How do you react to your picture being taken without permission?

cjevans

cjevans

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A little while back I was playing on the beach with my daughter-about a year and a half old. Basically I saw someone taking pictures of us, I am well aware of the law and that I was in a public area and so fair game but didn't like it. I gave a few disapproving looks and after the guy soon moved on. He didn't seem to have any kid, wasn't dressed for the beach and so I assume was just out taking photos. Just wondered how others here would react. Would you always defend the right of the photographer to take a picture of what they want-even if you/your family are the subject matter?
 
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cjevans said:
A little while back I was playing on the beach with my daughter-about a year and a half old. Basically I saw someone taking pictures of us, I am well aware of the law and that I was in a public area and so fair game but didn't like it. I gave a few disapproving looks and after that the guy soon moved on. He didn't seem to have any kid, wasn't dressed for the beach and so I assume was just out taking photos. Just wondered how others here would react. Would you always defend the right of the photographer to take a picture of what they want-even if you/your family are the subject matter?
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Sorry tried to edit for a typo and messed it up and can't delete this post.
 
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I don't like my picture taken at the best of times. If someone took a very quick snap as I was walking past in the street, I wouldn't mind so much. If I was relaxing on the beach and someone started setting up, and making me the subject, I wouldn't be too pleased.

Law or not, I think you have to respect peoples privacy. It's not really the photo....I just don't want some dude studying my every move.
 
Well you have the right not to be harassed. A good photographer would take his photos without you noticing, and as soon as you did should move on. A photographer should never make people feel uncomfortable, and when they realise they are making someone uncomfortable they should move on as quickly as possible. He has the right to take a picture of you, just not to ruin your day by harassing and you and stopping you from relaxing.
 
 
I tend to notice them before they've taken it, so get out of frame. Don't want to break their lens...
 
Oh Dear. So sad to think that a photographer who isn't dressed for the beach or has kids in tow might be viewed with a little less tolerance. I know you've not challenged him but in starting this thread I'd guess it made you uneasy. Is it a sign of the times ?
As a photographer myself I can't reconcile taking someone's picture and being averse to the other end of the lens.
As a parent/grandparent I've learnt to accept it and still be vigilant without paranoia.
 
cjevans said:
A little while back I was playing on the beach with my daughter-about a year and a half old. Basically I saw someone taking pictures of us, I am well aware of the law and that I was in a public area and so fair game but didn't like it. I gave a few disapproving looks and after the guy soon moved on. He didn't seem to have any kid, wasn't dressed for the beach and so I assume was just out taking photos. Just wondered how others here would react. Would you always defend the right of the photographer to take a picture of what they want-even if you/your family are the subject matter?
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Would you feel the same if you were just one in a crowd having your photo taken?

Realspeed
 
trevorbray said:
As a photographer myself I can't reconcile taking someone's picture and being averse to the other end of the lens.
As a parent/grandparent I've learnt to accept it and still be vigilant without paranoia.
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I have never personally enjoyed having my picture taken very much and I don't think I'm alone in that respect. I realise the that it is a bit of a double standard but that was he point of the thread-to see if other people felt the same. Your answer leads me to believe that in some cases you would feel uneasy that was the conversation I was looking for. At what point do you say you're not being paranoid? And from there, what would you do about it?

In my circumstance - given as an example only to illustrate the point I was at the beach and noticed someone I had never met pointing a lens back at me with my one year old child twice after showing that I wasnt that happy with them taking pictures. Was I unhappy because I thought they were nasty or up to something or because I am against my daughters picture being taken? No. I must have over 10,000 pictures of her and I do publish them to friends and family overseas on the Internet. (I'm even holding her in my avatar on here.) I know that a little kid jumping about at the seaside makes a good picture so I'm not critising the person for seeing the picture or taking one. It was the continuation AFTER with no contact that made me unhappy. If they had come over and said they'd like to get a few shots I'd have probably helped out and let them get up close for a good shot, but they didn't. if when they were spotted they had indicated asking permission in any way it would have been different but they turned around like they wernt doing it only to turn back 3 seconds later-that, I just found rude.

If I am behind the camera and think I'm making someone uncomfortable then I'm putting the camera down and moving on. I have heard many people say that they got behind the camera so they don't have to be infront of it and so thought as photographers it would be in interesting topic to discuss-it does not have to be about the example I gave but it was that situation that made me think about it so I thought I'd give it as a starting point for the discussion. Would be particularly interested in what any street photographers have to say about this-not something I've really done myself.
 
realspeed said:
Would you feel the same if you were just one in a crowd having your photo taken?

Realspeed
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I don't mind being part of a bigger picture, wedding formals etc. I don't like being the subject-if that makes sense. I do it every so often so that there are pictures my with my kids but I wouldn't say I particularly enjoy it at any point
 
I'm not one to have loads of pics taken of me anyway, but if people are taking my shot without me knowing then fire away - if some hot Kelly Brook-type wants to get my portrait, blow it up to A2 and put it on her wall and then do bad things to herself, I'm fine with that... ;)
 
specialman said:
if some hot Kelly Brook-type wants to get my portrait, blow it up to A2 and put it on her wall and then do bad things to herself, I'm fine with that... ;)
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:lol::lol::lol:

If they take my picture, they take my picture. Couldn't care less, haven't got anything to hide because of :shrug:
 
i wouldnt be bothered - i take peoples picture all the time, and ive had my picture taken in the street a few times too.

whats the world coming to when you cant even take a picture of someone in public without getting dirty looks or being interrogated?
 
Doesn't bother me. If it did bother me I wouldn't take my child to that area or let them run around in a state of undress. I'd put them in a Burka.

Who knows what he was taking a shot of. Your assuming your child but unless you bothered to go and ask you'll never know. It could be a general scene, a silhouette, anything. It's just that as a photographer he thought there was a possible pleasing image to be taken.

Instead of pandering to the Daily Mail approach and harrassing the photographer - I gave a few disapproving looks and after the guy soon moved on. - how about going and talking to him. You never know you might learn something.
 
thorton said:
i wouldnt be bothered - i take peoples picture all the time, and ive had my picture taken in the street a few times too.

whats the world coming to when you cant even take a picture of someone in public without getting dirty looks or being interrogated?
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I think there is a big difference between taking a quick shot on the street and setting up several shots on a beach.

I dont shoot street photography because i feel like it is an invasion of peoples privacy. Thats just my opinion not saying i think others shouldnt but i think people should use there brain a little to judge when it turns into harassment.
 
If somebody wants to take a picture of me, they have far deeper problems than I could give them, so I leave them well alone. If I notice in time, I may stick my tongue out at them to spoil the photo but that's as far as I'm likely to go.
 
I don't really like having my photo taken, I'd tend to turn away, or get my camera out and shoot him back.
 
Byker28i said:
Doesn't bother me. If it did bother me I wouldn't take my child to that area or let them run around in a state of undress. I'd put them in a Burka..
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And if I wanted their picture taken I'd do it myself or pay someone to do it


[/QUOTE]
Instead of pandering to the Daily Mail approach and harrassing the photographer - I gave a few disapproving looks and after the guy soon moved on. - how about going and talking to him. You never know you might learn something.[/QUOTE]

I think I was minding my own business-if they want my picture I would say it's common courtesy to ask permission, I'm playing with my kid on holiday, not out for a workshop. As for harassing the photographer, I would disagree that a disapproving look would qualify as harassment in my book
 
cjevans said:
I think I was minding my own business-if they want my picture I would say it's common courtesy to ask permission, I'm playing with my kid on holiday, not out for a workshop. As for harassing the photographer, I would disagree that a disapproving look would qualify as harassment in my book
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If you have to ask permission

A it is not candid and
B Are we not then pandering to the paranoia and attitudes so many of us photographers are always complaining about.
 
I think the key here is that the guy made you feel unconfortable but more importantly, would he have made you feel uncomfortable hanging around if he didn't have a camera?

It's a bit of a rhetorical question and the point I'm trying to get at is, on gut reaction did you think "he could be a wrong'un" or did him taking photos of you influence you perception of him?
 
PsiFox said:
If you have to ask permission

A it is not candid and
B Are we not then pandering to the paranoia and attitudes so many of us photographers are always complaining about.
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It's not candid if he's already been spotted. I though I made it clear I wasn't paranoid. I said that I believed they were just out shooting as they were not in beach wear or with kids. I just don't appreciate having my picture taken in general and specifically by people I don't know.
 
Russ77 said:
I think the key here is that the guy made you feel unconfortable but more importantly, would he have made you feel uncomfortable hanging around if he didn't have a camera?

It's a bit of a rhetorical question and the point I'm trying to get at is, on gut reaction did you think "he could be a wrong'un" or did him taking photos of you influence you perception of him?
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It was just the camera pointed at me. I had my own camera out that day and took pictures of the kids but kept other people out of the frame. The thing that made me annoyed was the not the first shot but THIRD shot after I had expressed I didn't want the picture taken. I'm not saying he doesn't have the right but at the same time I have a right to my personal feelings also-which I felt the photographer ignored.
 
cjevans said:
It's not candid if he's already been spotted. I though I made it clear I wasn't paranoid. I said that I believed they were just out shooting as they were not in beach wear or with kids. I just don't appreciate having my picture taken in general and specifically by people I don't know.
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But do you know where the focus of his photograph was? You might have been completely out of focus?
 
PsiFox said:
But do you know where the focus of his photograph was? You might have been completely out of focus?
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There is no way or me to say, there was nobody else around us, we were in a little pool that had been dug out as she is a bit small to run around in the waves with loads of others around so I'm quite sure that we were the focus of the shot-the lens was straight at us...
 
cjevans said:
It's not candid if he's already been spotted. I though I made it clear I wasn't paranoid. I said that I believed they were just out shooting as they were not in beach wear or with kids. I just don't appreciate having my picture taken in general and specifically by people I don't know.
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Then be worried. This country is covered by cctv taking your picture all the time.

Want to tell us which beach? I bet I can find a cctv camera nearby.
 
cjevans said:
There is no way or me to say, there was nobody else around us, we were in a little pool that had been dug out as she is a bit small to run around in the waves with loads of others around so I'm quite sure that we were the focus of the shot-the lens was straight at us...
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So what camera and lens was he using. If he was that close you can tell.

And I'll reiterate - why did you feel the need to make the photographer uncomfortable? Why not ask if you could see the picture. It could have been a really nice father daughter shot which he would have been happy to give/sell you, or at the least it would have set your mind at rest.

At that point you could have discussed cameras, and politely put it that you were camera shy and would he mind moving on. You do after all share hobbies.

There's too much jumping to the wrong idea these days (mostly fuelled by media stories). If everybody just talked the world would be a better place.
 
A slightly edited quote...

Byker28i said:
Why did you feel the need to make the subject uncomfortable? Why not ask if you could take the picture? It could have been a really nice father daughter shot which he would have been happy to pose for, at the least it would have set his mind at rest.

At that point you could have chatted, and politely put it that you were aware of some peoples concerns and would he mind...

If everybody just talked the world would be a better place.
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If a photographer has a right to make people uncomfortable by taking pictures then people have a right to express their displeasure.
 
I'm not fussed about having my picture taken though can't see why anyone would want to!
I do street photography from time to time and mostly people don't notice but sometimes they do - never had a complaint or a frown though.
Personally I avoid taking 'candids' of children, not to say I wouldn't if there was that 'killer' shot available, but in the current climate (justified or not) I just don't think it's worth possibly creating an issue.
I really can't think I would ever be trying to photograph children in beachwear at any time but it is conceivable that such a child could be in a picture that I took of something else.
 
could not care less if someone wants to take a picture of me :lol:

fact is that he probably was not actually taking pics of your family its just you were in the way. When I was on holiday I was taking pics of the beach with my iphone and people where in the shot. you might have though I was taking your picture.

270382_2235727254263_1280424365_2700862_6497847_n.jpg


although in this picture the people were the focus because they choose to sit down in front of us and start smoking which is so nice when you have two small children

269994_2233630921856_1280424365_2697664_3629533_n.jpg


cjevans said:
A little while back I was playing on the beach with my daughter-about a year and a half old. Basically I saw someone taking pictures of us, I am well aware of the law and that I was in a public area and so fair game but didn't like it. I gave a few disapproving looks and after the guy soon moved on. He didn't seem to have any kid, wasn't dressed for the beach and so I assume was just out taking photos. Just wondered how others here would react. Would you always defend the right of the photographer to take a picture of what they want-even if you/your family are the subject matter?
Click to expand...
 
I agree with the OP.

Just because we have the right to do something doesn't mean we always should. Everyone should have the capacity for a little emotional intelligence.

If I were the photographer and I saw you feel uncomfortable I'd stop straight away. Yes I am on a public beach and there is nothing stopping me taking photos of you, but at the cost of making you feel uncomfortable, it's not on.
 
If he hung around long enough to make me aware then I would probably go over and say something - not confront him, maybe ask if I could take a look, was it a good shot, had he taken many that day, that sort of thing.

I have a few candid shots of strangers on my laptop, including babies and small children, maybe I'm more discreet than I thought
 
Depends. I've had people take pictures while I was surfing and while I was cycling, general response being "do you want me to suck my belly in so it looks better?"

That said, I don't like people taking photos of me when i'm working. Last time this happened I ended up on the front page of the local excuse for a newspaper under the headline "999 fail". It was about managers rather than me, but it was still my face on the front page! Also, shots when I'm working tend to be voyeuristic rather than journalistic and I'm protecting my patients as much as myself.

(for reference I'm a Paramedic, and an ugly one at that!)
 
If i found someone taking a photo of my daughter then they had better be able to run fast!
 
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