Your uncomfortable photography, WHY?

[drmikeinpdx]

Street photography is difficult for me because of the looks I get from people when they think I'm photographing them. Next time, I'm going to use the flippy/tilty screen on my Rebel and keep the camera below my line of sight, kind of like my old C330.

 

[Valvebounce]

Hi YuengLinger.
I would so take pictures of bullying or similar acts and not for self gratification but to pass to the correct authority be it a teacher or the police, bullying and similar needs to be stopped not ignored! I would however be as descrete as possible so as not to antagonise the perpetrator.

Hi Dylan.
I have taken photos at funerals when it is something I have been asked to do, generally for those unable to attend to have some interaction with the event. It has got me in to trouble with family members who thought it was wrong despite having been asked by immediate family to take them.
I have never been comfortable enough to do street photography of people, however there are sometimes people in my shots of landmarks, that doesn't bother me.

Cheers, Graham.

Ok, we get it! In some countries, a photographer can stand in a public place and photograph anything his/her lens can reach--unless the subject may threaten national security. In other countries, privacy of subjects has more weight.

But this is way off topic. The question of the OP is very interesting.

I wouldn't photograph acts of humiliation, shaming, bullying, or violence, and, to me, that includes graphic sex acts. I think the photography in these situations further degrades all involved. For the safety of my family, I wouldn't want to photograph actual crime of any kind.

And, even to pay for a great white, I would not photograph adultery (as in a PI who does so for lawyers).

 

[Zeidora]

Anything involving people. Does not matter who, when, where. I've done it a few times, but learned, and not doing it anymore. Don't like to be photographed either. Filming is worse, and anything with audio is the pinnacle of bad. Photographing people is vulgar, voyeuristic.

Re parks, if you have a dSLR and a tripod, you are a potential pro. Been questioned few times, but a business card with an unrelated day job solves it.

 

[monkey44]

I'm uncomfortable telling family NO when anyone asks me to photo a family wedding. We had three this year, and all three asked me about shooting it. I'm a nature and sports photographer, not a wedding photographer - and it makes me uncomfortable mostly because weddings (good pros) are a specialty, and need to know what's important and what's not - that's why they're pros ...

Not that I "can't' shoot it - but I choose not to take that chance with the lack of experience in that field. So, instead, I advised them to hire a pro .... THEN, I brought my cameras, stayed in the background, and shot an entire series of candid shots in B&W, made a small 8x10 B&W album, and presented it to the bride and groom (family ) later ... That made up for declining the weddings ... and gave me a chance for some fun too.

PLUS: How do you charge a daughter or a grand-daughter ??? Not possible - I'd have rather paid a pro myself, and had fun at the wedding instead. And that's what happened ...

 

[mnclayshooter]

Like many on this thread, the most uncomfortable shots I have ever taken are for once-off moments where someone has asked you to specifically capture that moment (last at-bat for baseball player in High School, a birth, graduation, wedding etc) . I haven't done a single one of those since I started with digital unless I wasn't the "only" photographer. Not because I feel I shouldn't, but because I don't need the stress of it. I'm too much of a bumbling idiot sometimes and have a high potential to screw something up.

Landscapes and most nature scenes aren't once-in-a-lifetime... nor is architecture which is where I spend the majority of my shutter clicks... and casual - photos of my dog, photos of friends playing with their kids in their yard etc... not special events, but still special subjects.

 

[LDS]

What type of photography that make you feel uncomfortable with? Why?

Images of the less fortunate ones. Although some stories need to be told.

 

[scyrene]

I really dislike photographing people, especially strangers, unless they explicitly ask me to. I feel like I'm being rude or invasive - even though I accept that being out and about, I may end up in other people's shots. Street photography is not for me!

 

[AJ]

street portrait photographer - I am just very self-conscious asking and guiding people. Birds and bears don't care.

True, birds and bears don't care, but a bear at close range when I'm away from my car does make me uncomfortable.

 

[Labdoc]

Homicide, suicide and accident victims, dead children. At one time I was a forensic medical examiner. I was lucky to avoid most of the field work where the job is hard enough but now there may be gawkers.

Back in the autopsy suite I was the main photographer for all the cases. You use ringlights, spots and anything available to document everything in the hope it helps to solve a crime or answer a medical question, give a family peace. Macabre work but it has to be done properly.

After about 3 years I moved on to other things and slept better at night.

 

[scyrene]

Homicide, suicide and accident victims, dead children. At one time I was a forensic medical examiner. I was lucky to avoid most of the field work where the job is hard enough but now there may be gawkers.

Back in the autopsy suite I was the main photographer for all the cases. You use ringlights, spots and anything available to document everything in the hope it helps to solve a crime or answer a medical question, give a family peace. Macabre work but it has to be done properly.

After about 3 years I moved on to other things and slept better at night.

Gosh. Yes, it's not a genre that's talked about much, but someone has to photograph everything grisly.

You remind me of something. I was once on the seashore photographing birds, and I saw a person by the water's edge. I normally wouldn't point my big lens at a person, but they were far away and acting oddly. It was a young woman on her phone whilst walking, fully clothed into the water (towards sunset in cold, rough seas). I took a couple of photos in case they were needed later, and then wondered how I'd contact the authorities (I had no phone on me). Thanfully, the beach patrol caught up with her almost immediately. I guess as photographers, we may encounter situations when the question is - do I photograph/film this, or do I intervene? And sometimes it's so quick, and not so easy to know. Mind you, I suppose with phone cameras, we're all potentially in that situation now.

 

[Boyer U. Klum-Cey]

a) Will do: Elopements, Sports, Landscapes, Buildings, Corp Events, non-people oriented Street, Rallies, Protests, News, changing of the guard ceremonies, kids & pets(family only)

b) Won't do: Weddings, Charity Events(hosted by the wealthy, et al), down & outers on the Street, Funerals, retirements, people eating, selfies

Stuff in b) is way too stressful, and uncomfortable.

 

[chrysoberyl]

I really dislike photographing people, especially strangers, unless they explicitly ask me to. I feel like I'm being rude or invasive - even though I accept that being out and about, I may end up in other people's shots. Street photography is not for me!

This describes my feelings exactly!

 

[chrysoberyl]

Close-ups of skunks! Why? The smell. That gets on me.

 

[KeithBreazeal]

NHRA drag racing. In the 70's I was hit by debris from a blower explosion. I didn't start shoot drags again until a few years ago. Much different today with safety improvements, but still dangerous.
This shot is of the dragster exploding in the lane closest to me. The orange glow is at the moment of the explosion. My buddy was shooting the closest lane and I was covering the far lane. I think the camera shake was from both the impact and me flinching.

Engine explosion flash web © Keith Breazeal by Keith Breazeal, on Flickr

You just hope the funny cars hold together until they get past your shooting position because they tend to fling body panels into the air.

Funny Cars Fri night NHRA 2013 8677 © Keith Breazeal by Keith Breazeal, on Flickr

 

[Dylan777]

Homicide, suicide and accident victims, dead children. At one time I was a forensic medical examiner. I was lucky to avoid most of the field work where the job is hard enough but now there may be gawkers.

Back in the autopsy suite I was the main photographer for all the cases. You use ringlights, spots and anything available to document everything in the hope it helps to solve a crime or answer a medical question, give a family peace. Macabre work but it has to be done properly.

After about 3 years I moved on to other things and slept better at night.

Not easy for sure.

 

[Click]

I really dislike photographing people, especially strangers, unless they explicitly ask me to. I feel like I'm being rude or invasive - even though I accept that being out and about, I may end up in other people's shots. Street photography is not for me!

This describes my feelings exactly!

Ditto.

 

[Buck]

banquets or events when people are eating. many times they want shots of every table and not enough time before or after serving and there is not enough time to get every table without interrupting.

 

[monkey44]

NHRA drag racing. In the 70's I was hit by debris from a blower explosion. I didn't start shoot drags again until a few years ago. Much different today with safety improvements, but still dangerous.
This shot is of the dragster exploding in the lane closest to me. The orange glow is at the moment of the explosion. My buddy was shooting the closest lane and I was covering the far lane. I think the camera shake was from both the impact and me flinching.

Engine explosion flash web © Keith Breazeal by Keith Breazeal, on Flickr

You just hope the funny cars hold together until they get past your shooting position because they tend to fling body panels into the air.

Funny Cars Fri night NHRA 2013 8677 © Keith Breazeal by Keith Breazeal, on Flickr

Kieth -- Drag Racing -- do you know Dave Wallace or Jon Asher ?? Both drag-racing photo guys that worked with Peterson Publishing for years ...???

 

[Ozarker]

What type of photography that make you feel uncomfortable with? Why?

Images of the less fortunate ones. Although some stories need to be told.

I'm always dismayed when I see people fawn over a photo of a homeless person as though the photographer set up the shot. Just bothers me to see that kind of reaction to a photo of suffering. "The light on the old woman's face is perfect. Nice shot!" That sort of thing seems so sterile and touching on the wrong subject as though the person weren't really a person, but something to be objectified.

 

[mnclayshooter]

What type of photography that make you feel uncomfortable with? Why?

Images of the less fortunate ones. Although some stories need to be told.

I'm always dismayed when I see people fawn over a photo of a homeless person as though the photographer set up the shot. Just bothers me to see that kind of reaction to a photo of suffering. "The light on the old woman's face is perfect. Nice shot!" That sort of thing seems so sterile and touching on the wrong subject as though the person weren't really a person, but something to be objectified.

That's an interesting take. I don't agree entirely... mainly because it appears that two concepts have been merged into one... photographic art and compassion/ethics.

Showing/capturing emotion through excellent photography is what true portrait photography is about. Discussing technical merits of a photo, ie, lighting, is appropriate among photographers or photo enthusiasts.

I think, and I don't want to put words in your mouth - but if this is where you were headed, I might agree a bit more... What would help satisfy the ethical dilemma is that if the photo somehow earns the photographer money, that some portion, if not most of it goes back to help the old woman (or at least supports a charity that could help the old woman). I don't think the technical photographic discussion objectifies the woman, I think it objectifies the photograph in an art-critique sort of way. The subjective part of the of the photo is still very much the woman and if the photo evokes an emotional response that makes you feel compassion for the woman, the photographer has done his/her job.

Just my two cents. Feel free to tear it apart.