Cotty wrote: > On 14/8/05, frank theriault, discombobulated, unleashed: > > >I can only remember one incident when anyone made a comment. > There's a > >fountain in a square downtown that spurts up from ground level. In > >summer, kids are often seen playing in the spray. I was > photographing > >a couple of children frolicking in the water, and a lady > came up to me > >and asked, "Did you get the parents' permission to take > their photos?" > > To which I answered, "I don't need their permission, this > is a public > >space and I have the right to take anyone's photo I want. In any > >event, the parents are over there, they've seen me taking > photos, and > >they didn't say anything, so I suppose they're all right with it." > > > >She scowled and left. > > I have a couple of observations which may be if interest. > > One is that, next time you might consider a slightly less > adversarial reply, even if the questioner is obviously > ignorant of the law. > Sometimes, a friendly and reassuring chat can allay fears and > suspicions, even if not totally satisfying the inquisitor. > For instance, if the old lady had taken your retort badly, > she may have called the police, and that could have been both > embarrassing and unnecessary, not to mention a big > inconvenience for you. There are plenty of places in the > world where undercover police are watching for just such > activity and will readily arrest and detain for several hours > while film is processed and checked, memory cards perused, > and computers and hard drives confiscated and examined in > detail, with property being returned after some days or > weeks. (q.v. Trafalgar Square, London).
I have to say I agreed with Frank and would have said much the same thing. I think it's the wrong approach however, but I am sick and tired of taking photographs (where I am after the buildings and not the people anyway) and comments are made. It's easier for me to take them very early in the morning, or make yourself really really obvious - wear a hi-vi tabard - and no one will say a word! Malcolm
