Stopped on the streets.

[PDriscoll]

I had this happen to me. While the 16yo security guard was telling me how no photographs are allowed in the mall I noticed that there was a photo booth right behind him. He wasn't amused.

Interestingly enough, photo/video stuff isn't allowed at the mall due to people being in the witness protection program. Atleast thats what I was told once when one of my friends was recording in a mall. A person in the witness protection program could be spotted in the video if it had gone public. Upon reflection, odds are it could just be a load of BS.

 

[btgc]

Do you guys ever stop and think why people hate photographers so much lately?

My guess it's all because govts are spreading ideas of hate - there always is enemy depicted, bad wrong guys which are responsible for all evil you can meet. While people live in hate they don't see real picture and can be manipulated at their wish. Happily for us, they have invented more evil targets.

 

[kully]

For the weirdness, I read the same post as you and knew it to be in jest from the language and the 'smiley' suffix (I don't jump out of a window everytime someone says 'I would murder for a digestive' or 'The postie has scrunched up the letters again, I'll kill him'. I wouldn't get hung up on it, nuances of language can be difficult to convey through pure text.

I agree with your logic that someone who wants both the right to take photographs and not to be photographed is incorrect in their logic. But, I don't see how that has anything to do with this thread. Have a proper read through, don't get stuck on something which is an obvious exaggeration and let us know what you think, I'd be interested to read what you think.

 

[_larky]

"people aren't two-dimensional shapes wondering about in your viewfinder 🙂"

What? Since when? 😉

I was thinking of killing this thread only because it started to turn odd, and I din't want it to turn into a flame war which resulted in a ban for anyone. If can stay on topic, and can turn into a good discussion, I'm happy for the mods to do as they see fit and keep it open.

Regarding the link above to the blog, asking for permission. My opinion is that you are then a portrait photographer, not a street or documentary photographer. That is my opinion only, but I believe it strongly enough to never ask permission. The only thing I ask for permission for on the street is to say hello to somebody's dog.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Have a proper read through, don't get stuck on something which is an obvious exaggeration and let us know what you think, I'd be interested to read what you think.

Well, as I said in an earlier post, I just don't think it's that much of a problem. Most people get over it more or less amiably, if you're amiable, and the crazies who take exception to everything are not amenable to reason but are very rare.

I think there's a lot of truth in btgc's statement that My guess it's all because govts are spreading ideas of hate - there always is enemy depicted, bad wrong guys which are responsible for all evil you can meet. While people live in hate they don't see real picture and can be manipulated at their wish. Happily for us, they have invented more evil targets. I'd blame the gutter press as well. Instead of trying to whip up their citizens against a common enemy, they're trying to foster a sense of belonging to group A by placing A and B in false opposition.

This is where my comment about photographing/being photographed came in. How many people have never taken a picture on the street in their life? Not 'street photography' but a picture of friends or an interesting old car or... well, almost anything, really.

As for weirdness, when I asked whether there wasn't a certain inconsistency in the weird post and received the one-word answer 'no', I decided that maybe I hadn't misunderstood him after all. But as you say, it can be very hard to express nuances in text alone, and some people just aren't very good at it anyway.

Cheers,

R.

 

[bizarrius]

how about we create a religion that says that "if i take a picture, its is against my religion to delete it" that way the subject is way to complicated and we might have some nice adventure.

yes i had people swearing at me and cops wanting me to delete the pictures but thank god for sandisk rescue pro 😀 brings all the deleted pictures back

 

[Tompas]

Tompas - I didn't have any problems in Berlin.

That's good, I'm glad you didn't. I think, Germans are usually quite relaxed about being photographed, especially those living in bigger cities. (But then, I haven't been outside of Germany for longer than a couple of weeks, so I can't really compare.)

But still, it is forbidden unless you ask first. Which is why I won't post any of my 'street photography' here (or elsewhere).

By the way, I made a picture of a family at a flea market around here: the father with his daughter on his shoulders, the mother holding hands with her boy, the boy shrinking back from something he sees but is not in the picture -- I like the image and showed it, among others, to some people at my company.

Of course the mother in my picture turns out to be the best friend of one of my accountants, who told me the father is, of all things, a policeman. Oops.

I gave her a nice big print for her friend (and one for herself), and later was told it's now hanging framed in that family's house. I really like giving pictures to people. It's fun, somehow.

 

[JoeV]

Interestingly enough, photo/video stuff isn't allowed at the mall due to people being in the witness protection program. Atleast thats what I was told once when one of my friends was recording in a mall. A person in the witness protection program could be spotted in the video if it had gone public. Upon reflection, odds are it could just be a load of BS.

Actually, places like malls are private property. So that the laws on the street or in public don't apply. Thus, management of the mall determines the photo policy.

-----------------------------------------------

Regarding the OP's issue, if he were shooting with a 4G cell phone camera and had that app that automatically uploads his photos to Photobucket as they're taken, it would be an entirely different discussion. This is the future of public photography.

Perhaps the problem many of us here at RFF are having with being confronted for public photography is that we're not using the right tools. It's like the recent story of the guy that tried to use a manual typewriter on an airliner, even when it was okay to turn on one's electronics, the other passengers were complaining about the noise, and the flight attendant made him stop. And he got extra screening at the airport, too. I like manual typewriters as well as traditional cameras, but I understand when using them can make you stand out like a sore thumb.

~Joe

 

[_larky]

Maybe we should use disposable cameras?

 

[dct]

Almost forgot, was going to post some of the best advice on this situation that I have seen on RFF.

When asked to delete an image, very expertly hold your Leica M6 up to "Chimp" the ISO dial. Turn the ISO dial to the number closest to the one that you wish to delete. Simultaneously press the shutter release and put your thumb on the back of the ISO dial.

Then turn and apologize for the inconvenience, and tell them the image is deleted.

Very good idea, maybe it could work even with a Ricoh 500GX? I had no such idea yesterday, when the following happened:

I did took a few shots in a central train station, because of interesting architecture details. I didn't sneak or camouflage my work, shooting mostly over the head of the crowd in the main station hall.

As I was fiddling around with the exposure settings on my RF a man spoke to me suddenly: Did you make a photograph of me? I want you delete this image immediately!

I really wasn't aware of that single person in the mass and I explained, I wouldn't make images of him, but of the station. And: that I use an analog film camera. No way to delete one single image.
He didn't leave at first and pressed again: Then you have to pull out the film.

I explained, that I will certainly not do that and that his image is - more detailed - on many surveillance camera systems too, beeing this a public place.
I just turned around and went to the next interesting photo spot.

Incredible how impertinent he was!