Using a Camera ?

[dee]

I have been taking my 4 year old Grandaughter to various places - childrens' farm / park / lake etc ... only to find few people actually using a camera - let alone prolifically [ Leica Dig 3 / L1 and M 8 ]
Am I the odd one out ? Or have we got scared of taking photos around children ?
Obviously , I am conscious of literally , focusing on our baby - and keeping other kids out of the frame as much as possible , but no one seemed bothered at this old crazy person with - old fashioned ? camera .
I would not dream of leaving home without a camera - yet would never ever consider myself a '' photographer ''
Any comments upon this ?
dee

 

[colyn]

I don't know about the UK but here in the states if a man with a camera is seen within a mile of a child he is automatically considered a pervert..

 

[Roger Hicks]

Dear Colyn,

Only a mile?

Nah... The UK is worse!

Cheers,

R.

 

[BearCatCow]

I think because you feel that it's normal to take picture of your granddaughter, you come across as natural and not creepy. This will not be true of everyone. When another person feels guilty or awkward doing something, it shows in his body language and makes him stick out.

It does seem true that parents / grandparents seem to take fewer pictures these days of their kids, unless they are at specifically special events. If you go to Disneyland or a birthday party, you'll see plenty of people with cameras. But maybe we've lost touch with the sense of specialness of spending a day together at the lake / farm / park?

 

[kxl]

I've seen 3 types of photographers at parks, or at organized games (e.g. little league baseball), and how they are perceived, rightly or wrongly. My observations:

1) Part of the club - "That one putting the dirt in his mouth is mine." You get an automatic GREEN LIGHT. You are one of us. Shoot away.

2) Pitching a product - "For $20, I can give you 1 8x10, 3 4x6 and 6 wallet size pictures of your kind hitting a home run." You get a YELLOW LIGHT, just like any salesman pitching something -- and since you are viewed as such, you are treated as such.

3) Serious Amateur - "I know what bokeh means." Definitely a RED LIGHT -- Why does he want to take pictures of kids? Unless you ae somehow connected/related to a kid at that park or unless you happen to run across someone who's also an RFF member, BE PREPARED FOR ANYTHING.

 

[Dave Wilkinson]

I grabbed this shot on Wednesday, at a preserved railway station - got one or two 'looks', but no night in the cells!🙂
Dave.

 

[Gumby]

I take pics of my kids all the time; in all kinds of public places; with all kinds of cameras; and all kinds of film. I don't particularly worry if I am inadvertantly, or vertantly, capturing images of other kids who are playing with my kids or who may be coincidentally in the frame. I have never experienced this fear of photographing kids, nor have I ever experienced this fear of other parents knowing that I'm photographing my kids, and maybe even their kids.

I don't doubt the experience of others but it seems a bit overblown from my personal experience. I tend to agree with the comment of BearCatCow... it is all about attitude and appearance. Look or act creepy and one will get treated like they are creepy.

Enjoy yourself Dee!

 

[Gumby]

I grabbed this shot on Wednesday, at a preserved railway station...

Which one of those kids is yours, Dave? 😀

 

[Dave Wilkinson]

Which one of those kids is yours, Dave? 😀

Well.....the green sweater was handed down!....just the right size!🙂

 

[wgerrard]

Around here, a convicted sex offender, who has been out of jail and 'clean" for years, keeps getting kicked out of churches, which he attends with his wife.

I rarely see other people out and about with cameras, except at tourist sites, school athletic events, and other cliched activities.

 

[MickH]

It's odd. These days people with film cameras stand out from the crowd and get noticed, whereas it is natural to see folks squinting at the LCD on their mobile phones, or digicameras, held at arms length, snapping away happily at everyone and everything. I doubt that there's any genuine fear of "that man with the camera" being any kind of pervert, it's the deviant behaviour that makes him stand out and, therefore, suspicious.

The close attention he pays to that little box in his hand, pressing it so close to his face to peep through the viewfinder just looks sneaky, most unlike those free and easy bods waving their little silver gadgets around with such abandon.

 

[chris000]

Not a problem for me. I'm definitely in the "Children should be seen and not heard" camp, and preferably not seen either - so I won't be photographing any kids anyway!

But seriously, I once visited a location where I had to walk through a children's play area to get there. I was carrying my tripod and had the camera hanging around my neck but I received several suspicious looks from (mostly the male) parents as I walked through.

I think that the problem in the UK is mostly caused by the gutter press who seem to dig out a pervert story whenever the rest of the news is bit 'thin'.

 

[dee]

One thing - have you seen the size of a Panasonic L1 with Leica Zoom ?
Maybe it looked so different from a proper camera ...
Failed miserably to exploit the smaller size of the sensor .
I don't know - even Mums were not using cameras ...

 

[kshapero]

Never had a problem in this area. I just shoot away. Visit me in jail.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

I was using a camera at Nikki's elementary school playground. I was approached and asked if they could use the pictures in their yearbook. They did.

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

I take pics of kids at carnivals and such all the time. I rarely get any problems, but my son is usually with me when i am taking pictures. I think that helps.

 

[btgc]

Yes, exactly what Christopher said - your own kid helps a lot. I just want to see someone who will accuse me taking pictures when my daughter is there. My offer will be straight - your plastic wonder against my metal camera, no guns.

Phooo, I'm happy we don't have yet here such a anti-photography craze like heard about UK. Must admit being in London about 5 years ago I didn't feel any pressure, though. Then I also mostly snapped Docklands not kids.