How to not get beat up when photographing public places?
- Thread starter Midphase
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cayenne said:My goodness!!bluegreenturtle said:
I am so sorry to hear this, I really am. That just is not indicative of what is usually described about us....
Well, if you're every in the NOLA area, please drop me a line and I'll buy ya a couple of drinks....and who knows, bring your camera we *might* find something interesting to shoot in this town.
C
Or come to Ottawa, Canada.... I've been on Parliament Hill, the seat of our nations government, with tripod and camera set up, merrily snapping away, and have had at least a dozen people come up to me, hand me a camera, and ask if I'd take their picture... Once, a pair of mounties (RCMP, Canada's national police force and providers of security on Parliament Hill), walked over to me and we started chatting about canoes... with a constant interruption from tourists who wanted their picture taken WITH the mounties.... Welcome to Canada, Eh?
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[quote author=Ricku]
I think this video is highly relevant to this thread:
He makes street shooting look so easy! ;D
[/quote]
I can't imagine the purpose of that video, but it's neither believable nor credible to me. Each scene looks contrived and acted.
I think this video is highly relevant to this thread:
He makes street shooting look so easy! ;D
[/quote]
I can't imagine the purpose of that video, but it's neither believable nor credible to me. Each scene looks contrived and acted.
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bluegreenturtle said:
Ottawa is amazing. I left a business meeting one day and went out for a walk around downtown at lunchtime. Standing on a corner waiting to cross the street I asked the man standing next to me what one of the government buildings was. He instantly took me on an extended tour of the government buildings and monuments -- with a generous side of Canadian history. He was some kind of government functionary and devoted his entire lunch period to my education.
Kindness like that is never wasted and is rarely forgotten!
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Well, I tried the 100D and pancake in some public places and even at ikea to take some shots of interior ideas and nobody commented on it. People seem to consider it as not much different from taking photos with a cellphone.
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H
Hobby Shooter
Guest
Don, I've spent several years in the expat community in South East Asia. Some of the nicest and most gracious people are you Canadians. I have yet to go, but really look forward to do that when some of those guys are back in Toronto. Although they did make me increase my beer consumtionDon Haines said:cayenne said:My goodness!!bluegreenturtle said:
I am so sorry to hear this, I really am. That just is not indicative of what is usually described about us....
Well, if you're every in the NOLA area, please drop me a line and I'll buy ya a couple of drinks....and who knows, bring your camera we *might* find something interesting to shoot in this town.
C
Or come to Ottawa, Canada.... I've been on Parliament Hill, the seat of our nations government, with tripod and camera set up, merrily snapping away, and have had at least a dozen people come up to me, hand me a camera, and ask if I'd take their picture... Once, a pair of mounties (RCMP, Canada's national police force and providers of security on Parliament Hill), walked over to me and we started chatting about canoes... with a constant interruption from tourists who wanted their picture taken WITH the mounties.... Welcome to Canada, Eh?
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Hobby Shooter said:Don, I've spent several years in the expat community in South East Asia. Some of the nicest and most gracious people are you Canadians. I have yet to go, but really look forward to do that when some of those guys are back in Toronto. Although they did make me increase my beer consumtionDon Haines said:cayenne said:My goodness!!bluegreenturtle said:
I am so sorry to hear this, I really am. That just is not indicative of what is usually described about us....
Well, if you're every in the NOLA area, please drop me a line and I'll buy ya a couple of drinks....and who knows, bring your camera we *might* find something interesting to shoot in this town.
C
Or come to Ottawa, Canada.... I've been on Parliament Hill, the seat of our nations government, with tripod and camera set up, merrily snapping away, and have had at least a dozen people come up to me, hand me a camera, and ask if I'd take their picture... Once, a pair of mounties (RCMP, Canada's national police force and providers of security on Parliament Hill), walked over to me and we started chatting about canoes... with a constant interruption from tourists who wanted their picture taken WITH the mounties.... Welcome to Canada, Eh?
A cute story from two decades ago.
I was taking a 4 day long (English language) ski class in the Alps trying to improve my intermediate ski skills. Made up mostly of Brits, Canadians, Americans and Australians. On the last day, we were all having lunch on the slopes at a quaint restaurant eating outside on picnic tables. An obviously American couple walked past being loud and a little ostentatious. The middle-aged British lady sitting next to me turned to me and said "Those Americans can sometimes be so loud and annoying...not like you nice Canadians." I smiled and said politely "Yes ma'am, I know what you mean." She never did learn that I was an American.
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H
Hobby Shooter
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There are nice Americans tooserendipidy said:Hobby Shooter said:Don, I've spent several years in the expat community in South East Asia. Some of the nicest and most gracious people are you Canadians. I have yet to go, but really look forward to do that when some of those guys are back in Toronto. Although they did make me increase my beer consumtionDon Haines said:cayenne said:My goodness!!bluegreenturtle said:
I am so sorry to hear this, I really am. That just is not indicative of what is usually described about us....
Well, if you're every in the NOLA area, please drop me a line and I'll buy ya a couple of drinks....and who knows, bring your camera we *might* find something interesting to shoot in this town.
C
Or come to Ottawa, Canada.... I've been on Parliament Hill, the seat of our nations government, with tripod and camera set up, merrily snapping away, and have had at least a dozen people come up to me, hand me a camera, and ask if I'd take their picture... Once, a pair of mounties (RCMP, Canada's national police force and providers of security on Parliament Hill), walked over to me and we started chatting about canoes... with a constant interruption from tourists who wanted their picture taken WITH the mounties.... Welcome to Canada, Eh?
A cute story from two decades ago.
I was taking a 4 day long (English language) ski class in the Alps trying to improve my intermediate ski skills. Made up mostly of Brits, Canadians, Americans and Australians. On the last day, we were all having lunch on the slopes at a quaint restaurant eating outside on picnic tables. An obviously American couple walked past being loud and a little ostentatious. The middle-aged British lady sitting next to me turned to me and said "Those Americans can sometimes be so loud and annoying...not like you nice Canadians." I smiled and said politely "Yes ma'am, I know what you mean." She never did learn that I was an American.
. Especially abroad, those are the ones that not only learn about the states in geography but also about other continents and countries... It's all about perspective.
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H
Hobby Shooter
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This came out wrong. I would say almost all Americans I've met on my travels are very nice people. Nothing else.
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Hobby Shooter said:
I didn't take it wrong
I think there are nice people (and not so nice people) in every culture, country,ethnic background, etc. There are a lot of not so nice Americans too (just look at the crime statistics). I've been to Canada...imo, a great country with a great people. 8)
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serendipidy said:Hobby Shooter said:
I didn't take it wrong
Agreed, and even inside USA there's lot of different areas. I live in Seattle and this region seems really nice. Some travels to certain areas I've met more inconsiderate people than compared to this area. But it's often about the other person's attitude also. If you start the sentence with "You stupid Americans ....", you might get the response you were expecting, and you keep on thinking that way. If you treat people nice, they often act nice back to you.
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This is an interesting thread and I am glad you started it.
In Australia [Where I am from] I am lucky. It is not illegal to take and/or use a persons photograph in a public place regardless of what they ask of you. In relation to lawsuits we are lucky and secure in that regard.
When referring to confrontation from individuals it is always a fun experience. I do a lot of documentary style filming with street sports such as Freerunning. This 'requires' me to enter into places and premises that are not open to the public [Trespassing, my favourite sport]. This has lead to a lot of close calls with everyone from psychotic drugged out women attacking us to security guards and the average Joe who for whatever reason does not enjoy a camera.
Most people are good people, often it is relative to circumstance and environment. If you take a picture of a national icon or landscape from a lookout, people are usually just tourists or travellers and are more than happy with your graphing of photons. Others, not so much. These people are usually by themselves or paranoid [E.G. A mother at a park thinking you are a pedophile. My advice is not to carry around a 800mm f/5.6 near a playground].
The honest and best way to deal with them [other than avoiding them] is to simply apologise, attempt to explain yourself and agree with them. I find this very hard to do [I am far to pretentious] but nonetheless it is the way to go.
In Australia [Where I am from] I am lucky. It is not illegal to take and/or use a persons photograph in a public place regardless of what they ask of you. In relation to lawsuits we are lucky and secure in that regard.
When referring to confrontation from individuals it is always a fun experience. I do a lot of documentary style filming with street sports such as Freerunning. This 'requires' me to enter into places and premises that are not open to the public [Trespassing, my favourite sport]. This has lead to a lot of close calls with everyone from psychotic drugged out women attacking us to security guards and the average Joe who for whatever reason does not enjoy a camera.
Most people are good people, often it is relative to circumstance and environment. If you take a picture of a national icon or landscape from a lookout, people are usually just tourists or travellers and are more than happy with your graphing of photons. Others, not so much. These people are usually by themselves or paranoid [E.G. A mother at a park thinking you are a pedophile. My advice is not to carry around a 800mm f/5.6 near a playground].
The honest and best way to deal with them [other than avoiding them] is to simply apologise, attempt to explain yourself and agree with them. I find this very hard to do [I am far to pretentious] but nonetheless it is the way to go.
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Not sure about guys/gals demeanour when they keep on being harassed. Are their fly's open or something? or knuckle dragging? Since I started street shooting in 2011....I have been stopped once. A guy came up to me and said "You just take a shot of me"? I said "Why would I when then is much more interesting material around"? It deflated him. But seriously....I cannot understand how people get harassed constantly. I think maybe look inwards to see what it may be about.... rather than outwards? I don't mean to be unkind.....but get my drift?
Look at Bruce Gilden and his very aggressive approach.....how many times has he been battered? once...twice maybe.
Look at Bruce Gilden and his very aggressive approach.....how many times has he been battered? once...twice maybe.
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