harassed for taking photos in a residential area

[shaner123]

next

[shaner123]

and last

[FlyingPhotog]

I'd just take the incident in stride.

Kudos to you for a unique project. Kudos to the gentleman for caring about his neighborhood. No Harm .. No Foul

[shaner123]

Originally Posted by FlyingPhotog

I'd just take the incident in stride.

Kudos to you for a unique project. Kudos to the gentleman for caring about his neighborhood. No Harm .. No Foul

ya i think i will!

[Synovia]

Originally Posted by fann

The man was just trying to watch out for his community. Burglars typically scope out areas/houses before they rob them, by lurking around long enough to get a feel of people's schedule and when people will be not home. If I wasn't sure you were taking photos for art work I'd be suspicious of you too.

It would be interesting if some burglars actually disguised themselves as photographers in order to stick around without seeming suspicious.

People look a whole lot less suspicious with cell phone cameras than big DSLRs.



I've actually been taking alley photos lately, and its amazing how much Chicago's alleys look like Windsor's alleys. Nice shots.

[Paranoidandroid]

Why are people so paranoid about cameras, anyway? If someone were shooting AT me, it's understandable to confront the person, but what harm does shooting around the neighborhood do?

[shaner123]

Originally Posted by Synovia

I've actually been taking alley photos lately, and its amazing how much Chicago's alleys look like Windsor's alleys. Nice shots.

Please post your Chicago alley shots!! You got me curious now!

[LONDON808]

just want to give my point of view


From looking at your photos these are the back of peoples house - allys - put of view from main roads ect . now if i was driveing home from work and seen asome one taking photos of what could be the back of a friends house or my own then i would get a bit worried.


But that being said the guy should of just asked you what your taking photos of im sure you would of explined to him

some people are just plain paronoid

the closest i have came to an incident liek this was here in hawaii where i was taking photos of people surfing - old young just random people when a police office came up to me with a woman who had called them and reported me as taking pornographic photos of children. so i talked to the cop and explained what i was doing and showed him my photos and that was that . never had any other trouble apart from the odd security guard thinking that you cant take photos out side there buildings (if it can be seen from a public place it is public domain - whitin reason)

[Karl Johnston]

I'd just ignore him, sounds like a lunatic. What kind of fruit drives a gold colored car? Keep on keeping on, as was already said, just ignore people around you who call you a weirdo. That means you're doing a good job getting the shots nobody else has thought of, yet, and from your shots I honestly see nothing "privacy violating."

Sometimes I think all this public privacy fear crap is a marketing scam and people have lost their wits about.

[Andrushka]

um... i bet he was guilty of something and that girl was the guy's mistress - he assumed you were a private eye of some kind... thats my theory

[TheHoff]

I like the shots. I find it interesting how the 'death of the back alley' in city design has led to the ugliness of the ubiquitous 2-car garage on the front of every home.

The guy was paranoid, and an ass to follow you. Go where you want, and shoot what you want if you're on public property. This is the same type of person that sits in his living room and notes down everything that everyone else is doing. The right thing to do in this situation is STOP exactly where you are and invite him to call the police. Wait for them to show up and show him that HE is in the wrong and not you. Do not review your pictures with him and do not delete anything until you have an officer present (and don't delete anything after that, anyway).

[polarbare]

I too would have called the cops in a "hey, just so you know in case i turn up dead" fashion.

[Andrushka]

Originally Posted by TheHoff

I like the shots. I find it interesting how the 'death of the back alley' in city design has led to the ugliness of the ubiquitous 2-car garage on the front of every home.

The guy was paranoid, and an ass to follow you. Go where you want, and shoot what you want if you're on public property. This is the same type of person that sits in his living room and notes down everything that everyone else is doing. The right thing to do in this situation is STOP exactly where you are and invite him to call the police. Wait for them to show up and show him that HE is in the wrong and not you. Do not review your pictures with him and do not delete anything until you have an officer present (and don't delete anything after that, anyway).

good stuff there - you can always call those kind of peoples' bluffs!

cool alley shots by the way - definitely something you dont see in the pre-zoned suburban madness!

[NickSimcheck]

Originally Posted by FlyingPhotog

Kudos to you for a unique project. Kudos to the gentleman for caring about his neighborhood. No Harm .. No Foul

Good way of looking at it, I'll try to keep that logic in my mind when I am in such a situation.

I do think that you could have replied to the man and possilby explained what is was that you were doing, by ignoring him you made yourself appear more "shady" in his mind. But then again it could have went sour... Hard to say unless you were there kinda thing.

[alexanderGARDNER]

Originally Posted by shaner123

i know his intentions were good, all he had to do was come and ask me what was going on. i would have explained to him my project

but ya, i realize his intentions were good
he sure did manage to make me feel uncomfortable

I really think a lot of the responses here are biased toward a photographers legal standpoint. They don't take into account that this guy already had his back up and was nervous and was well justified in trying to look out for HIS community's best interests.

Break the ice. From a pretty gal, to an imposing guy, to a facility manager just say "hello". In the space of 5 minutes they'll be off your back and you'll be on your way at the very least, at the very most they could become more understanding of your project and lead you to a subject you would not have discovered by yourself.

On the odd occasion you may get some fella beat the crap out of you or a woman start yelling at you but these two examples are exceptions to the rule.

"Hello", it's a powerful tool.