The Risks Of Photography

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Rodchenko

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And what fate awaits the murderer and the assistant murderer? I can't think of any punishment that would fit the nature of the crime. The police in this matter are also just as responsible.
 
Rodchenko said:
I do, very occasionally, take photos of children - not because of vandalism, but for photographic reasons - and I wonder if it could get me into an awkward situation. Scary.
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Yeah me too, but I also know that most will think I'm taking a photo for nefarious purposes and not for "art." Art doesn't exist anymore for most people... they think terrorism and sexual offender instead of photographer these days. It's sad. I can understand both sides of the coin, but obviously this guy was found to be guilty by word of mouth and not by facts.
 
jsrockit said:
Yeah me too, but I also know that most will think I'm taking a photo for nefarious purposes and not for "art." Art doesn't exist anymore for most people... they think terrorism and sexual offender instead of photographer these days. It's sad. I can understand both sides of the coin, but obviously this guy was found to be guilty by word of mouth and not by facts.
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Interesting. Where I put 'photographic reasons', I was going to type 'artistic reasons', but I'm afraid to say it sounded a little sleazy in my head, and brought Graham Ovenden to mind. It gets to us all.
 
Speaking more broadly, I think now more than ever awareness campaigns are needed for photography. I'm not sure if any such organisations, national or international exist though.
 
Horrid, horrid occurrence.

The backlash against people taking photographs is a stark contrast with the reality that more photographs are now being taken than ever - everyone has a camera phone, people document every single thing and post it on Facebook or Instagram, it seems.
 
What a sad, sad story.
Mob justice is bad enough, but when you consider this story in the context of the ways in which the UK populace has recently been bombarded by politically-motivated messages of hate and fear against immigrants (and this man might not have been an immigrant at all, but simply looked like one) while the local constabulary repeatedly demonstrates its racism, it is impossible not to suspect this event is the symptom of something much larger festering in UK society.
 
Not new. The modivations were different but in 1972 employees from Chisso badly injured W. Eugene Smith in an effort to get him to stop recording the human toll of their dumping mercury tainted waste into the enviroment. He was hurt bad enough that he could not work and his wife, Aileen had to contunue the project.
 
Appalling story, I wouldn't hold my breath for the IPCC to be particularly useful on the topic either.

The knowledge of this kind of thing, as well as the less tragic cases of "camera = peadophile" thinking definitely has an effect on the kind of images I take on the street.

I specifically remember one shot of a young girl chasing a pigeon in a shopping centre courtyard, not the most original or best photo ever, but I nailed the shot, and was quite pleased with it.

Upon discussion with friends they said they'd be cautious about using the photo, up until that point it hadn't occurred to me at all that anybody could read anything like that into it.

I struggled with it for a couple of days (more than the photo really deserved) but eventually decided to abandon it because in that area, it's better to be ridiculously over cautious and safe, than to expect anyone and everyone who views it to be a rational thinker.

It continued to bother me for a long time afterward, and now, I just won't point a camera at minors.

I'm in no way comparing myself to them of course, but it did make me think how much culturally poorer we would be if Diane Arbus and William Klein had had to think and behave in the same way.
 
It's a terrible event, but for me, as an ex-UK resident, says much more about the 'paedo madness' in the UK, rather than photographers. The tabloids stir it up, and the local idiots believe there is a paedophile on every corner.

There is a famous case where a *pediatrician* was targeted, due to a confusion of words...
http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2000/aug/30/childprotection.society

The UK has a large number of idiots, and they aren't afraid to express their idiocy.
 
bugmenot said:
And what fate awaits the murderer and the assistant murderer? I can't think of any punishment that would fit the nature of the crime. The police in this matter are also just as responsible.
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How can the police be "just as responsible" as the murderer? The police may have overreacted, but it is nowhere near to beating someone to death...

People are stupid, groups are worse. It has little to do with photography and we only can hope that justice will be served.
 
Massmedia produced histerya is like Pandora's box. Once you open it, you never now what may come out. Usually nothing good. Therrorism, pedifilia, bird flu ... but this is photography forum...
 
Its not really anything related to photography. The UK is just a very violent place to live, has been for a long time now.... They are a very bellicose nation.
 
mugent said:
It's a terrible event, but for me, as an ex-UK resident, says much more about the 'paedo madness' in the UK, rather than photographers. The tabloids stir it up, and the local idiots believe there is a paedophile on every corner.

There is a famous case where a *pediatrician* was targeted, due to a confusion of words...
http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2000/aug/30/childprotection.society

The UK has a large number of idiots, and they aren't afraid to express their idiocy.
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As a UK resident, I couldn't agree more with your comments. I detest our wretched media, and the paranoia that they have created. The media have promoted a situation in which vigilantism can flourish, and sadly, the general public seems to be stupid enough to fall for all this crap.

It's usual to hear protestations against legislation to control the media, because "we must keep a free press". Well... personally, I'd be happy to see the whole bloody lot shut down.😡
 
mugent said:
It's a terrible event, but for me, as an ex-UK resident, says much more about the 'paedo madness' in the UK, rather than photographers. The tabloids stir it up, and the local idiots believe there is a paedophile on every corner.

There is a famous case where a *pediatrician* was targeted, due to a confusion of words...
http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2000/aug/30/childprotection.society

The UK has a large number of idiots, and they aren't afraid to express their idiocy.
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Indeed. This is one reason why I prefer living in France.

@ Ansel: Its not really anything related to photography. The UK is just a very violent place to live, has been for a long time now.... They are a very bellicose nation.
Is it the UK? Or is it more specifically the English? Most of the "Celtic Fringe" would, I suspect, happily integrate much more into the EU and live more peacefully. There are wide regional variations.

@ tbhv55 It's usual to hear protestations against legislation to control the media, because "we must keep a free press". Well... personally, I'd be happy to see the whole bloody lot shut down
Are you not conflating the alarmist gutter press -- the "red tops" and the Daily Wail -- and very much better papers such as the Grauniad, the Telegraph, the FT and so forth? Whom DO you trust to deliver news? Or would you rather that the Ministry of Truth was in sole control of all media? Would you close down Private Eye?

Cheers,

R.
 
Roger Hicks said:
Are you not conflating the alarmist gutter press -- the "red tops" and the Daily Wail -- and very much better papers such as the Grauniad, the Telegraph, the FT and so forth? Whom DO you trust to deliver news? Or would you rather that the Ministry of Truth was in sole control of all media? Would you close down Private Eye?
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Guilty as charged, Roger... that was written in a moment of anger. I admit to having got somewhat carried away on my own theme.🙄 It's very easy to conflate many things when I'm that annoyed!

I do have a low opinion of the news media in general, but I have to concede that the Grauniad and Private Eye would be spared in my postulated totalitarian shutdown of the media!😀 For many years I was a regular reader of Private Eye, but no longer... mainly because I felt that the humourous content had become a little stale. Much of the serious news comment was (and I presume, remains) well worth reading.

I hope that you're more comfortable with my revised plans...😉🙂
 
tbhv55 said:
Guilty as charged, Roger... that was written in a moment of anger. I admit to having got somewhat carried away on my own theme.🙄 It's very easy to conflate many things when I'm that annoyed!

I do have a low opinion of the news media in general, but I have to concede that the Grauniad and Private Eye would be spared in my postulated totalitarian shutdown of the media!😀 For many years I was a regular reader of Private Eye, but no longer... mainly because I felt that the humourous content had become a little stale. Much of the serious news comment was (and I presume, remains) well worth reading.

I hope that you're more comfortable with my revised plans...😉🙂
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Okay then, all those in favour? 😉
 
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