Taking Photos In Public

[clickaway]

erm .. you do realize that I'm not kidding? I'd do exactly that... LOL

LOL - don't plan to take pictures in a grocery store, but I recently had to explain to two uniformed police officers the beautiful shadows cast by a pipe and a valve on a wall.

This was about 9pm at night and they would have only seen my legs beyond a flattened chain-link fence.

Ray

[rickl52]

...keep going until his/her eyes glaze over...

Trust me. She can do this.

[jude_53]

you just WAIT RICK!!!!! omg. i'm plotting..LOL

[clickaway]

jude_53 wrote..

"The row of apples are just beautiful (you have the best produce around, you know) and do you see the way the light shines off the polished, red, roundness of it all? You can tell how juicy it is! Come here... look at the way the uniform curves make sort of a parallex pattern with the repeating red/green, red/green.. see that? There is a uniquiness.. a creative thing going on here with the universe and the life that still oozes from these apples....."

Next time I see a pretty girl in the street, I'll use this phrase and just substitute a word for 'apples' I think.

Do you think I'll get lucky?

[pathfindar]

clickaway wrote..

"Next time I see a pretty girl in the street, I'll use this phrase and just substitute a word for 'apples' I think.

Do you think I'll get lucky?"

I think you will get a slap in the face.... but if it does work, let me know, I will memorize it and give it a try. It was more exciting to read that way

[kurt_s]

When the manager comes up to you and tells you to stop photographing, tell them you are an independent photographer hired by Mr. Weinstein of Anderson, Cooper & Weinstein. Tell them Mr. Weinstein represents the store, shop, etc. you are in and they need photographs to prove a case in court. You'lle probably get red carpet treatment after that.

[agusmv]

Here in Spain I've been stopped taking photographs at a couple or three train stations, and I know more people who have being told the same, apparently due to security reasons.

I agree with someone who said before something obvious. If I wanted to take photos of some place to prepare some kind of illegal act, I would not go with a DSLR, a telephoto lens and a tripod, it would be stupid.

The fact is that i love to take candids, and I don't have any restriction to do it when walking by the streets, but being so many people so paranoid about this issue of taking photos of people and places, I usually feel as if I was doing something dirty or illegal, so I usually feel uneasy doing what I only do because I love photography, that is the sad consecuence.

[steveprice]

Most photographers when approached in this way automatically become subservient and/or fertive because they feel wronged or in the wrong. The whole scenario then becomes a self fulfilling prophecy.

Instead, dont lie, smile, if in a public place politely point it out, smile, if they convince you you are not in a public place, smile, explain some arty farty reason for wanting to take the photo, smile, ask if they could put in touch with someone who could authorise you (not necessarily today, you might go away and phone up later or write in), smile. If you smile enough they might just say OK be quick and dont use it commercially. If they say this, use it commercially anyway. If they find out (unlikely) offer them half the fee - after all thats what they after, bottom line, as commercial organisations themselves. If you phone up for permission offer to supply free copies of the photo but only if they seem resistant - this might also lead to some work. Cynical, no. Realistic, yes.

Not so long ago I was approached by a security guard on a private estate although it looked like a public right of way. I said I was interested in the architecture. He asked if I was going to use it for commercial gain. I said no, only for personal use. He told me a bit about the architecture and suggested as the buildings were not yet occupied that I should approach the buillding manager for permission. I did. He agreed even to let me take some interiors providing it took only half an hour and I was accompanied.

Two of the photos are in my monochrome gallery.

[ericvision]

I used to work in a place where photography was strictly forbidden. It was a cinema and there were two reasons, only one very obvious...

Photography in the screens was forbidden for obvious reasons. Photography in the foyer was forbidden because all of the advertising material is copyrighted and fiercly protected by the film companies and if the film companies found photos containing their merchandise in your foyer then the House Manager of that cinema was in for a roasting.

However, the other and perhaps more important reason was because at one point some journalists photographed Jodie Marsh (UK Blonde bimbo type) without the manager's permission. The photograph was printed in a UK magazine, which was seen by the head of the company. The manager got an absolute roasting, complete with threats of unemployment due to the Pic and Mix stand, clearly in view being untidy!

So I think that when a manager confronts you its usually down to paranoia and the fact that even though they might be perfectly reasonable people, they still have assholes for bosses...