worried about taking photos in public

[Micra 110]

I've just finished reading a book about the village I was born in and noticed that there were few photos from a bygone age. the author said that everyone should take more photos as we're surrounded by History and beautiful things

I would also like to take more photos but I'm slightly paranoid due to my looking like someone from the middle east....the looks I got in town whilst walking about with a Rucksack :lol: so you can imagine what it'd be like if I had a camera as well....

Anyway, as the Author states in his book you can take Photos on Mobiles, Digital cameras and even Video it's just that we don't take enough of the area in which we live in, which can and does disappear too quickly nowadays, instead most take pics of their mates which goes up on fackbook or of their cars.

I like taking photos as much as the next person but a large majority of these are of things like Plants, Birds and car parts...but people...

I'm going to be taking or trying to take some photos of Historic Buildings to start with but obviously there's going to be lots of Humans in shot so when taking photos do you ever think about the people/area you're taking photos of or is it just click and on to the next one?

Do you think people will give a Hoot seeing as this country has got more cameras than Jessops?

 

[Tom Messy]

I wouldn't worry about it tbh. I know it can feel strange taking pictures with random people in, but you have a right to photograph what you like in a public space. I have done quite a bit of "candid" photography of random people, and no-one seems to care. I've got a section on my Flickr for that sort of stuff.

http://flickr.com/photos/tmshots/sets/72157600232098604/

If you're taking pictures of a building or whatever then people are likely to get in the way, you can't help that. Just like any tourist location, there will be lots of people and everyone will want pictures.

Tom

 

[danimicra8]

you could be sneaky about it if your worried and take a mate with you, get them to stand just out of shot and take what you want but to the public it looks like your just taking a picture of your mate. Alternativley you could jut take a mate along with you for support and you dont have to get them to pose for you, sometimes that little bit of support helps you feel a bit less of a ###. I dont like taking pictures anywhere really public i wouldnt go round my town and take any mostly because the chavs would knock over my tripod and steal my camera, but also because id be worried what people think of me. Im guessing that where you live has a lot more tourists than up here, you tend not to come here unless you have a reason, so dont worry what people will think if they have anything to say sod them you live there its your home you can take pictures of what you want but honestly i dont know anyone who has been approached most people will just think your a tourist and let you get on with your snapping... sorry that was a bit long

 

[Micra 110]

Both very good ideas (Y) I'll have a go later and see what I can muster up

Cool photos Tom

 

[Antony]

this gets my gander up.

in china it is very possible that you would be shot for it. in the old USSR yes certainly. natzi germany.... undoubtedly

but britain? a free land thats governed for the people in one of the worlds foremost democracies....

well unfortunately... yes. as we dont live in one.
its a police controlled comunist state that is run by a natzi-style unalected dictator. no matter what we ask for, he refuses. and whatever he wants, we get regardles of public feelings.

oh and the anti-terror laws are a joke. and are agains our human rights and bellittle the very foundations of the Magna carter. "you are innocent until proven guilty" the very essence of british law, doesnt seem to count any more. if your spotted in a public place taking photo's and someone reports you, legaly the police can do nothing but move you on as causing a nuisance. but if they deem it a possible terrorist activity. they can arrest you, lock you up for 30 days without trial and despose of your camera.
this is wrong and immoral and simply a step back to Hitlers SS movements back in the second world war. they even wear the characteristic Gum boots and black uniform.
infact during one labour party conference the MP for grimsby (my mp austin mitchel) was taking photographs for his scrap book, something he has done for 40 years inside and outside the houses of parliment. whilst in the line to get in the police told him he couldnt use his camera inside due to national security??? hes an MP?? not only that he asked them not to turn it on or delete any of the pictures. when he finaly got it back they had deleted all of the pictures and let the battery go flat, WHAT SORT OF COUNTRY ARE WE LIVING IN???

so yes. take photographs. take as many as you like of whatever you like in a public place. and if anyone says anything to the contrary or decides to report you, threaten to take them to European court of human rights.





sorry. i rant a bit...lol

 

[Arnold]

I'd feel a bit dodgey if i ran up to some complete stranger in the street and took a photo of them, however if you're purely doing landscapes and buildings and people just happen to get in the way, that won't be a problem. If anyone complains about being captured on film, just ask them how many times a day they reckon they're being watched on CCTV - do they complain about that?

It's quite fine to take photos of others if they're not looking however lol.. Bring on the summer

 

[SammoHung]

may be the use of a tripod will help.....It's more to carry around but is intensely conspicuous and (obviously->) if you want to use it for a shot then you can do...

when I see somone with a tripod I think 'that dude has gone to the effort of carrying/using a tripod.....I'd better not get in the way of the photo'....so it might help get a few more scrawny humans out of the picture too

 

[Robb]

Agreed this winds me up a treat, mainly (without wishing to open up a can of something here) because taking pictures in public has nothing to do with national security in the grand scheme of things, if you can see it with your eyes, what difference does a photo make? If you have a photographic memory should you be locked up as a national security threat incase the CIA created and funded Al-CIAda, sorry Al-queda get a hold of you and brainwash you and ask you to take visual notes of a public space?

I would often ask people last summer, when the whole '42 day lockup without trial' whatsit was steamrollered through the commons, how they would feel if it were to happen to them and the main responce would be 'its for the terrorists!'. I would then advise them to swot up on their history (thrid reich etc.) and then look at America now where its all set up already, under the patriot act, any criminal act that endangers human life is a terrorist act and one can be witheld without charge indefinately.

Sorry for the rant too but the main reason is i had many similar experinces when i were an art student, looking back i cant believe some of the things i was permitted to photograph.

 

[Joe.Powell]

Well Ive taken over 10,000 images to date, for my photography A Levels, and only been stopped 2 times

Once by the police taking a picture when there was a crime scene, I didnt realise, I liked the blue lights in the tree's, and the other in a shopping area, next to a big sign saying, No Unauthorised Photography, again, im blind!

 

[esha]

the only freedom we still truly have in this country is in our own minds, we can beleive we have the freedom to do whatever we like but wherever you go theres always a sign saying dont do this or that, but lets face it, if some people didnt kick up a fuss about the tiniest infractions we would probably end up with a lot less silly rules and life would be a lot simpler. I agree you should be able to photograph anything you like, if you like the look of something then take a snap, hell if you can see the whole military airbase I live next to on google earth what difference is a photo gona make! Oh but be careful taking pictures near playparks, you probably will get arrested for that, and have your hard drives searched too!

 

[Antony]

you wouldnt want to look at my hard drive, seriously. some of that stuff will curl your toes..lol