Rude people!

[wildmaven]

I was recently at a festival in town and I saw a woman walking a beautiful border collie. I smiled and asked if she would mind if I took a picture of her dog. She scowled at me, turned around, yanked the dog by the leash and walked away!

Have you ever had something like that happen?

 

[Anita]

Was this in the US?

I tried to take a photo of an old woman selling flowers on the street in Mexico City (in the early 80's) and she had a fit. She started throwing water at me and chasing after me. She ever tried to take my camera.

I found out later that they believe evil spirits come out of the camera.

Who knew? I sure didn't.

 

[Sw1tchFX]

at least she didn't threaten to stab you like what happened to me with one guy in Seattle.

 

[1JP]

Some people just don't like their picture taken, for some it's a big deal.
​

 

[Anita]

at least she didn't threaten to stab you like what happened to me with one guy in Seattle.

Care to explain what happen?

 

[WDodd]

I was at the beach taking pictures of sea gulls with my 75-300 and a woman walked up to me and asked if I was taking her picture, when I said no she insisted that I prove it to her with the LCD on the camera.

There are some weird people out there.

 

[Zoso]

I was shooting at a nightclub and I like to mix it up a bit I get bored of the posed bull**** ones and like to get some candid ones in there

on two occasions at this club I had two problems.. once a man I almost thought he was having an epileptic fit from the flash .. turns out he just wasnt right and was being escorted out

the second I took a candid shot and the man went psycho about it "You dont just take pictures of people without their permission you need to learn some manners missy.. etc etc continue this on for another five minutes

yeah i didnt want your ugly mug on there anyway

 

[Neuner]

I was at the beach taking pictures of sea gulls with my 75-300 and a woman walked up to me and asked if I was taking her picture, when I said no she insisted that I prove it to her with the LCD on the camera.

That's when I ask them what they think makes them so interesting that I would want to take their picture. If they even come back with a comment I start laughing which irritates them even more & they proceed to finally walk away.

 

[Sw1tchFX]

Care to explain what happen?

Guy just told me if i take his picture, he'll stab me.

 

[carusoswi]

I was recently at a festival in town and I saw a woman walking a beautiful border collie. I smiled and asked if she would mind if I took a picture of her dog. She scowled at me, turned around, yanked the dog by the leash and walked away!

Have you ever had something like that happen?

Her people skills are a little lacking, but, there I see nothing wrong with her objection to you taking pictures of her dog. As for most of the other incidents related in this thread, it appears the rudeness is coming from behind the camera.

Take candid shots when you are with your family and friends whose permission is nearly implicit, but, I don't think you should be surprised that perfect strangers are going to object to being shot "candidly."

Most of my bar days are behind me, but, if I decided to relax with a few, I know I wouldn't want someone photographing the moment without my knowledge. If you get some really great candid shots in that situation, what will you do with them? Keep them in the camera, delete them, or print/upload them for display?

For the poster shooting gulls at the beach, well, your experience is the price we all pay for the morons who have polluted the 'net with their "candid" upskirt photos and worse.

For a male to venture alone onto a beach where attractive women are sun bathing carrying the "tools of the trade" is to invite a challenge. Whatever your true intentions, take an assistant with you next time - preferably your S.O.

I see absolutely no rudeness in people determined to protect their privacy and not wanting to become the subject of some photographer's candid shots, no matter how artistic your intentions.

Caruso

 

[mandabec]

My husband was looking through the camera trying to determine if their was dust on the lens while wating in a parking lot. A man approached him and asked him if he was taking pictures of his building when my hisband said no he said oh I was wondering if I was about to get sued again.

 

[Mike_E]

I was recently at a festival in town and I saw a woman walking a beautiful border collie. I smiled and asked if she would mind if I took a picture of her dog. She scowled at me, turned around, yanked the dog by the leash and walked away!

Have you ever had something like that happen?

She might have mistaken that for a 'Pickup line' or any number of other personal issues she may have had. The world is getting more rancorous as economic pressures increase and the amount of personal time available decreases. (read that as nothing ever seems to be good enough)

 

[astrostu]

I have to agree with Caruso. While I see nothing wrong - in a public place - with asking if someone's photograph can be taken, I also see nothing wrong with them saying no. Granted, being threatened with stabbing is a little extreme.

But, I think that - even though if the law is on the photographer's side in the case of public photography - it's still the right thing to make sure you have someone's permission.

 

[Iron Flatline]

I have to agree with Caruso. While I see nothing wrong - in a public place - with asking if someone's photograph can be taken, I also see nothing wrong with them saying no. Granted, being threatened with stabbing is a little extreme.

But, I think that - even though if the law is on the photographer's side in the case of public photography - it's still the right thing to make sure you have someone's permission.

FORGET that, I just take pictures. The minute you start asking you're going to lose the shot, AND chances are you're going to get a NO.

I have kids in kindergarten, and I'm trying to teach them how to get along in society and be liked, but now that I'm grown up I find the whole "ask" and "be liked by other people" thing to be highly overrated.

 

[carusoswi]

FORGET that, I just take pictures. The minute you start asking you're going to lose the shot, AND chances are you're going to get a NO.

I have kids in kindergarten, and I'm trying to teach them how to get along in society and be liked, but now that I'm grown up I find the whole "ask" and "be liked by other people" thing to be highly overrated.

I don't disagree with you . . . once you ask, the shot is no longer candid . . . it is probably gone, altogether.

So, in order to get the shot, you take a gamble that you will be detected by your subject, at which point, the shot is no longer candid, and the shot is again lost.

The OP characterised the predictable resentment of the otherwise "candid" subjects as rudeness. With that evaluation I take issue. Those would-be subjects are not so much rude as they are normal in their proclivity against being used as unwilling subjects for a candid photograph.

Having a camera in hand gives one no inherent right to assimilate the population as photographic subjects. Catch them when they aren't aware, and you have yourself a candid photo. Use it without obtaining permission of the subjects, you might have yourself a lawsuit (in which you will most likely not prevail). Get discovered, well, then, you need to be prepared to deal with negative push-back. In that situation, concerning the "candid" nature of your envisioned photo, you have blown it . . . it is no longer possible, even if the intended subject is willing.

None of this, in my view, has anything to do with our state of society or our society as compared to some finer iteration. It's really just people being people.

Caruso