It is OK, I am a photographer, not a pervert...

Women are the ones most interested in children and men tend to be leery of seeming too interested.

Molesters are of both genders, not just men. Just stating this for completeness.

And was it 90% or even more cases where the bad-guy was is the stranger with the candy but close relatives.
 
Hate to mention this but if a man came up to me, even with a card, and asked ot take my picture later I would probably politely say 'thank you' and throw it in the next garbage I went by.

To be honest, I've been approachd like that in a Wal-Mart when I was with my baby. The guy just said "we have an offer on a set of pics, we speciallize on children"... and I wouldn't even think about it. If he had said "that's a beautiful baby, I'd like to take his picture"... I would have reacted more strongly.

On the same Wal-Mart (I was no longer carrying my baby) I saw a kid standing on the shopping cart, on this little seat where he was supposed to be sitting. Nobody was watching the cart and I could just picture the kid falling.

And I could also picture myself getting in trouble if I touched him in anyway unless he was actually falling. I raised my arms to be reay to catch him and called "this kid is about to fall". An old lady turned around and saw him up there and got him down all scared.

Meh. Sad, as you said.
 
I have done the same thing. A woman walked by me in the grocery store yesterday and she really caught my attention. She had these amazing beautiful features, I swear she as nubian or something...the most perfect flawless super dark skin I have ever seen. I so wanted to give her my # and ask to photograph her but of course I didnt.
Funny thing is I don't seem to have any issue when asking people if I can photograph their horse or pets hehe.
 
I am sorry that happened to you. At least the girl did not scream and start running. I can see both sides, as some other posters have said. People always think the men are perverts. So sad. Maybe have that business card very handy and think in advance how you present yourself.

As a newer parent, I see people staring at my beautiful baby boy, but sometimes I get that weird feeling that they are a creep. Sad, it is usually men, but I am paranoid and overprotective. I thank the tv news for part of that- they always bring out the best of the bad on the news and its always men...

Good luck in the future though.
 
Ya know, I just stay away from shooting people. I get enough strange looks just walking around with my camera slung around my neck everywhere.
 
Molesters are of both genders, not just men. Just stating this for completeness.

And was it 90% or even more cases where the bad-guy was is the stranger with the candy but close relatives.

You're right, I won't argue with that. I knew someone would take what I was saying the wrong way. :blushing: There are women that are perverts that too but the overhelming majority are men. That in and of itself is very sad...that men tend to be looked at as being perverts because there are a few who are. Generally I was trying to state the fact that a man is more likely to be seen as a pervert than a woman. Right or wrong, if a woman asked to take pictures of my kids, I'd be more inclined to let her than a man.

It is also true that it's your friends you should worry about more, not strangers. This is why I don't trust anyone completely with my kids, not even close relatives. I once saw a news report with statisics showing that virtually everyone knows at least one child molester and isn't even aware of the fact.

Photographers in particular should be prepared for a bad reaction from people who are approached about modeling. There have been just too many cases of people posing as harmless photographers in order to lure would-be victims. A high-profile case in Alaska (I think it was AK) comes immediately to mind...
 
Double post...sorry. Darn computers.
 
Part of the problem stems from the basic western notion that it is impolite to stare. To do so, brings attention to the starer. If you go to someplace like China, staring at someone is not considered rude and often seen in public.

What is viewed as impolite, or wrong in western society makes others uncomfortable. When we are made uncomfortable by a transgression of social rules of behavior we become suspicious of the transgressor. Couple that with the fact that in this country people enjoy more freedoms than in most other countries on earth, a country where anyone can and often does spout their beliefs, no matter how wrong or perverse they may seem to the majority, and that suspicion is heightened enormously.

We have for so long in this country been so hung up on the idea of total individual freedom, that we forgot a couple of things. First, that individual freedom comes with a great responsibility. A burden that far to many are not willing to shoulder. Secondly, there are times that the freedom of the majority is more important than the freedom of the individual. This is an idea that has weakened in the last few years. This makes our society an easy target for those of perverse views or those that wish to destroy it.

Because of these factors we have developed into a very suspicious society where incidents like have been described above happen far to often to innocent people.
 
I was actually kind of startled that I might make somebody a bit nervous. I am the most harmless person on the planet, and wouldn't hurt a fly (literally... I am a strict vegetarian).

It's the big bushy techie beard. She probably did not recognise it as an ISO compliant network administrator look, and mistook your for an escaped convict. :p
 
Just to take the heat off the men for a minute, almost weekly, you read where somewhere in the nation another female teacher has been charged with sexual misconduct w/ one of her students. I think all of this has to do with media beating these kinds of stories to death. It more of the "if it bleeds, it leads" kind of mentality. You never hear the commentary of the overwhelming majority of priests who are doing Godly deeds, giving to the poor, helping communities, doing good in all walks of life. All you hear about are the isolated ones who molest. Then your perspective is skewed and since this is all you hear about, you tend to believe that it is much more common than it really is. Another example is the guy in Fl? who met up w/ the teen age girl on myspace. I think that really happens quite infrequently however, you'll hear bits and pieces of that story for a month until another similar event occurs and begin to believe it is a rampant problem.
 
Definitely a topic for a smarter man then me. None the less I thought I would throw in the (basically) uneducated view of a 40 year old photographer with no children.

Society is changing but I think as free thinkers we can (have to) find a way to take a different approach. A lot of responses to this thread mention the word sad. Only sad thing is that we sit by and accept the current paranoia. I only read one instance in this thread of a man being wrongly accused. Yes it stinks and I am sure it was painful for everyone involved. Lot of other posts are the same paranoid thoughts that fuel the paranoia fire. I say; accept that card from the creepy photograher. Ask the hot chick if she wants her photo taken. You very much can be too over protective of your children and that is the problem.

We need to start experiencing life as opposed to being afraid of it. A hole opened up in the road in La Jolla, Ca today. Anything can and will happen. With some research and basic social skills you can figure out if the situation is dodgy. Keep in mind that evil has only been around since day one. People dealt with it back then and we have to deal with it now. The prospect of a positive experience needs to out weigh anything.

Love & Bass
 
As a newer parent, I see people staring at my beautiful baby boy, but sometimes I get that weird feeling that they are a creep. Sad, it is usually men, but I am paranoid and overprotective. I thank the tv news for part of that- they always bring out the best of the bad on the news and its always men...

I agree there completely as I have a 22mth old little girl. There's so much more reporting on the media now than there used to be when i was younger (or maybe I just notice it more now that I have a child).
 
I agree with you guys. It's very sad that a small bunch of sick people have ruined society for the rest of us who are what we seem to be.

And my first post!
 
It's sick that this is how we live in our world, where getting caught up in beauty can be turned into 25 years in jail.

Tough times here in the photography world.

Oh yes.... tough times in general. We've become over hypersensitive to many things and in some ways have less freedoms because of it. Talk to a senior citizen about stories they remember. At least for me, I am completely amazed by how different the world has become.

In fact, we just had a thread on this forum which just shows to what extent we are willing to eat away at everyone's civil liberties.


If you had in fact taken a few photos of young beautiful girls and posted them here or on a website, there is a very good chance that those on this forum would see you as a pedophile that belongs in jail.
 
I have been in this boat before, and I've been able to sometimes mention what I do to them, but also I've been afraid to.

I was shooting a wedding, and there was this incredibly striking 17 year old. I wanted to give her my card and let her know I was interested in shooting her if she ever wanted to model, but I was afraid to. However I went outside and she was having her brother take pictures of her in her dress, so it was a good opportunity to bring it up. She contacted me since, and although we haven't worked together, she is interested.
 

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