when restaurant staff try to rush me through a meal or otherwise abuse me solely because I'm alone. I'm a paying customer who will leave a healthy tip, if they treat me like they treat every other customer. I am certainly not obligated to rush my meal just so they can make a few extra tips.

Otherwise, the gratuitous insults demean you.
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I'm with you, I've been sent away on training courses and to fill in at overseas offices and tend to have a meal in my city on the way to the airport and I leave good tips. However, if I get the feeling from the staff that want rid of me I'll linger. Good service and i'm out of there like a hot snot and leaving a juicy tip (because the meal will be free, expenses!)
 
Dear David,

That's why I said most sane people don't mind. They really don't!

90-99% of those few who do raise a query are easy to deal with politely.

As for the remainder -- well, why do we have to adjust our whole lives to deal with a small number of people who have a major problem with everything?

(Not unless some other bugger elects them!)

Cheers,

R.
 
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