Is it just me?

Wayned

Wayned

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Wayne Dicks
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As some may know I've only had the new Canon for a week now and I love it. Got the nice rucksack type bag and lots of other bits 'n' pieces I never knew existed.
So today I had a day off to do other stuff around the house. This meant though that I could pick my daughter up from Primary School.
I took advantage of the situation and set off half an hour early with my camera.
Her school is in the middle of Derbyshire, a really nice place, and the village has lots to offer in the way of piccies.
I parked up, got out and thought I'd walk to a nearby church.
Parents were starting to arrive to get the best parking spaces. Her mother normally picks her up so I'm a bit of a stranger there.
Why did I all of a sudden start feeling like a predatory paedophile.
I'm a copper for crying out loud. I lock these people up.
Is this self-conciousness normal?
The camera stayed firmly in the bag. I wasted half an hour of my day and I felt awful.
I know that taking pictures around a school at kicking out time is a bit dodgy but I wasn't going to do that. I was well away from the school but still felt very uncomfortable.
Is it me being too sensetive or has anyone else felt like this?
 
I dont give a crap :lol: If you're not breaking the law, whats the problem? :)

As long as you're not pointing the camera at the sprogs, theres nothing for anyone to get their pants in a twist about :)
 
it's not just you, there was a huge thread on this not that long ago, I'll see if I can find it :)
 
Looking at Betty reply Wayne it got me thinking, do us blokes feel more vulnerable then our women counterparts? I'm nearing my 50s and feel more aware of the situation around this matter now then I did 20 years ago although, it could just be the times we live in now.
 
I think blokes do feel more vulnerable, because its not really the thing that is well known - women paedophiles.
I'm only 17 and I'd never get a camera out near anyone 15 or under.
I was taking some pictures of some mates playing football, and then an old woman told me to put my camera away because there were some kids playing football and the woman said "OUR KIDS ARE PHOTO PROTECTED! YOU CAN'T HAVE BIG CAMERAS OUT!" and I've been scared of getting my camera out anywhere near ever since.
 
I went to my sons xmas concert and took my camera. All the men had to sign a disclaimer saying the photos would only be of their children and no photos would be used in appropriatly.
However, there were 2 mothers behind me and both had cameras. Did they have to sign one.

Did they hell.
 
Funny thing though if you go somewhere like a zoo or amusement park and take your camera you are not approached, well I have never been. What's the difference there or on the street?
 
Ajophotog said:
Funny thing though if you go somewhere like a zoo or amusement park and take your camera you are not approached, well I have never been. What's the difference there or on the street?
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There is none... it's all scaremongery and ridiculous political correctness.
 
well, today I went down to the beach to get pics of sunsets and there was a group of young lads jumping of the wall nearby, some parents ( i presume) were there also, I took the camera out of the bag and they all turned around to look. The next thing one of them handded their child his t-shrt to put on!!
 
I won't take my camera out at the local park when I take my son (he's 10). I feel much better with a point and shoot, but the big camera and lenses draw too much attention from ignorant and sometimes arrogant twits.

G.
 
Thanks for the replies. Before now I have only really used a camera for holidays, family occasions etc. etc.
You lot and folks like you have whetted my appetite to do different things.
I don't want to cook up any gender debate but I really feel restricted.
If I was doing 50 past the school gates then fair enough.
I will never never put any potographs of mine or any other kids on the internet. I have been on too many CEOPS courses for that!!
Thanks again.
Wayne
 
jenbrads said:
well, today I went down to the beach to get pics of sunsets and there was a group of young lads jumping of the wall nearby, some parents ( i presume) were there also, I took the camera out of the bag and they all turned around to look. The next thing one of them handded their child his t-shrt to put on!!
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I cannot describe how that would have made me feel, and its exactly why I refuse to take my camera anywhere where that might happen. I don't want put off my hobby due to people being paranoid. I do feel for some parents, there are some wierdos about.
 
dafmeister said:
I went to my sons xmas concert and took my camera. All the men had to sign a disclaimer saying the photos would only be of their children and no photos would be used in appropriatly.
However, there were 2 mothers behind me and both had cameras. Did they have to sign one.

Did they hell.
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Thats because only men abuse children..... Myra Hindley, whos she?

Report them for not doing their job properly and leaving your child open to abuse, see what they say!
 
had similar thing happen, went with my girlfriend to local park, took camera as it is by a huge lake, and wanted to get some shots...lots of kids/women around...Girlfriend said I looked like a bit of a perv taking the camera out, so it stayed in the bag. was v dissapointed.
 
its completely nuts
i see parents with push chairs poking them out into on coming traffic trying to cross the road. A lot of parents dont even teach their children any road safety.
But they are scared to death if someone has a camera somewhere nearby their children.
I wonder which is more dangerous to a child?

but its not a worldwide problem
I took my god daughter out to a park in Latvia to get some nice shots of her (she's a year old). I was nervous of having the camera around all the other children, so i asked if anyone would be likely to tell me to leave. My wife told me that they would be more likely to ask me to take some shots of their children, and sure enough they did.. It was a refreshing change not to feel like a criminal for having a decent camera.
 
I just wrote a quick post about a similar subject. A competition for photography in the park, actually suggests taking pics of kids on the swings. How long do we think it would take to be called a P****? Get a visit from Police or worse, a good kicking.

All wrong.
 
A sign of the times in which we live. The simple fact is that since the internet became what it is today it has opened up a whole new world for the sexual deviant. We don't know who or where they are on the whole. They generally look like everyone else and do normal things as we all do. And each time one is caught out and locked up they learn from experience and improve their cover tactics.
It is not a subject to which you can attach the 'scaremongering' tag, because it is so serious and sensetive. Like many here and elsewhere on the internet we have children whom we protect against many things. Lets face it, other than them losing their lives there isn't much worse a scenario than abuse.
My experience at the school, and the other written here are with us to stay. The sad thing is that paedophiles don't just hang around schools with cameras. They are a well organised and intelligent group who coordinate their evil across the world. Tell that to a frightened mother in a village in the middle of Derbyshire at 3.30pm. She just wants YOU away from her child. Just hers. She is only human and a parent after all.
I know this is a photography forum to which I am new. I didn't start this thread to spout all this off.
As long as we know we are in the right, that's all that matters.
If I saw someone I didn't know pointing a camera at my eight year old daughter, I can't honestly say how I would react.
Back to photo's please 'cos I'm loving it.
 
Wayned said:
As long as we know we are in the right, that's all that matters.
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Unfortunately i dont think thats true
people tend to believe in the very stupid phrase 'no smoke without fire'. If they saw you taking pics in a park on tuesday, half the town would have you down as being a pedophile by thursday.
'innocent until proven guilty' is no longer valid in these days of trial by media.

I blame the daily mail and a lot of the other media.. They are the people that really gain from all this hysteria.
 
Wayned, you obviously have more experience with 'unsavoury' sorts in your line of work, but it's pretty clear that paedos in general are men and these days, if you mention the word 'paedophile' to anyone, most people instantly think of a bloke. When the press, which we all obey, talk about 'predatory' paedophiles etc, you think of dirty buggers (men) with photos of kids they've taken, sitting at their computers... and then you see someone taking photos near a school and it's 2+2=5 – oh oh!

I don't blame you for feeling guilty. These days we're made to feel guilty about all sorts but situations like this just compounds people's opinions and make it clear about how strange the state of things are these days.
 
badgerbaiter said:
Unfortunately i dont think thats true
people tend to believe in the very stupid phrase 'no smoke without fire'. If they saw you taking pics in a park on tuesday, half the town would have you down as being a pedophile by thursday.
'innocent until proven guilty' is no longer valid in these days of trial by media.

I blame the daily mail and a lot of the other media.. They are the people that really gain from all this hysteria.
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Point taken. But the first person to suggest I was a filthy paedophile better have a good lawyer. :bat:
 
badgerbaiter said:
Unfortunately i dont think thats true
people tend to believe in the very stupid phrase 'no smoke without fire'. If they saw you taking pics in a park on tuesday, half the town would have you down as being a pedophile by thursday.
'innocent until proven guilty' is no longer valid in these days of trial by media.

I blame the daily mail and a lot of the other media.. They are the people that really gain from all this hysteria.
Click to expand...

:agree:
 
specialman said:
Wayned, you obviously have more experience with 'unsavoury' sorts in your line of work, but it's pretty clear that paedos in general are men and these days, if you mention the word 'paedophile' to anyone, most people instantly think of a bloke. When the press, which we all obey, talk about 'predatory' paedophiles etc, you think of dirty buggers (men) with photos of kids they've taken, sitting at their computers... and then you see someone taking photos near a school and it's 2+2=5 – oh oh!

I don't blame you for feeling guilty. These days we're made to feel guilty about all sorts but situations like this just compounds people's opinions and make it clear about how strange the state of things are these days.
Click to expand...

I just want to live in the 50's where everyone knew who the local wierdo was and told their kids to keep away.
They are generally men, they are generally social outcasts, and they will never change.My personal opinion is that it is not an illness but a sexual preference, just like hetro/homosexuality.
Please talk about photo's again. I've just finished a crap day at work and want half an hours relax before night nights.
 
Wayned, here, here. Just cracked open a beer and am going to browse people's galleries for some inspiration... :)
 
Wayned said:
I just want to live in the 50's where everyone knew who the local wierdo was and told their kids to keep away.
They are generally men, they are generally social outcasts, and they will never change.My personal opinion is that it is not an illness but a sexual preference, just like hetro/homosexuality.
Please talk about photo's again. I've just finished a crap day at work and want half an hours relax before night nights.
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Hi Wayned, I have worked with sex offenders for both the Probation Service, for Children's charities and as a Child Protection Officer for many years. What struck me with your quote above was the bit where you state "My personal opinion is that it is not an illness but a sexual preference, just like hetro / homosexuality".

I have heard this on countless occasions during groups and interviews with offenders who say this to try and justify their actions. Sexual preferences of any variety are absolutely fine between consenting adults where there is no power imbalance or coercion. Sexual preferences that involve children who have no understanding of the concept of sexual preferences, maybe do not have sufficient cognitive understanding and are usually coerced is not fine in any way shape or form. There is usually a very clear level of power imbalance. The last offender that told me that sexual acts with children were a "sexual preference" and society needed to come to terms with this had cut the feet off his daughter's pet rabbit to frighten her into silence after abusing her.

I don't think that you implied in any way that harming children was ok and I think that you were actually trying to get a point across about offenders and their inability to change so please don't take offence at my post. But please be careful of the terminology that you use. It may cause some people great offence. Keep up the good work as a Bobby. You must see your fair share of trauma and sadness in your line of work. If it's any consolation I too am wary of taking pics around children. This is only because in my current job I work with children who have been abused and some have been photographed and had images put on the internet. It's ironic really as photography is the one thing that has kept me sane over the past few years!! In an ideal world we could all take pics of what we wanted without causing offence. The problem is that the world is far from ideal.

Take care

Chris
 
Blue Moon 7 said:
Hi Wayned, I have worked with sex offenders for both the Probation Service, for Children's charities and as a Child Protection Officer for many years. What struck me with your quote above was the bit where you state "My personal opinion is that it is not an illness but a sexual preference, just like hetro / homosexuality".

I have heard this on countless occasions during groups and interviews with offenders who say this to try and justify their actions. Sexual preferences of any variety are absolutely fine between consenting adults where there is no power imbalance or coercion. Sexual preferences that involve children who have no understanding of the concept of sexual preferences, maybe do not have sufficient cognitive understanding and are usually coerced is not fine in any way shape or form. There is usually a very clear level of power imbalance. The last offender that told me that sexual acts with children were a "sexual preference" and society needed to come to terms with this had cut the feet off his daughter's pet rabbit to frighten her into silence after abusing her.

I don't think that you implied in any way that harming children was ok and I think that you were actually trying to get a point across about offenders and their inability to change so please don't take offence at my post. But please be careful of the terminology that you use. It may cause some people great offence. Keep up the good work as a Bobby. You must see your fair share of trauma and sadness in your line of work. If it's any consolation I too am wary of taking pics around children. This is only because in my current job I work with children who have been abused and some have been photographed and had images put on the internet. It's ironic really as photography is the one thing that has kept me sane over the past few years!! In an ideal world we could all take pics of what we wanted without causing offence. The problem is that the world is far from ideal.

Take care

Chris
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No offence taken.
As you correctly put it, because it's a preference it doesn't make it right. I just get fed up with the so called 'PC brigade' banging on about therapy and illnesses. Without being too rude no amount of therapy would stop me wanting to do (with consent of course) what I do.
N.B.
I started this thread with a genuine problem and I am very thankful for the responses. As the title suggests I wasn't sure whether it was me being over-sensetive or not, obviously not. My mind rests at ease.:)
 
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