The world has changed Street Photography

photomoof said:
My thoughts exactly, seems like the company should be in or out of photography, not specific equipment phobic.

I could understand a employer banning photos during work, but that is clearly not their position.
Click to expand...

I don't think it is about camera vs phone, I think it is about controlling my photographic behaviour : I cannot carry the camera, but I am allowed to have it in my bag. I cannot shoot people without asking, not 'here' -sic- (the offices, where management roams), but it is ok in Nivelles or Antwerp or Liege.

And we have all been invited to take pictures, including pictures of clients.

It may be about me irritating somebody or bodies in my hierarchy. It could be about establishing a list of people marked as unfit, 'problem cases' to be dismissed in case of restructuring. I don't know.

I'm in a fighting mood, but I have no idea of where to land my first punch. And I'll be fighting uphill. I'll keep you posted.

cheers
 
KM-25 said:
None of my posts were aimed at you.

Good read though, sorry you think I crap all over the enthusiast crowd, because pro's use Flickr and Facebook too. NYC is one of the most photo friendly places I have ever been, but I don't live or work there, I live and work in a much smaller place albeit famous.

And I am not saying because I earn a living in photography that I am the street photographer pied piper, hardly. The changes the world has handed those who will point a camera have affected everyone.

I'll bow out now, really not much more to add.
Click to expand...

Ok, fair enough. Perhaps I overreacted. I can do that at times. We've never had a problem in the past, so I'll chalk it up to a misunderstanding.
 
KM-25 said:
If you think what I have said is about who owns photography, you have totally missed the point. And not only that, what you said about me is totally uncalled for an insulting.

Hope your day goes better too....
Click to expand...

Passive agressive much ?

Since we all missed your point, maybe you missed making your point :eek:
 
Colin Corneau said:
This, I agree with. I say this as a person who is a staff photographer at a (small) daily newspaper.

Humanity and society function at its best when we have the freest possible interaction of people and ideas. And that includes being able to make photographs in public places.

When I make such photographs, I do so as a person. I don't wave any credentials around -- although in the interest of providing ideas for positive strategies to handle negative people...I have printed up cards for myself, listing my name and my website where I often post my street photography.
On those very rare occasions when people question me, I explain in a very friendly and very straightforward way what I'm doing, and hand them a card...I've yet to have a major issue.
Click to expand...
Dear Colin,

Yeah, but what do we know? We're just human beings, not big-shot photographers who think we have the right to photograph everything because we have press cards. I used to have an NUJ (National Union of Journalists) ticket. This is probably one of the most useful press cards in Europe, and you know what? It was useless next to behaving like a decent human being.

Cheers,

R.
 
KM-25 said:
Good read though, sorry you think I crap all over the enthusiast crowd, because pro's use Flickr and Facebook too.
Click to expand...

I have always followed the "enthusiast crowd." Lots of photos, no money. You know, one has a show at Metro Pictures while still a receptionist? Get rich later?

I signed with my first gallery on 57th Street, while I was toting sheetrock around lower Manhattan. Well sure I was pleased, it was the the old Howard Wise space, where Milton Resnick and George McNeil had shown. But this "pro" thing??

Who knew pros?

Money? Winogrand Guggenheim's were only $2500 in 1964.
 
"Film at Eleven"

What a bummer it’s not summer, gonna simmer in the Winter,
Wanna take my picture? Better feed me Chicken Dinner.
Don’t cry fowl, drop a five spot right now,
Give me sump’n for the taking and we’ll both end up a winner.

Sit’n on the bowl, roll by roll, too much Aquitaine is a take’n it’s toll.
Parked on the can, I can take it like a man, folks a telling me stick it where 16 Sunshines don’t land.
Type’n my pecks’n as my cheeks are Rolleiflex’n, wait, edit that post as my bummer drops a roast.
Think’n I ought to log out as I get another log out, better take to the Street before I start to pout.

What a bummer it’s not summer, gonna simmer in the Winter,
Wanna take my picture? Better feed me Chicken Dinner.
Don’t cry fowl, drop a five spot right now,
Give me sump’n for the taking and we’ll both end up a winner.

The world is a feat, the beats are changing on the streets,
watch it unfold as the patrons take their seats.
Uhoh missed the number 7, better cameraquest to heaven,
Kshapero dropped the bomb, film at eleven.

What a bummer it’s not summer, gonna simmer in the Winter,
Wanna take my picture? Better feed me Chicken Dinner.
How bout we all take a breather and get know to each other better,
Cause’ the world of Street-tography is unravelling like a sweater.
 
Roger Hicks said:
Ah, les Anglo-Saxons...

Doesn't happen much outside the USA and the 51st state -- England.

Very occasionally a problem in Paris. But not, as a rule, in the civilized parts of Europe.

Cheers,

R.
Click to expand...
I've never had a problem in Edinburgh. The 51st state must end at the Scottish border.
 
I've never had a problem in Edinburgh either. I felt welcome with my camera when I was there last. But they are not Anglo-Saxons, they are Celts!
 
...if this bloke had got aggressive, it could have been a problem.
bruce.jpg
 
The problem might not be the general people's attitude towards "street photographers", it rather might be "street photography" itself.

I do continue to document what I see "in the street" when I see something which, in my opinion and quick eyesight, is worth it : particular attitudes, behaviors and/or circumstances, nice lightings, interesting geometry, striking composition lines, parts of the picture to come making some nice echo to each other, etc, all in all anything that can lead to the "decisive moment", or tell a nice story, or display something poetic people not having caught it might discover later on the photographs.

Yet - the fact is, that we're now (us as photographers, and normal people not being photographers) totally overwhelmed with tons of really "empty" photographs ramdomly shot by the other shutterbug around.

Some years ago there was an interesting exhibition in Arles, made of dozens of thousands of such color shots, all printed on 10x15cm sheets and dropped in a large room, then to be seen from the balcony.
 
StefanJozef said:
I've never had a problem in Edinburgh. The 51st state must end at the Scottish border.
Click to expand...
Dear Stefan,

Indeed, as England does. Also at the Irish, Welsh, Manx and Cornish borders. Why do you think I said "England" and not "Britain"?

In fact, it's probably not all of England, but then it starts getting REALLY difficult to draw borders.

Cheers,

R.
 
Roger Hicks said:
Dear Stefan,

Indeed, as England does. Also at the Irish, Welsh, Manx and Cornish borders. Why do you think I said "England" and not "Britain?

In fact, it's probably not all of England, but then it starts getting REALLY difficult to draw borders.

Cheers,

R.
Click to expand...
Indeed it is difficult to draw borders in England. There was talk of the Scottish National Party putting up candidates in the north of England before the last election.
 
kshapero said:
When shooting out in the street, I have noticed an increase in tension from 3 places.
1. Feel like Police in general are on edge when shooting.
2. Feel like random subjects are less accommodating and sometimes just not accommodating at all.
3. Feel like business owners are more restrictive about photographers.

I have been shooting "the street" for 40 years, so of course, I have seen this before. But it now it seems increased. Recent events over the last 15 years, seems to have changed everything. maybe I am wrong.
Click to expand...

Tension is increasing but people's way of life has changed. People are so paranoid today. Social contact with the human element is only OK as long as it's contact on social media. Heck now we have dating sites on computers? Geez! So are you going to allow anti-socials, terrorist, you name it to bring fear to you to think of putting your camera down or becoming a landscape photographer? I'm not.

I've been stopped by police twice. I'm nice to them. They find out what I'm doing, I'm no threat so they move on.

I've been wanting to do a project with local Hispanics but was afraid because of a language barrier. So I started taking Spanish lessons. Now I have found out that just by my taking the lessons it's opening doors to meet & socialize with a group of people I didn't know before. They think it's pretty cool that a person my age would be interested in learning Spanish.
 
A strange story, the end.

A strange story, the end.

It's going to fizzle out.

The accusations are void. And they cannot forbid me to shoot pictures at work. But my XE-2 is too big for them. They won't allow me to carry it on a strap, and I canot keep it on a wrist-strap, not while working.

I'll need a smaller camera. (See, I found a way to introduce GAS into this thread). Thinking about a Ricoh GR II. I hope Moriyama Daido will channel some his mojo.

Cheers
 
good to know that he situation has mellowed out without causing any bigger consequences. The GRII must be a great, maybe the best choice, though very different, smaller sensor and zoom, Panasonic LX100 and Sony RX100IV are worth a look too
 
about unjustly being taken as a paedophile..hm..of course it's hurts, but we must consider that a bigger hurt might be behind that and we better try to understand, quote from the linked BBC article, quote: "recent study of child maltreatment found 11.3% of young adults aged 18-24 had experienced sexual abuse during childhood" see: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-34904705
 
lukitas said:
A Strange Story. I'm a train conductor. . A silly interdiction, Everybody in the firm has to have a phone, all of them have built in cameras. Sorry for the rant. Cheers!
Click to expand...

A frustrating experience to be sure. I hope that it works out in your favour.

I work at an airport in Canada. AFAIK, there is no internal policy regarding non-professional photographs taking by staff. There is a policy for commercial photography - that's not me.
I usually have a film camera in my bag and all staff are issued iPhones.
While I feel free to take photos of the public as and where I like on the curbside, there is a more restrictive feeling pre-security inside the terminal. This doesn't stop the paparazzi from snapping film stars though.
Post-security is another world and I don't photograph screening or customs areas, people inside the terminal, above the wing, below the wing or inside the baggage halls. Again, no policy (except for screening/customs, and that I am only allowed in the post-security area for work related reason) but to me it feels that I am using my position to personal advantage.
Usually my security ID is visible and this might make the public uncomfortable.
I do take (film & digital) pictures on the apron and expect that one day I will be asked to stop as my snaps are not work related.
Sometimes I photograph staff (my team) but no one has yet hassled me.

Inevitably, the photos I share/post are benign or boring which is unfortunate because sometimes the best ones have staff or public.

Here are some examples:
https://flickr.com/photos/66044583@N00/sets/72157655217800304

Best of luck with your personnel problem.
 
While this thread is about street photography there is also the realm of "public space" on private property where restrictions are tighter each year.
I mentioned earlier my reluctance to shoot inside an airport terminal pre and post security. I consider all airport space pre-security to be public space however I don't know that my employer and security/law enforcement see it the same way.

Here is a local news article from 2012 where a Burnaby, BC, Canada teen shooting FILM was detained by Metrotown mall security for photographing a mall security guard takedown of a "suspect."

http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/canada/...ted-for-photographing-mall-takedown-1.1134017

Have any of you ever been hassled for shooting in mixed public/private space?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top