Picture Paranoia at Walmart

Actually, the only rational reason I plan a trip to Walmart is for 110 film and their send-away-to-Denver 110 processing. Keeps my Pocket Fujica 350 Zoom camera working.

~Joe
 
Nikolai said:
Pretending to not speak English also goes a looooong way.
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Uh oh... now you're not just suspicious... you're a suspicious FOREIGNER! Detain him! ;)


All jesting aside. This is starting to feel like it's epidemic across the US. And it feels nothing like the land of liberty and equality to me.
 
Al Kaplan said:
Don't people realize how easy it would be to photograph them with your "phone"? They all seem to have cameras these days!
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Amazingly, they don't.
I had a similar experience in Dunkin Donuts one Sunday morning. As I was waiting in line I snapped couple pictures of morning sun and shadows on the floor and few kids playing in the light spot. Woman next to me raised a stink, and soon everybody in line were looking at me with hatred, even though I pulled out the "photographer's rights" printout and tried to explain that if I wanted to sneak a pic, I would not do it with a pretty large camera I had, but rather with my cell phone... "It's creepy" was a verdict. I was glad to get my bagels and walk out. Nobody stopped or confront me but my mood was ruined that morning....

Here is that picture, by the way.
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Last summer I was at the Irvine Spectrum (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irvine_Spectrum) and I had just gotten an Argus Matchmatic and I was testing it out there... clumsily I might add, it's not the most ergonomic camera.

Anyway as I was snapping away at some of the architecture and light when I was approached by security who told me I couldn't take any photographs. I was taken aback and asked why. He said it was private property and I couldn't take any photos.

I see people taking snaps with their little digicams all the time at the place, but the freaking innocuous Matchmatic, the ****ing "HARRY POTTER" camera gets pulled aside.

The security guard kept an eye on me as I walked away and put the camera in my bag.

I eventually sold that Argus, didn't really care for it.
 
This is an interesting discussion, touching on a number of 'touchy' subjects, including privacy issues, trespass, potentially bad publicity for the property owner, etc., however these days as a practical matter we all know it impossible to be absolutely certain an area can't be photographed or recorded in some way.

So, as a practical matter, it impossible to stop recording, if the person doing the recording is not stupid about it.

Show up, act like you know what you are doing and get on with it...
 
This is really worrying. I have taken up LF and when my skill are up to it plan on shooting architecture. I would hate to set up near a landmark and then end up in COPS.
 
Used to work for a retailer (not W-M or sim.) and used a camera as part of my job while in the stores and was often confronted, flipped-off (usually noticed later upon review) stared at, avoided, whispered, snickered, questioned, etc.
But I have found that shopping malls were the most protective. Security in numbers with radios and deadly weapons in some non-US countries converging on the scene to protect "intellectual property" or whatever. Generally it seems people are curious and want to know what is going on or just want to make everything is okay.
 
I'd be angry if you took photos of my kid. Your photo looks like you WERE taking photos of the kids, even if you say you were taking photos of "sun and shadows".

I can think of a hundred reasons why I wouldn't want a random stranger to take a picture of my kid.

I don't take photos of other people's kids without permission. Pulling out a "photographer's rights" card in this situation just makes you look insane.

(and POSTING it here makes it worse)


MIkhail said:
Amazingly, they don't.
I had a similar experience in Dunkin Donuts one Sunday morning. As I was waiting in line I snapped couple pictures of morning sun and shadows on the floor and few kids playing in the light spot. Woman next to me raised a stink, and soon everybody in line were looking at me with hatred, even though I pulled out the "photographer's rights" printout and tried to explain that if I wanted to sneak a pic, I would not do it with a pretty large camera I had, but rather with my cell phone... "It's creepy" was a verdict. I was glad to get my bagels and walk out. Nobody stopped or confront me but my mood was ruined that morning....

Here is that picture, by the way.
New0020.jpg
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Jack Ketch said:
I'd be angry if you took photos of my kid. Your photo looks like you WERE taking photos of the kids, even if you say you were taking photos of "sun and shadows".

I can think of a hundred reasons why I wouldn't want a random stranger to take a picture of my kid.
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OK: give me one reason. There is, however a caveat: it has to be a rational reason, preferably evidence-based and most certainly not the product of fevered paranoia.

I don't take photos of other people's kids without permission. Pulling out a "photographer's rights" card in this situation just makes you look insane.
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"Pot, kettle, black" seems a fairly obvious rejoinder here.

(and POSTING it here makes it worse)
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How?

Sorry, but you seem to have had a somewhat over the top reaction - all that SHOUTING and such...

Nobody has ever really pointed out to me exactly what harm generic "photos of children" are supposed to cause (note here that I'm talking about kids doing perfectly normal kid things out in public, not about the allegedly all-pervasive child pornography which is the usual excuse trotted out whenever "photos of children" are mentioned).

...Mike

[Full disclosure: I am childless and can think of about two or three [edit]on further thought, make that "half a dozen or so"[/edit] photos I've taken, at most, of children that weren't things like birthday parties for friends' children. I don't have any particular dog in this fight - I'd just like to know WTF all the fuss is about.]
 
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I have thought of going to the big city, or to an open air restaurant and taking random images of people or buildings but these posts certainly put this idea far out of my mind.

Taking pictures of large enterprises like WalMart who could have something to hide is understandable. Taking pictures of people, unbidden, will have various issues I'm sure.

I live in a rural area, surrounded by mountains, rivers, lakes and wild animals. We do not have a WalMart or anything like it, yet, but if we did it would be difficult to imagine turning my camera to one of those big ugly slobs when the beauty of the natural surroundings is all around.
 
I live in New York City.

Imagine that I am somewhere with my small child and some big gooney guy comes over, watches him, and then starts taking photos of him.

If I ask him to refrain from doing so, he then pulls out a card with his "rights" and continues to photograph.

Google the words "Etan Patz".

I am a non-public figure, I don't seek publicity, and it's entirely within my rights to ask someone not to photograph my small son.

I'm a very zealous advocate of "photographer's rights", but photographing someone's children without their permission is not one of them.
 
Jack Ketch said:
I'd be angry if you took photos of my kid. Your photo looks like you WERE taking photos of the kids, even if you say you were taking photos of "sun and shadows".

I can think of a hundred reasons why I wouldn't want a random stranger to take a picture of my kid.

I don't take photos of other people's kids without permission. Pulling out a "photographer's rights" card in this situation just makes you look insane.

(and POSTING it here makes it worse)
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Its people with views like this that make it so hard for us - the PHOTOGRAPHERS to take pictures.

As a side note, years ago, while in school, I used to work at the mall part-time and at times people came it, took pics inside the store - never a problem. Why would there be? Moreover, some years later, I came with some friends to the same mall and we took some pics as we were shopping - all inside different stores - no problems. Actually their security guards came in and helped us - one took a few group pics and the other even got in one of the photos! Well, maybe it had something to do with the fact that it was me and several pretty girls (my friends) and not some lonely starnger taking photos - dont know.
But anyway, it's sad that people react this way to a simple photograph - whats the big deal?
 
Jack Ketch said:
I am a non-public figure, I don't seek publicity, and it's entirely within my rights to ask someone not to photograph my small son.

.
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Yes and it's within my(or anyone else's) rights to ignore that, unless it's your property we are at. Now, I'm not trying to start an argument, and if you'd ask me nice - I'd probably say "Ok, no problem" and walk away. But if you get in my face with this, trust me - you would get same in return. Also, it's all within reason - if I was standing on a street and taking a photo of a building and your child runs into the frame - sorry - not my problem, and I expect NOT to be confronted with - "dont take pics of my child!" .
 
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