Am I the only one this has happened to?

scottkinfw

Wildlife photography is my passion
CR Pro
First, to all of the sane people Happy Easter.

So here is what happened to me today. I decided to take my new 300 2.8 is II with 5DII to work on action shots. Evidently, I need a lot of practice to get the most out of this lens, and I am still figuring out the AI Servo along with the focus points (I admit it, I'm a slow learner, but I am plugging away at it, and not giving up)>

The only thing moving today was the dogs at the local dog park, about a half mile down the street.

I was shooting dogs catching disks, balls, etc., for about 15 minutes, when some jerk walks up to me and says quietly, "don't take pictures of the children".

I couldn't believe it. I didn't come close to training my lens on a kid. The rig is nothing that can be hidden, and I wasn't wearing my flasher raincoat. I was bothering nobody, and it is in my own neighborhood. I don't know if the guy even had a kid there (there were only about 3 or four, and about 15 dogs).

Anyway, it soured the shoot, but I stayed about a half hour and experimented with different settings. I so pissed that when I left I went over to the idiot and whispered in his ear, "if you ever see me, don't ever talk to me again". Of course he brought our the "do you know who you are talking to B.S., but I was on my way. I was afraid that another word from him and my monopod ball head would be smashed into his brainstem, and I would be in prison.

So, I felt like a pedophile, I was humiliated by a dult, and had my afternoon soiled.

Anybody else have an incident like that, I'd love to hear.

By the way, when I do street photography, I always ask if I may take a picture and respect the subject, so there was no breach of boundaries.
Thanks.

sek
 

Sporgon

5% of gear used 95% of the time
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Nov 11, 2012
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Sign of the times I'm afraid. The guy's out of order. He could have requested you don't take any pictures of his kids, but doesn't sound as if he had any there yet be was hanging around the park with the kids himself.

If you're going to take pictures in these kind of situations nowadays I suggested you get a CRB certificate or what ever is the equivalent in your country. I have one for the Building Panoramics work I do around the schools and colleges.

In that sort of situation you can have a copy and produce it for anyone who challenges you. Whether it would pacify the jerk you came across is unknown.

Unfortunately expect more of this kind of thing.

The real perverts are the ones who see everyone else as a potential pedophile all the time.
 
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Don Haines

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Jun 4, 2012
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There really isn't anything you can say that will stop someone like that. If you react, it just proves to them (in their mind) that you really are dangerous and have to be watched and the longer things go, the worse the behaviour will get.

Try defusing the situation... tell him you are learning photography and taking pictures of the dogs... and show him the pictures....
 
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Nov 17, 2011
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Scott,
Sorry to hear about the situation.

I think Don's suggestions are great. There a lot of crazzzyyyy people out there. What if he has a gun during that time. Situation could become deadly over a simple argument or misunderstanding.

For me, I just got back from in law house. Took 100plus photos of our kids doing egg hunting.

Happy Easter :)

Dylan
 
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Don Haines said:
There really isn't anything you can say that will stop someone like that. If you react, it just proves to them (in their mind) that you really are dangerous and have to be watched and the longer things go, the worse the behaviour will get.

Try defusing the situation... tell him you are learning photography and taking pictures of the dogs... and show him the pictures....

Defusing the situation is best. And if you're ever out taking pictures of kids, and they ask you which one is yours, I've always found the best answer is, "Not sure, I haven't picked one out yet."
 
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May 31, 2011
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No... but I generally try not to shoot other kids without permission and I know you weren't doing that.

That's tough, because I can smoothie with home because I have a crazy wife who would be concerned about pervs so she might have asked me to do something stupid like that. I would have approached the photog and asked that they not photograph my kid because I have a bat shit crazy wife...

But she has mellowed.

I photograph my daughter's school events and no one has ever asked me not to... but I think I volunteer the year book info pretty quickly so they know why I'm doing it.

As a joke I have though about getting an index card in my fedora that says press... but that seems silly.

Don't take too much offense. At least the guy cared about his kid, presuming there was his kid in the mix... because we see a ton of apathy from some parents.

Also... maybe you have Jon Hamm condition where your package is just huge even when flaccid so it looks like you are hiding a cobra inyour pants.
 
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tron

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Nov 8, 2011
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Back in the 90s I was on a bridge over a station taking pictures. I am not even sure there were trains parked. I remember piles of armed cement. There was a person who was throwing rocks at me saying that I may be a spy!

I told him that I was talking pictures as a student assignment (I was taking to a free black & white class and had to present some pictures) but I do not remember that it helped a lot. This guy was working for the public sensor and I am pretty sure that this (throwing stones) was the hardest thing he has done that month!
 
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Kaweeka said:
Happened to me a few years back at the Whistler tube park. Just pointed to my children and said "if those are your kids I'll stop now." She went from foaming at the mouth to red faced fast enough to freeze the action on the slope!

You should have taken a photo of her just then and really pissed her off.
 
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Whenever I take pictures where there might be kids in the vicinity, I talk to the parents/adults to make it clear that I am not taking pictures of the kids, and if they are cool with me taking pictures in the area. Either they have been okay with it, or said okay and asked their kids to move over (happened once- but the parent might have misunderstood thinking her kids were ruining the shot, LOL).
I don't care if the parent is crazy or not, I wouldn't try and piss them off.
 
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scottkinfw

Wildlife photography is my passion
CR Pro
Thanks all for the support.

Here is the epilogue.

I did offer to show him the pics, but red faced, he declined. When I left, I did take his pic, and I let him know that I was doing it, just to piss him off.

Here is the kicker. I am a respected surgeon in town. I get total enjoyment behind my camera, I get my creative outlet, and it is a stress reliever. In a given week, many people put their lives in my hands. Not a big deal, it is my profession. I like being anonymous behind a camera, and also having no responsibilities.

So, I would be the last one in the world to be involved in this and at the same time, I am furious at this twit for appointing himself playground monitor.

Given all that is going on in the world, I am like so many of you, very paranoid about kids, so I don't point a lens at any that aren't family or friends who request portraits.

Sheesh.

sek
 
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May 31, 2011
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Actually, it did happen once. I just got a lens from Amazon, a 70-200 f/4L USM... and I was excited about. I got the delivery @ 1:45p.m. and I needed to pick up my kid from school around 2:30, so I took my body and my new lens to the school parking lot and waited. While I waited for my daughter and the kids to be dismissed into the parking lot, I rolled down my window and took some boring photos... power lines, trees (stuff that was high and away from the parents cars and their kids that weren't old enough to be in school).

And a few minutes before the kids are let out I get a tap on my window from one of the janitors at the school. And that poor guy is put in the awkward position of telling me to not photograph... but he said... oh you are one of the parents... we got a call...

And at that point I volunteered to put it away. I didn't put the janitor through the uncomfortable circumstance of asking a parent to put away a camera.

But that was annoying... because I think I was at the school for a good three or four years at that point, and I really wasn't doing anything crazy... and I was in the parking lot... not like a crazy perv across the street with my 600mm lens... but yes... it is the world we live in.

Amazingly, despite everyone and their dog having a camera on their phone, REAL cameras are feared and evidently, a cause for concern.
 
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May 31, 2011
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scottkinfw said:
Thanks all for the support.

Here is the epilogue.

I did offer to show him the pics, but red faced, he declined. When I left, I did take his pic, and I let him know that I was doing it, just to piss him off.

Here is the kicker. I am a respected surgeon in town. I get total enjoyment behind my camera, I get my creative outlet, and it is a stress reliever. In a given week, many people put their lives in my hands. Not a big deal, it is my profession. I like being anonymous behind a camera, and also having no responsibilities.

So, I would be the last one in the world to be involved in this and at the same time, I am furious at this twit for appointing himself playground monitor.

Given all that is going on in the world, I am like so many of you, very paranoid about kids, so I don't point a lens at any that aren't family or friends who request portraits.

Sheesh.

sek

Make sure you have the lens insured before you go around taking people's photos and pissing them off. If they act out and decide to smash your body/lens to the ground... I wouldn't want to rely on the police to find them and make them responsible for the the cost of the damages... and even if they were caught, they might not have two farthings to rub together...
 
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Meh

Sep 20, 2011
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Here's the thing... as much as you have the right to take photographs, people have the right to speak to you. How you react is your own responsibility. Getting furious, having your day spoiled, feeling like smashing him with you monopod, provoking him by taking his photo, etc. are all overreactions to someone who decided to speak to you.

From what you describe, he wasn't rude about it. So... instead of feeling angry the above advice about telling anyone who asks that you're taking pictures of the dogs and showing them the pictures is the probably the best choice.

The fact is there are plenty of people out there who are trolling around taking pictures of people's kids and maybe it's not so bad that people in the community are watching out for it.

More and more, we seem to be living in a society where everyone is taking the attitude that they should be able to do what they want, when they want, and how they want without question or concern. But as I said above, if that's what you believe then you also have to accept that others have the same right and that includes speaking their mind. So instead of having "how dare you question me or speak to me" mentality why not just say "thanks for the advice" and not let your own angry response ruin your day.

If you would always ask permission to photograph a person in shooting street photography then perhaps shooting at the dog park could be the same... introduce yourself to the folks and let them know you'd like to take pictures of the dogs. Maybe even give them a card with your website if you have one and tell them you'll post a few photos if you get any good shots.

Just my two cents.
 
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Funny story!

I was in Colorado last winter skiing with my wife and another couple. We are completely normal looking young adults from the midwest. We were at Copper Mountain Resort after a full day of skiing having a nice dinner at a slope side restaurant (still in our ski gear). I had my 5d2 and 50 1.4 (hardly a obtrusive setup) and i was taking a few pics of our friends and the ambiance (typical vacation stuff). It was busy and I was not doing anything to attract attention other than taking a few harmless photos in a busy public place.

Then, some guy comes up to me and asks to see my camera (he didn't say it in a nice way). I asked why, and he said he wanted to see if I had taken pictures of his kids. He then accused me of taking photos of children in the restaurant and called me a sicko (and something else worse but I don't remember). My wife and friends were as shocked as me and I basically told him to go f**k himself. Plus me and my friend are big guys and this guy was maybe 5'5" so there wasn't much he could do. However, it ruined my night as it left me pissed off the whole time.

Because I drove 800 miles and spent thousand of dollars so I could take pictures of random kids in a restaurant in Colorado? What am I going to do with these pictures? Some people are just paranoid... Fun world we live in, huh???
 
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May 31, 2011
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I know getting into fights isn't socially acceptable... but in my middle age I'm more willing to kick a little ass than I was when I was younger. But it feels awkward to tell someone... give me five minutes to put my gear away and then I'll happily beat that ass.

nmccrea43 said:
Funny story!

I was in Colorado last winter skiing with my wife and another couple. We are completely normal looking young adults from the midwest. We were at Copper Mountain Resort after a full day of skiing having a nice dinner at a slope side restaurant (still in our ski gear). I had my 5d2 and 50 1.4 (hardly a obtrusive setup) and i was taking a few pics of our friends and the ambiance (typical vacation stuff). It was busy and I was not doing anything to attract attention other than taking a few harmless photos in a busy public place.

Then, some guy comes up to me and asks to see my camera (he didn't say it in a nice way). I asked why, and he said he wanted to see if I had taken pictures of his kids. He then accused me of taking photos of children in the restaurant and called me a sicko (and something else worse but I don't remember). My wife and friends were as shocked as me and I basically told him to go f**k himself. Plus me and my friend are big guys and this guy was maybe 5'5" so there wasn't much he could do. However, it ruined my night as it left me pissed off the whole time.

Because I drove 800 miles and spent thousand of dollars so I could take pictures of random kids in a restaurant in Colorado? What am I going to do with these pictures? Some people are just paranoid... Fun world we live in, huh???
 
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