Ever been challenged?

Wouldn't it be nice to have a couple of really big and capable heavies just hovering nearby and, at the first sign of any imminent interference with your photography, they discreetly move in and take the offender away to discuss things out of earshot and out of sight so that you can just get on with the creative process in peace. Of course if you were working on photographs of celebrities who have their usually unopposed heavies moving photographers away with hands over lenses etc., your own heavies would be even more helpful and you could get on with your work unhindered whilst the celebrity concerned would actually have to develop some social skills of their own. It would do everyone a power of good!


RR

The only time I was challenged was in Stanley Park, Vancouver.

I'd gone to Stanley park with my Grandmother many times as a child. Back then it was a zoo (literally). So, when I returned for the first time in 20 years (in 2007), I walked around wondering where all the flamingos and other animals were. I eventually asked someone who told me the zoo aspect had shut down more than fifteen years before. And so I began to wander aimlessly, just walking the island to see what it was now. At one point I decided that "life is always more interesting off the main paths", so I should take the next small trail into the woods I could find. Sure enough, not 30 seconds later I saw man walk into a small but well worn path in some dense woods. I followed suit.
Inside the dense woods it opened up and there were many well worn paths crisscrossing. Benches had been cut into downed trees, and it looked really rather unexpected. And so, out came the camera (digital, all I had at the time, and probably for the best). I was focused on the paths and the trees, and rather oblivious to the people around me. I noticed a number of men walking about but didn't think anything about it, until one came up me and was visibly upset.

"If you take a picture of my I'm going to f***ing flip!" He said with a pronounced lisp.

I felt like a deer in the headlights. "Umm.. okay." I hadn't taken a picture of him, or anyone, just the tress and trails. I said as a much and showed him the pictures I'd taken. He stormed off leaving me utterly confused. At which point a kindly older gentleman walked up to me with a smile and asked if I knew where I was.
"I was going to say 'Stanley Park', but since you're asking me, I'm going to have to say: No, I don't know where I am."

"You're in the Gay pick-up area."

Right. Well. That explains a lot. I laughed good and hard at myself, thanked him for letting me know, and proceeded to put the camera away and leave. As I left the woods, still laughing at my own idiocy, I passed an elderly woman who gave me the most hateful glare. I laughed harder, found a bench to sit on while I typed out the story in a series of texts to my girl friend. She, not knowing how this was going to end, read them aloud to her entire office. It's been six years and I still haven't lived this one down.

I once read on the internet that not all gay men speak with a "pronounced lisp".

BrianShaw said:

I once read on the internet that not all gay men speak with a "pronounced lisp".

Click to expand...

I've got a couple of friends who are gay. Most gay men I've met give no hint - well, not to me anyways, but I've shown how clueless I can be.
But no, I am not exaggerating when I say the man in the story had a very strong lisp. Not the sing-song tone of the Truly Fabulous, but as I said, pronounced.. Sometimes truth is more amusing that fiction.

MattKrull said:

Sometimes truth is more amusing that fiction.

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More often than not!

OP, sure, every once in a while. But I am highly skilled at candid work, so it does not happen very often. To do great candid work you need the ability to keep moving.

I don't argue with people, I give em the 'ok to shoot in public spiel' then I just move on. Arguing just makes blood boil. With some nuts you will never settle it, they like to argue. Just move on ASAP.

As an example, In June I shot 2 books on the Marriage Bureau in Manhattan. I shot for 3 days - 2 hours per day. I shot over 500 pix + a hundred more I deleted in-camera. I may have been caught 4 or 5 times. 1 person, a lesbian that got a hard-on for me, started to push me around. I just walked away and left. I had put in my time in for that day, so no big deal anyway. She didn't follow me, they seldom do. If they follow you that is a signpost that an escalation may be coming.

The problem with shooting at the Marriage Bureau is they outlaw any type of weapon...even pepper spray. On the street if someone gets too crazy I light them up with a 1200 lumen tactical night that blinds them, I will gas them with a 4 oz nitrogen powered pepper spray. If it is a dangerous area then I may have to resort to deadly force. Whatever it takes to stop the threat. But walking away quickly solves the problem 99.9% of the time.(I've never had to shoot anyone over a photo as yet.)

This gal got stabbed to death over not paying someone a dollar after shooting them...

http://articles.latimes.com/2013/jun/19/local/la-me-0620-hollywood-killing-20130620

Stay safe!

I've been challenged twice. The first occasion I took a general shot in a large branch of the Boston Public Library, 28mm lens mounted on my Praktica LTL, no flash. There were no people at a recognizable distance, most had their backs turned toward me. As is well known, the Praktica LTL is fairly loud. A young woman, easily 30 feet from us, turned toward us and DEMANDED my film! This was before any general use of digital 'cams. I refused, saying that she was turned away from me in the picture. She said that she was going to get "security;" we took the opportunity to leave.

The other occasion was at the Crab Festival in Beaufort SC; a street fair with many happy people - except one. She saw me with my Pentax K10 with the battery grip and decided that I must be from the press. She demanded that I NOT take her picture. I told her I had NO intention of taking her picture; she walked away muttering to herself. I apparently encountered the biggest crab of the day.

Since then I try to keep a copy of this with me: http://www.krages.com/phoright.htm Mr Krages is a noted photographer and an intellectual property lawyer.

Just been challenged half an hour ago. Welcome to the modern world.

Consider the source and then ignore the jerk.

I swear a redwood threw a branch at me one time...

I was challenged once across the street from a popular restaurant that was hosting a private event. I was not aware of that and it was late evening (10 pm?). The party was pretty rowdy and I was approached by the manager and bouncer, thinking I was a paparazzi (this is on the west side of Los Angeles). I explained I was just shooting the neon sign on black and white film and when they saw my big film camera (Rollei 6008) on the tripod, they said nice camera and walked away.

I was working in the DC Northern Virginia area but I kept my California license tags and California license. I was driving on the north on the George Washington Parkway, which is a two lane divided road next to the Potomac river, and slowly pasted a Park Ranger, who was in the right lane. Then I drifted back to the right lane. He turned on his light and I pulled over.

"Do you know why I pulled you over?"
"Uh, ... you changed lanes without signalling."
"No."
"No."
"No."
"Yes."
"You did not use your turn signal."
He points to the turn signal.
"Please inform me."
He looks at me for a minute or two and then hands my driver's license, insurance card and registration back to me and says, "Have a good day." I must have hit a resonant chord.