[Leica] Candid photos in public places

[ashley at ccm.com.au (Ashley C Gordon)]

I have been a subscriber to LUG for some months now- but have yet to submit
a message until now. Looking at some of the (excellent) photos by LUGers,
especially those on public places, brings to mind a recent debate here (in
Australia) and I was wondering if this had come up anywhere else.  A few
months ago there was a serious debate about banning people taking any photos
at all in any public place where there were children.  Apparently child sex
offenders had been prowling playgrounds etc with cameras and in typical
form, the over reaction was to ban photography in such places all together.
I can understand it to a degree, but the problem is wherever there is a
monument, beach, or place of natural beauty worth photographing, there seem
to be children!  Australia tends to be over-protective in such matters.  I
have been looked at with suspicion because I had a camera near children at a
local beach resort area (actually, I was trying to get a whole bunch of
beach umbrellas in frame) where as on a recent trip to South America, people
seem much happier and actually jump in frame to be in the camera!  Has this
matter of children and photography come up any where else?  What is a
balanced approach?

 

Kind regards
ASHLEY