Could you please not take pictures

This is one area in which I am pleased not to be male.

picturecrazy wrote in post #6004978
It's as LAME as ALL men being banned from sitting next to childen on flights by New Zealand Airlines, because of course, ALL men are potential pedophiles. Yeah, let's inject more hate and paranoia into the world. freaking STUPID is all I can say.

In defence of New Zealand. I belive that that rule only applies to unaccompanied children.

It's quite unfortunate. Every guy with a "nice" camera is considered either a perv or potential terrorist. Doesn't make sense...

Ignorant, paranoid masses.

This is all very sad. I am fairly sure most perverts would use compacts to capture dodgy pictures, but what surprises me is 1) the parents who will happily post pictures of their children on web galleries for all to see and maybe use and 2) the local papers here print hundreds of pictures of childrens sports days, childrens beauty pageants etc and then tell you where you can buy copies of those pictures!

Borbor wrote in post #6003900
...but I'm glad someone here raised a photography laws site so I knew what I could or couldn't do.

What website is that? I can't find the post.

I've never actually heard of a pedophile who had a soccer fetish.

Plant McCloud wrote in post #6005559
What website is that? I can't find the post.

http://www.usatoday.co​m …5-12-29-camera-laws_x.htm

http://www.usatoday.co​m …-photography-rights_x.htm

http://www.krages.com/​phoright.htm

@Mark sure, the topic is heated, but it does deserve discussion.

As for being able to tell the difference between a criminal, sociopath or average person, that's not generally possible. So, parents who notice non-professional, non-parent photographers hanging around will, in the USA, probably find a way to compel the photog to stand down unless the situation is handled very carefully.

And when a parent asks you not to take photographs because it makes her/him uncomfortable, I think you have a choice to make between their feelings and your rights.

http://www.4020.net/wo​rds/photorights.php for Australians.

I can understand a parent's concern. There might be other reasons they don't want you to shoot their kid. Perhaps they are running from an abusive situation?
As you are not likely to sell any parent an image that doesn't want their kid's picture taken, you could work the other direction and take photos of a limited number of kids who's parents give you permission (heck, maybe even pay you).
You will get older, that will help.
Wearing a black photo vest might actually help.

so my new shirt needs to read "photographer not terrorist or pedophile"?

Oh! Maybe it's the "Terrorist or Pedophile, I Just Can't Decide" shirt that is causing all the trouble.
Change it for a shirt that says "Terrorist of Pedophiles".....

Yes, seriously. When I take pictures with other people, it's always with my point and shoot. It has a much better zoom than having to swap my 18-55mm for a 75-300mm and you really can't avoid hiding a lens as long as that; people know, or they suspect more strongly, that you're pointing the lens at them. My 20D is for "official pictures" only.

It wouldn't be nice, but I'd say, "madam, I assure you, I'm not taking pictuers of your kids because I'm only taking pictures of the photogenic kids."

I have a few soccer fields near me. When kids play I dont shoot. All the parents know each other and as a father there is no way I want a stranger just out of no where just shooting photos of him. When the adults play I shoot all day long. Hell, they try to show off and I get some great shots.

These same parents who whine at you for snapping a shot do things like trapse their covey of spoiled brats right in front of you and your camera when you are trying to take a picture of something ELSE

So has anyone ever seen mention of photos of a boys soccer game used for pedophilic reasons??
Unfortunately as the father of three girls, i certainly know where that mom was coming from. If some guy with a 300mm lens was shooting my kid in the park, i would have myself a word with him.