Stopped on the streets.

[_larky]

So, who's be stopped on the street by an angry person/couple wanting you to delete the photo, or worse still destroy the film?

I just have, guy said because of his religion he can't have photos taken. He then went to take my camera to destroy the film. I wouldn't let him, asked if he had a driving license, passport, or any photos of his family or himself on his phone. He didn't understand my point. I then simply asked the copper who was 20 feet away to let this guy know rights. The police were more interested in helping him than me, even though he started to break the law by using verbal threats. I walked off, ready with my weapon in hand.

Very stern phone call to Police about to take place. EDIT: Taken place, they are sorry but don't care.

So I wonder, how often this happens and how you handled it?

EDIT 2: Police are going to call me back on Thursday to have a proper chat about my complaint. Which isn't really a complaint, more of a question.

 

[David_Manning]

Where did this happen? What are the local laws?

 

[_larky]

UK, sorry, should have said. Laws mean I can shoot anything on the street. No right to privacy in any public place.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Complaints on the street? First in the USA in about 1990; three or four times in the UK; once in Russia; twice in France; never anywhere else, in 20 years. My attitude has always been that it's their problem, not mine. Only twice has it become at all heated.

Cheers,

R.

 

[_larky]

We should do a tally. 🙂 So far the UK is winning :/

 

[jsrockit]

Well, if he didn't want his picture taken I would just apologize. What else can you do? The photo is taken already so deleting it will not satisfy his religion. You cannot reason with people like this...ever.

 

[TaoPhoto]

What is legal and what people will let you get away with are two different things. People often don't care about laws, just their own personal needs and wants. And they act on those needs and fears.

There are lots of reasons someone might not want to be photographed. I've run across this on the journalism side of things, where the "media" tag around my neck brings up interesting conversations. Some don't want to be photographed because they are criminals, some don't want to be photographed because they don't want their wife/husband to know they aren't really at work right now. There's lots of reasons. Negotiating past their objections is all a matter of finesse. Quoting laws, in my experience, has little sway.

However, at least here in the U.S., once that person tries to grab the camera from you, they are committing assault. The police might not help you with your rights as a photographer, or even understand them, but they do know how to respond to an assault.

 

[kully]

I got stopped a few times just this weekend gone at the Euromeet.

It's my right to take photos, just as it is someone's right to have a go at me for taking their photo - people aren't two-dimensional shapes wondering about in your viewfinder 🙂

Take it on the chin, remain polite, apologise profusely and sincerely then carry on.

 

[Sparrow]

Never anywhere on the street, once in a pub and a few shops or shopping centres ... I just tell them to call the police if they're unhappy

 

[skibeerr]

Smile, it confuses people. Remain polite and calm.

I removed the hair out of my ears for the RFF Euromeet, I even shaved.

Wim

 

[PCStudio]

use TELE 🙂

 

[_larky]

Change my style? I get close, I take the shoot. With the X100 this would not have happened, the Leica is LOUD compared to it!

Waits for the shouting...

I think that jsrockit has it spot on, you cannot argue with people like this. You can't reason, you can't smile your way past it. You just have to accept that fact that the streets contain idiots, and sometimes you meet one.

It's hard though with a 35mm, you have to get close 🙂

 

[Kiyatkin]

Once in London someone asked me to delete their photo, if they were nice about it, I would have 🙂

 

[GSNfan]

In case you want to photograph in a place where all people are compliant, they position themselves in decisive moment compositions, and don't say anything no matter how annoying you get with your camera and lack of confidence in your movements... In case you're looking for such a utopia then street photography is not where you'll find it...

After the camera/lens/accessory shopping and even finding out if you can sell street photos are not, you have to face with the fact that you might catch somebody on the wrong day, at the wrong time... you were lucky because another member here was attacked by a woman with fists and police took sides with the woman.

 

[_larky]

"After the camera/lens/accessory shopping and even finding out if you can sell street photos are not, you have to face with the fact that you might catch somebody on the wrong day, at the wrong time... you were lucky because another member here was attacked by a woman with fists and police took sides with the woman."

!!! 8-| Wow.

 

[River Dog]

I never, ever look the subject in the eye, for that is when they make the connection.

I look over their shoulder at something else, like on the Tube. I never wind the film or chimp immediately.

If all else fails, just walk away confidently - few will follow.

p.s. use a 50mm, that is what it is for 😎

 

[daveisbest]

I've been stopped by security guards in places like shopping centres a bunch of times after I've taken a couple of photos. It's private property, so theres nothing to do but accept that if they ask you to stop taking photos, you stop taking photos. On public property it's a totally different story, I'm within my rights to take photos of just about anything or anyone, tough **** if they don't like it.

If somebody glares at me after taking their photo I'll look them in the eye, smile, say "cheers" and walk on. It's difficult for somebody to challenge me if I've just engaged them in a friendly manner and am walking away from them. Confidence is key. If I can get a shot without the subject noticing me then great, but once they've clocked you taking their photo there's little point in trying to pretend you didn't. I suppose you know how I shoot already though Andrew.

 

[_larky]

I didn't even see this guy, he came up behind me after I wandered off. I didn't take his photo, nobody I've ever actually shot has approached me. This guy was just on the street at the same time, but was not the reason for taking the photo.

 

[Ronald M]

Police are not interested in enforcing laws such as assault unless they need to drum up a charge against someone. Then they reach way back and find something. To charge him, they would have to arrest him, drag him to the station in cuffs, arrange bail, go thru the whole booking procedure with photos and prints and now DNA samples and the cop has to write a report which he probably does not want to do. So screw you citizen.

The world is full of kooks, and now you know it for sure.

 

[PDriscoll]

I've been out skateboarding (trespassing in some instances) while cops have shown up to kick us out. I've had cameras/memory cards/flashes all confiscated and thrown into evidence for a few day period. Then again I AM trespassing and deserve it... but other times cops have given me high fives and just tell me to leave when I want.