how to deal with suspicion, anger, and the law

[RT_Panther]

I think Americans now are just so paranoid to

And with websites like the one below - no need to wonder why....
-> http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/photos/

 

[monk3y]

And with websites like the one below - no need to wonder why....
-> Funny Pictures at WalMart Photos

DAMN!!! Why the heck do you know sites like that?

 

[RT_Panther]

DAMN!!! Why the heck do you know sites like that?

Those emails that get forwarded a million times that folks think you "need" to see....

 

[Dalton]

That makes sense.

We were in Sherman Oaks CA on Ventura Blvd. Many restaraunts there incorporate valet and most of the nice ones are frequented by celebrities/industry people quite often so it is safe to say the hired security may just be trying to keep the area private for those guests. Unfortunately it was hard for her to be discreet with her new camera as she was having fun shooting everything in every direction unaware of anything else. I'm a bit more reserved so I rarely run into trouble unless I'm somewhere I'm not supposed to be :smile:

i was surprised at the hostility she received, but I understand why and I am not upset and I told her not to be either.

Now I understand. I take a camera with me almost everywhere but I would not take it out of it's case in a restaurant like the ones you described. Even people in the limelight deserve a little respect and personal space.

I was eating dinner with a bunch of family at a nice restaurant in Portland, oregon about 20 years ago when my ex-wife spotted Phil Donahue and his wife Marlo Thomas eating at a nearby table. My ex grabbed her sister's arm and went over to the table and asked for an autograph. Mr. Donahue politely told them that they were just trying to eat a nice dinner and would appreciate some time to themselves. My ex and her sister were indignant coming back to our table and I felt badly for Mr. Donahue his wife Marla. That event really drove home the need for me to use some kindness and courtesy toward everyone no matter who they are when out and about in public.

Dan

 

[goldenlight]

Those emails that get forwarded a million times that folks think you "need" to see....

We even get the Wallmart pictures circulated in the UK. Funny up to a point but also demeaning the hapless subjects and what relevance it has to us in Britain I don't know.

 

[speedandstyle]

And with websites like the one below - no need to wonder why....
-> Funny Pictures at WalMart Photos

If anybody is willing to go out in public like that they deserve to be put on the internet and laughed at!

 

[RobWatson]

what relevance it has to us in Britain I don't know.

God help you when Walmart penetrates across the Atlantic! You have been warned.

 

[goldenlight]

God help you when Walmart penetrates across the Atlantic! You have been warned.

Well, it has done so already, in a way. I believe Walmart own our Asda supermarket chain.

 

[RT_Panther]

If anybody is willing to go out in public like that they deserve to be put on the internet and laughed at!

Judgement by looks then
Deserve is pretty harsh IMHO since we don't know the income levels of all shot...

 

[scott]

Heh--mean-spiritedness; quick, shallow judgements; suspicion of the unfamiliar; a preference for conspiracy theories and thinking the worst over Occam's Razor (or Hanlon's); a need for drama so strong that they'll manufacture it whenever necessary. As Arlo Guthrie said, "Well--that's America." Not all of it, but a dismayingly large part.

 

[speedandstyle]

Judgement by looks then
Deserve is pretty harsh IMHO since we don't know the income levels of all shot...

Yes deserve! These people obviously have no respect for themselves or others. 50 years ago they would be arrested for indecent exposure.

 

[goldenlight]

I can appreciate the point that to a large extent some people set themselves up for ridicule, but I have never sought to take a picture that shows someone in a bad light. Laugh with them, yes - laugh at them, no!

 

[fsuscotphoto]

Here is the said bridge.

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playa del rey by sam2c, on Flickr

Imagine a jogger on this bridge accusing you of taking candid shots of her from this range and from this point of view. Yes, I was using a tripod. Yes, I was wearing a hoodie, but with the hood off my head (this isn't Florida, so we're free to wear hoodies anyway). I dress like every other guy from South Bay....I just happen to have a camera as well. But I don't think I should have to imitate Colonel Sanders just so I can shoot some birds and maybe a bridge or two

Hoodies are fine everywhere in FL, beating a man's head into the ground while wearing one isn't.


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[fsuscotphoto]

Seems to me that USA citizens feels bit insecure I am glad to live in old rotten Europe.

Then why was I yanked around more in Ireland and London in a week more than I get here in two years?


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[fsuscotphoto]

I live on the east coast. I have a toddler (grandson) on the east coast and a toddler (granddaughter) on the west coast. Here in Virginia, I sense an acidic reaction to the thought of even taking an accidental photo of someone else's child, much less showing an interest. It's keep your hands, camera, and attention on you and yours ... and keep your distance from everyone else. I'm careful when taking photos of my grandson on the playgrounds to make sure that he is the only one in the frame. The west coast is a completely different experience. There, people walk up to you on the street and in the shopping malls and, without your permission, touch your child and otherwise interact with her as they remark what a beautiful child she is. It's warm; it's completely innocent. I prefer the west coast culture.

Obviously, Virginia is no longer part of the South, as the rest of us act like those crazy Westies.


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[fsuscotphoto]

I once got into a bit of a verbal exchange with a Native American dancer while visiting Cherokee, NC. He and a couple of others were on a public sidewalk dressed in traditional clothing and dancing in a circle. When I (like several other tourists around me) raised my camera to take their picture, one of the dancers jumped in front of me and waived a small, ragged cardboard sign that read "Photos $5.00". He said I couldn't take pictures (despite the fact that they were on a public sidewalk) unless I paid the $5.00. After an exchange of words I gave him $5.00 and and told him to enjoy the money as I wasn't going to waste my time taking pictures of him or his mediocre dancers.

Thinking back, most people I encountered in that town were pretty rude. Shop employees were unhelpful and curt. Definitely a place I won't waste time visiting again.

Sorry, had to vent. :smile:

As for Disney, I find it impossible to get a shot of anything without a half dozen or so people getting in the way. The only park I enjoy is Epcot as I'm able to get nice images (especially after a few beers which magically transform me into Ansel Adams) of the different "countries" throughout their world showcase area.

Cherokee is a tourist trap, filled with opportunists and fake Natives. It's a very pretty area, just don't bother with Cherokee itself.


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[fsuscotphoto]

Living in FL, right next to Mouseland, you would think that people wouldn't get upset at other people taking pictures. In all walks of life hey get upset. I've "carried" for a long time because I've learned to be prepared for the worst. As always, many people are just unreasonable. I went to a local high school football practice, invited, to practice my action shots with a new lens. A couple of parents, without even asking what I was doing, got in my face. One got downright hostile. There was no explaining to them. I just left as it wasn't important enough to worry about. If I do want something though, I'm not going to back off.


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[Savas K]

Then there's that photographer in New York who shot photos of people in their apartments, got a showing of it in an art gallery, and was challenged in court by some of the subjects who discovered they were in photos and recognizable. He just got off having to pay a fine.

Arne Svenson Takes a Voyeuristic Look Inside the Apartments of His Tribeca Neighbors | Feature Shoot

 

[GaryAyala]

Then there's that photographer in New York who shot photos of people in their apartments, got a showing of it in an art gallery, and was challenged in court by some of the subjects who discovered they were in photos and recognizable. He just got off having to pay a fine.

Arne Svenson Takes a Voyeuristic Look Inside the Apartments of His Tribeca Neighbors | Feature Shoot

There also is an "expectation of privacy", which I am assuming shooting through windows is a violation thereof. Once again, use some common sense.

There also was the case of the guy who set-up a tripod and camera on a sidewalk in NY who published a book of his subjects. He also was sued, went to the top, the Supreme Court and he won ... public sidewalk and all ... his portraits were not deemed commercial but rather art.

Gary