Photographer 1 - 0 Ignorant Public

Why oh why does someone pulling there face or asking you a question get turned into an "I have been called a pedophile" thread..

Maybe it's just your interpretation perhaps? :shrug:
 
I also have a license to think about naked women

At work a couple of years ago someone was printing out Manual Handling course certificates.

When the computer was left un-attended for a few minutes, my friend printed himself a Breast Inspector certificate.


Steve.
 
Maybe it's just your interpretation perhaps? :shrug:

Of what? This thread was started about a women asking what a photogrpaher was doing.. now from there to your post try counting how many times pedophile is mentioned.. its not my interpretation at all..
 
Of what? This thread was started about a women asking what a photogrpaher was doing.. now from there to your post try counting how many times pedophile is mentioned.. its not my interpretation at all..

To be fair, the woman didn't just ask what he was doing. She asked if he was pointing his camera specifically at certain children, I think the implication is certainly there.
 
To be fair, the woman didn't just ask what he was doing. She asked if he was pointing his camera specifically at certain children, I think the implication is certainly there.

Agreed.. but it does go from one extreme to the other.. theres no mention who this woman was.. policewoman, park official, parent, nosey sod ? Its the whole I got asked so they must be calling me a pedophile thing... all based on a question or a funny look...
 
Agreed.. but it does go from one extreme to the other.. theres no mention who this woman was.. policewoman, park official, parent, nosey sod ? Its the whole I got asked so they must be calling me a pedophile thing... all based on a question or a funny look...

If the incident was reported accurately by the OP, then the woman was clearly out of order. "Nerd" indeed!

Smacks of vigilanteism, if you ask me.
 
She was a parent with another friend (also a mother I guess) and a couple of their own children each. She must have been sitting on the row of benches that were behind me a few metres. However, from that viewpoint she would have clearly seen me in the middle of the park on my haunches taking a good number of shots of the trees and scenery just a few minutes earlier.

I wasn't offended, no. More annoyed at the fact how uninformed many people are just because they suck down what the red-tops and other tabloids throw at them.
 
..its not my interpretation at all..

Yes it is your interpretation KIPAX and judging by your 'Photographer Accused thread' it seems you have some issues here.

Why else do you think the OP was questioned in such a manner, suspicions of being a terrorist maybe? suspicion of being a pedophile? or what exactly?
 
To be quite honest The moment she asked, "Excuse me, can I ask what you're doing?" I knew where it was going to go.
If I had been with 3 or 4 other photographers, I doubt we would have been approached. I was alone, however, and quite clearly she was concerned I was taking photos of children, hence her questions.

I wasn't paranoid about the situation,. If I had been, I would have been looking over my shoulders all the time wondering whether people were looking at me, (and therefore making it look like I was dodgy!!)

Was my first time being questioned, and I'll handle all the others the same.
 
She was a parent with another friend (also a mother I guess) and a couple of their own children each. She must have been sitting on the row of benches that were behind me a few metres. However, from that viewpoint she would have clearly seen me in the middle of the park on my haunches taking a good number of shots of the trees and scenery just a few minutes earlier.

I wasn't offended, no. More annoyed at the fact how uninformed many people are just because they suck down what the red-tops and other tabloids throw at them.

You showed massive self restraint. Not sure I'd have been able to!
 
You certainly showed more restraint than I feel I would have done. What right does this person have to ask me what I'm doing in a public area, NONE, and she would have been told that. As for showing my pictures she could P___ off. Some people think they have all the rights and photographers taking pics openly, in a public place, have none.... :help: its a sad world we live in...
 
You certainly showed more restraint than I feel I would have done. What right does this person have to ask me what I'm doing in a public area, NONE,

She has the same rights to ask what he is doing as he has to take pictures..


As for showing my pictures she could P___ off.

She didnt ask to be shown the pictures
 
It annoys me how people stereotype others based on what they're doing, since when do you have to be a nerd to take photos? or to use a computer?

You delt with that with a lot more patience than I would have had fella, she'd have got swiftly told to jog on after calling me 'nerdy'.
 
She has the same rights to ask what he is doing as he has to take pictures..

Well we all have the right to do lots of things in public, but it doesn't make them acceptable behaviour, nor correct. ;)
 
I'm a parent and a photographer.

I don't expect general joe public to understand the ins and outs of the legalities of my hobby, just as I don't expect photographers without children to understand how easy it is to be overprotective of your children.

You handled this situation very well and it's only right you post your experience here to start a discussion.

A little understanding, patience, tact and common sense goes a long way in diffusing these situations.

The lady who questioned you clearly used tact in the way she approached you.

All that being said, I would have still punched her in the mush for calling my lovely landscape pictures 'nerdy'.
 
Do I?... you do know what parody means dont you? think humor :)

I do understand what a parody is thankyou but still, it's supposed to be funny.

Think humor you say Sir? How about you just think :)

Er, that thread was started as a joke ;)

Sorry Bod, jokes are funny.

The person who questioned the OP was clearly concerned that he was taking photo's of her children, granted that the cause of her concerns can only be speculated, but it's fairly accurate to say that she considered him a threat.

Whether pedophile, kidnapper, molester, murderer or whatever, her behavior was unjustified and so is the rest of the hysterical nonsense that is often associated with photography in public places.

Coming to this conclusion is not paranoid or delusional.
 
Whether pedophile, kidnapper, molester, murderer or whatever, her behavior was unjustified and so is the rest of the hysterical nonsense that is often associated with photography in public places..

But only if it comes from people who havent got a camera it seems.. photographers cant be accused of "hysterical nonsense" can they not?

OK you got parody.. now try Irony ... the only people I can see showing hysterical nonsense is photographers who jump at every shadow...
 
But only if it comes from people who havent got a camera it seems.. photographers cant be accused of "hysterical nonsense" can they not?

Of course they can but you entitrely miss the point here, the photographer (the OP) and the folk who are discussing the topic within this thread are not displaying any kind of hysterical nonsense. At all.

The OP was questioned on his purpose to taking photographs, it's clear that the woman who questioned him suspected ill behavior.

A man pointing a camera at a bunch of kids playing is not normally associated with fraud is it? The math is really quite simple.

OK you got parody.. now try Irony ... the only people I can see showing hysterical nonsense is photographers who jump at every shadow...

That's quite clear and that's the precise point I'm making.

Photographers in general are not jumping at every shadow, this is your interpretation.

I am disagreeing with you and hence all your sarcastic remarks, much to your dislike.

I think your comments in this thread are disproportionate, exaggerated and the similarities your attempting to make with the 'Parents Scowling' thread don't quite marry for me.

Sorry to be a bother and all that crap, speaking my mind like.
 
What i'd be curious of is what would people do if they did come across an ACTUAL paedophile or terrorist or something :bonk:
"Hey are you meant to be taking photos of those children?"
"Well not really, but it's my hobby."
"Photography?"
"Nope....being a paedophile!"
":eek:"

Anyway, i can see why people are concerned about this apparent risk of all photographers being evil and on some kind of aggenda [which isn't to take nice pictures :p] but it's ridiculous how some people can over-react.
I've been lucky not to have many experiences like this - for example the other day i had my tri-pod set up in a closed down shop just outside my local market [no, not Woolworths :razz:] and only got 1 dirty look :thumbs:. I even heard someon say something along the lines of "he knows what he's doing, ask him to take your photo" - this did make me feel rather smug :lol:
 
LMAO @ nick


it was a situation handled well, reflecting well on you (and as such all togs) for being open honest and not a P**** (kidding). Educated a member of the public who was obviously a dammed fool (nerdy comment) and it made an entertaining thread :thumbs:
 
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