On 8/15/05, Cotty <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > 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). > > The other is that if I am in a similar situation, and I am overtly > photographing a scene which may include children with their parents in > proximity, I would approach the parents and have a quick chat just to > reassure them that I am a genuine person, and not some nutter - I usually > say that I am a mature photography student (which is not a direct lie - I > am 45, and always learning about photography). A laugh and a joke, and > even the offer of prints, and I have yet to be refused. If I was, i would > move on - sure i could take the picture anyway, but I like my pics to > have *good karma* :-) > > When working, if I am filming in the street, I often get do-gooders > accosting me about whether I have this permission or that permission for > anything from filming a house, to filming people, to filming the sunset. > I always say yes (which is a lie). Just saves time.
I don't disagree with anything you say, Cotty. First, let me point out she wasn't an old lady, but was likely half my age (which puts her in her mid-20's). My reaction could/should have been much calmer, but I was reacting (poorly) to what I perceived to be her adversarial nature. Maybe I was in a pissy mood (I know, hard to believe <g>). Anyway, here in Toronto, it's unlikely that any police are going to confiscate any cameras for taking photos in a public square in the heart of downtown - at least not yet. But, I certainly agree with gist of your post, and usually, I'm much more easy-going in my dealings with people "on the street". Indeed, usually I do have their permission (often tacit) when taking photos. cheers, frank -- "Sharpness is a bourgeois concept." -Henri Cartier-Bresson
