Ever been confronted in public?

On the back of another thread, has anyone been confronted when taking pics in public?

Tell us about it!

An individual that got upset at you taking their pic? Pic of their property?

How did you diffuse situation? Did the person go away suitably consoled you were innocent of any wrong doing?

Yes twice, i put a thread on here about the first incident ..Here

The second time was when i was near the Cholera Memorial,

i was taking photos of Shrewsbury Hospital (please note it is not a hospital) a listed building that use to be arms houses.

I was approached by a a community police officer who asked me "what are you taking photos of ",

seemed a bit strange to me as he had watched me for a couple of minutes so he could see where i was pointing the camera.

When he asked, my first thoughts were that he had an interest in photography but no... he started trying to provoke me with more questions !!!

I bit my tongue and answered him in a pleasant manner,

but personally ima i felt like giving him a clip round the ear hole

I've not taken much street photography because frankly I don't like the way people react to it. When I have done so, I've not actually been confronted, but people have given strange glances, and I'm pretty sure I've got a shot of a rude sign somewhere (or someone did one when I wasn't taking a shot.)

I always used to get problems when taking photos for my Photography class, we were always told by our teacher that we have a right to take photos of buildings because it's public property etc and if any shop keepers tried to tell us off for doing so - still didn't appreciate being told to move on.

Happened in Rotherham, but was easy enough to go ask for permission as it was at the markets. Then we went across to Sheffield and was trying to practice with f stops etc in the peace gardens and a security guy came out and told us we weren't allowed to take photos! He didn't move away until we'd put our cameras away or left.

That really did wind me up, especially since he'd obviously been alerted to us via the cctv. Two bloomin 18 yr olds, obviously we were taking photos for a magazine!

Public property my bum.

So now I'm wary of taking a large camera around town with me. Mind you, there are far more people with DSLR's than a few years ago, so I guess now people don't have the same problems.

I got collared the other day taking these.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1257/1355082698_f277c17675.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1253/1354190823_c3c5349af0.jpg

They were in the guys garden and i it was a high gate and a camera over his fence didn't cheer him up. Though i did get his point, he came out asking what i was taking photos of as he had kids in the pool in the garden, i have to say i hadn't even seen them or him. I apologised and explained i was taking pics of the propellors and hadn't even seen the kids, and asked if he wanted to check the pics on my camera. (I have to say if i do to take pics that have kids in i will ask permission before if possible or ask if it's OK after and show them pics). He said he didn't and was fine and told me they were from RNLI boats, i thought they looked like flowers. I know the light could be better on them but i dare not go back and take anymore.

I do get some funny looks sometimes as i am a bit obsessed by buildings and people wander what you're taking pics of.

I was on Devonshire Green about 6 years ago taking a general landscape shot. A group of about 6 teenage african boys walked over to me from about 200 yards away and demanded to know who I was working for, what I was doing and, get this, they didn't appreciate being photographed. I can't post my actual response here, but I basically pointed out that being a Sheffielder, born about half a mile from the very spot I was standing, I did not appreciate this gang bombing over to me from the other side of the park and trying to act hard and I would photograph whatever I liked. They muttered something and walked off.

If any fellow posters are offended by that response, so be it.

I was also taking pictures of the Christmas lights in town once and a panda car screeched to a halt beside me. "Excuse me son, can you tell me what you think you're doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing? I know my rights. I'm in a public place, not on private property." (I had the tripod out, he could have done me for obstructing the highway)

"Yeah, er, It's just that you might er, be taking pictures of car number plates."

"Yeah, the camera is pointing to the sky. Not many number plates up there."

And he got in his car and drove away! amazing.

"Yeah, er, It's just that you might er, be taking pictures of car number plates."

brilliant!

Though a lot of people get uppety about the number plate thing for some reason I haven't figured out yet. Linking a plate to a person in a public way, I can understand objections, but a number plate on its own?

I find the paranoia surrounding photography infuriating. When people get uppity about someone performing the ultimate sin of taking photographs I just think get a life.

you'll know if i ever get confronted, it'll be on the front of the local press and brought to the attention of everybody who'll listen.

i'll also take the liberty of advising the confronter of his/her stupidity.

part 1 will depend on the reaction after part 2.

hospital and food through a straw springs to mind.

I find the paranoia surrounding photography infuriating. When people get uppity about someone performing the ultimate sin of taking photographs I just think get a life.

Infuriating indeed. Though I can understand that some folks don't like the idea of their image appearing online, which I suspect is a big factor in the paranoia...not knowing where the pic will go.

Another regular wisecrack:

"Ey up, o' tha workin for't social"

"Ah mate, has tha got owt to hide"

always a winner.

Hi, on a different subject - Dafoot, can you please PM your phone no regarding your previous message about a job, I can't send you a PM as you have no storage left!! THanks:)