Abusive comments when taking a shot

cliveh · Sep 23, 2012

When taking photographs, have APUG members ever had any abusive comments? I can only recall one when photographing a guy unloading a mirror out of a lorry on an island off the west coast of Ireland who told me to F.O. I didn’t mind as I did not get the angle I wanted for the shot.

Ghostman · Sep 23, 2012

A nut-job in Central Park dressed up like Bootsy Collins on way too much acid gave me a verbal dressing down for trying to take his picture, after I threw 5 dollars in his hat for the 'performance' he was putting on.

A saxophonist in Berlin did the same thing. I took the money I gave him first out of the hat and told him to FO2.

I don't mind, just don't give it if you can't take it. Now I carry little business cards and if I take someone's picture, I give them a card and tell them I'll send them a copy. That goes a long way

tony lockerbie · Sep 23, 2012

Not really, but I had a funny incident the other day when shooting with my 5x4 camera. I was set up on the side of a secondary road when a learner driver approached and stopped right near me. She sat there for a while and I finally went over and asked her why she had stopped, to which she replied "I thought you were a traffic controller" Haven't had that before!

Ian Grant · Sep 23, 2012

Only once back in 1972/3 when shooting some photos for a fellow student. We were photographing local housing and a pub for his project/thesis, there was a Jaguar and a businessman an and a blonde . . . . . . . .

Say no more we were in the red light area of Birmingham, UK, although I didn't know that at the time. It made sense once I knew.

Ian

benjiboy · Sep 23, 2012

If you've never had abusive comments, you're not doing it right :munch:

GRHazelton · Sep 23, 2012

Years ago I took a couple of available light general shots with my Praktica LTL in the handsome atrium of the Boston Public Library. A young woman stormed up and demanded that I give her the film I'd shot since she was in them. I guess she was, but it was a public place and she was quite distant and, I think, facing away. I refused, saying it was a public place, and she stormed off to get "security." We left. Sort of ruined a nice visit, especially since I am a Librarian.

These days I might have waited around to see what "security" would say to her and me. She was a whack job, I think. Plus I try to carry with me http://www.krages.com/phoright.htm a brief guide to photographers' rights.

Gerald C Koch · Sep 23, 2012

It's only polite to ask permission before you photograph a person or their property. If you don't you can get more than just verbal abuse. Don't ever photograph children without a parents permission unless you like prison food.

Diapositivo · Sep 23, 2012

You can photograph children if you are a woman, that's the rule.
If you are a man, some ass cavity will think you are a paedophile.

I actually routinely take pictures of play areas (which are normally very colourful) and merry-go-round (again) with all the children seasoning. Nobody raised questions (so far).

Two23 · Sep 23, 2012

No. I live in the land of "Lutheran Niceness." That is, if there are any people around at all.

Kent in SD

removed account4 · Sep 23, 2012

yes, by security guards, regular people and night owls.
i've been threatened and harassed both when doing freelance work ( newspaper )
and doing personal projects. i could go into details, but would rather not.

BrianShaw · Sep 23, 2012

I got harrassed by a Town Crier in a small village in the UK. He kept following me telling me that I had to pay to take his picture. He was an old foul-mouthed man, especially after I told him that he wasn't interesting enough for me to take a photograph... which I never did.

removed-user-1 · Sep 23, 2012

Had a few, most aren't worth retelling. My favorite was getting called something very foul while shooting posed group shots of the wedding party (!) at a wedding I was being paid to photograph (the last wedding I ever did, by the way). I let that go because the offender was *clearly* drunk. Still don't do weddings, though.

One time, a woman passing by on the street accused me of being a peeping tom, in broad daylight, while taking a photograph of a flower, under a window, from a sidewalk. At that moment, I was shooting digital. I showed her the picture, made a snarky comment about paranoia blinding her eyes to the beauty of the world around her, and invited her to call the police if she wished to do so. I also handed her my business card. Then I went inside the house where this flower was planted - it was, in fact, the inn where I was staying with my wife. Practically put me off my breakfast, but the police did not arrive.

GRHazelton · Sep 24, 2012

While shooting my grandchildren at a nearby shopping mall with my big, black, obviously "professional" Pentax K10 a security guard told me that photography was forbidden. This while all about me folks blasted away with point and shoot crapsters and cellphone cams! I ducked into a camera shop within the mall and asked the staff and yes, there was indeed a notice, rather small, at the entry stating that photography was forbidden without express, written permission of the management. The camera shop staff said that it was a real inconvenience since customers liked to try out prospective purchases, understandably, and were often rousted by the officious rent-a-cops. Since then I've shot there and in other malls without problems. "And so it goes" to quote Kurt Vonnegut.

theoria · Sep 24, 2012

I do a lot of street shooting, so that is not uncommon for me. I have even been chased by a gang that was scavenging scrap metal from buildings to be demolished. I discovered that developing strategies aimed at defusing confrontational situations is a key part when doing street shooting, as it contributes a lot to what one can or can't do. Many times I simply refrain from taking the photo just because if things go badly wrong, I won't have a viable exit strategy.
Most of the time I go unnoticed, as I don't do Gilden-style street shooting, but I have friends who do, and they get themselves pretty soon into tense situations.

Laurent · Sep 24, 2012

The worst for me was the time when I wanted to photograph a machine (something like a high pressure pump) somebody was using to clean the pavement at La Défense. The worker came to me, told me he didn't want "any photographs" and tried to put his dirty and wet hand on my Rolleiflex (I have a lot of respect for workers, and especially those doing a "real" job like this man, but that was too much).

I tried to argue I only wanted a detail of his f**** machine, but I was unable to get the shot and I finally left.

benjiboy · Sep 24, 2012

Diapositivo said:
You can photograph children if you are a woman, that's the rule.
If you are a man, some ass cavity will think you are a paedophile.

I actually routinely take pictures of play areas (which are normally very colourful) and merry-go-round (again) with all the children seasoning. Nobody raised questions (so far).

Don't the people who make the rules know there are such things as female paedophiles ?

BMbikerider · Sep 24, 2012

Ben.

I am afraid there are too many people out there who hear things and take them to be the Gospel truth. I personally have never been verbally abused except when I was at work taking a series of pictures of a crime scene inside a house. The owners resented the fact that we were their in the 1st place, but there again I had plenty of back-up.

pdeeh · Sep 24, 2012

what "they" signally fail to recognise (or perhaps refuse to recognise) is that the place that children are mostly subjected to abuse is within the family.

BMbikerider · Sep 24, 2012

pdeeh said:
what "they" signally fail to recognise (or perhaps refuse to recognise) is that the place that children are mostly subjected to abuse is within the family.

ABSOLUTELY!

Katie · Sep 24, 2012

BMbikerider said:
ABSOLUTELY!

Abuse has MANY faces, unfortunately, and is not always easy to spot. But, yes, it's most common in the home. If you happen to know a psychiatrist, therapist, family counselor, public defender, etc... they can give you really helpful clues to look for in children to spot distress. This is really helpful if you work with children or are exposed to lots of children (like me - as a Mom to young boys with lots of friends).

But - I will admit, having a womb has it's advantages when photographing children. I've NEVER been accused or leered at due to the child predator issue. Of course it helps that my assistant is a 4 year old boy!

BrianShaw · Sep 24, 2012

Katie said:
But - I will admit, having a womb has it's advantages when photographing children. I've NEVER been accused or leered at due to the child predator issue. Of course it helps that my assistant is a 4 year old boy!

That is probably because you conduct yourself in a reasonable and professional manner. We are having a (potential) problem at our child's school with a mom who is too "touchy-feely" with the kids... to the point where her hugs are getting too close to fondling. Sadly, since she is both a female and a mom there is a lot of forgiveness and turning a blind eye. But it is the epitome of creepy.

BrianShaw · Sep 24, 2012

Hey... but back on topic... I was hassled and spoken to abusively by a door-to-door political campaign worker the other day. She was a real pain-in-the-butt so I decided to document it. Her best and most abusive retort, after telling me that it is illegal to take her picture, was to screamed that I must be an "ardent Republican". She really thought se was insulting me!

Steve Smith · Sep 24, 2012

BrianShaw said:
was to screamed that I must be an "ardent Republican". She really thought se was insulting me!

I would take that as an insult. I would be insulted if I was called a Democrat too. My political leanings are not that far too the right.

Steve.

TimFox · Sep 24, 2012

I don't shoot strangers on the street, but I have had my share of abuse from private security guards--never from Chicago police officers.
The strangest response I got was when photographing an historical building from across the street with a 4x5 on tripod: a local activist was afraid that I was a surveyor from a wrecking company preparing to demolish the structure.

Mainecoonmaniac · Sep 24, 2012

I think some people are just tired of tourist taking shots without permission. I understand being treated like a prop. Every where I travel, what works most of the time is to show genuine interest. If they're selling items, buy something. Get to know them before clicking the shutter. If they say no, just leave it at that. Don't get too attached to any particular outcome. It's not worth getting an arse whipping for a photo.

Abusive comments when taking a shot

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