Re: [Leica] What I did today

[Godfrey DiGiorgi <ramarren@bayarea.net>]

>I think it is rude to photograph someone who clearly does not wish to be
>photographed.  However, I also think that a lot of people object to 
>photographs unnecessarily.

I agree. There's a weird phenomenon that goes on: You try to take 
someone's picture, they object, you cajole, they sometimes relent (if 
it's a friend, you sometimes take the picture anyway and they object 
vociferously), then when you have some prints, they beg for them, pass 
them around to friends, and all the while say how awful they look... 

In street shooting, either I'm photographing completely surreptitiously 
(rare) or I like to engage my subjects and get their eyes towards me. 
I've only rarely had a problem with people who adamantly insisted that I 
not take their picture, and I think it's the only courteous thing to do 
by apologizing for the trouble and backing off. Unless it's an event of 
some newsworthy scope, there's little point in making photographs of 
someone who does not want to cooperate with you.

Godfrey