Invasion of Privacy?

'Daniel' · Sep 23, 2005

There was just a car crash outside my house. A car with what looked like 6 people in seems to have crashed into the wall infornt of a house skidded knocked over a bollard and skidded 25 metres.

Anyway, do you think it's ok to take photos? There are police there and don't wnat to get attacked. But its more them moral side. I feel sorry for the people whos wall has just been demolished and I think the last thing they want is for someone to be taking photos.

Thoughts?

hobbes28 · Sep 23, 2005

I would actually see it as less than an invasion and more like a documentation of events as they happened. My insurance company strongly reccommends that we carry a camera in our car in case of an accident to document it.

'Daniel' · Sep 23, 2005

I waited till they went inside and the police were gone. Only took a couple of pics as its 1.30 AM here don't want to get attacked by people drunk and staggering back form the pub.

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=30718

But I sometimes feel guilty about shooting people. Dunno why....obviously with a camera.

eydryan · Sep 24, 2005

it's an interesting aspect of photography. but wait you failed to mention is the fear. you are afraid, not necessarilly for your safety and camera safety but for theirs. it is what stops you from acting. on quite a few occasions i have seen my friends freeze with the camera in their hand afraid to take the shot. it actually happened once when i slid down a glacier, very nasty stuff and both my cousin and my colleague were carrying loaded cameras all powered up and everything, one even had me in the shot when i started my... descent, but none of them could actually pull the trigger until i was actually stopped hanging from my knife.

and when something like that happens near your home you get frightened, even if the people involved have nothing to do with you, you're afraid to go outside and document it all. you're afraid it may catch on to you.

from a moral/legal point of view there is nothing stopping you from taking those shots. it may even give those people some rest, your photos could also stop drunken kids from getting in the car for fear of what happened that night, there are a lot of good things which may happen if you take it. it may be somewhat rude, but reportage photography is all about that. taking the extra step. just yesterday i took a shot of a corpse lying frozen on top of a newsstand wrapped within a blanket. i just pointed shot and walked away. it's not a pretty site but you have to get used to it too. otherwise, you can just resort to other kinds of photography which are prettier and there are a lot of them.

'Daniel' · Sep 24, 2005

Yeah, good points. I suppose I do have to get over it. At least I can take pictures of people in the street, I guess this is the next step up, taking pictures of people at their weakest. I just don't want dirty looks as I walk down my road form dissapproving neighbours :meh:

eydryan · Sep 24, 2005

well, you have to break some eggs to make an omelette...

tygersclaw · Sep 24, 2005

Some insurance companies will pay for photographs of accident scenes. Not much, but they feel the photograph will help their case in the event there is a claims dispute.

I carry my camera everywhere I go.