[Leica] Re: Re: clandestine photographs of other people

[Jim Brick <jim@brick.org>]

Very nice answer. Thank you.

Since this is a legitimate photographic endeavor, perhaps you should have
some ID (photo club) and a page or two description, perhaps including
pictures, to show camera shy or otherwise bothered people that you are
neither a private eye (snooping on them) nor a potential child molester.

Let us know how you do...

Jim


At 01:03 AM 9/21/99 +0000, Paul Chefurka wrote:
>On Mon, 20 Sep 1999 17:22:41 -0700, Jim Brick
><jimbrick@photoaccess.com> wrote:
>
>>This thread of how to take clandestine photographs of other people without
>>getting beat-up, pops up over and over.
>>
>>Ted, Harrison, Tina, and others, are people photographers. But there is a
>>purpose for their photographing these people. And Ted, Harrison, Tina, and
>>the others are welcome into whatever the situation is.
>>
>>But those of you that "sneak" photographs of other people, or photograph
>>other people's children at a playground... what is it that you do with
>>these photographs? You cannot publish them, you would neither want to hang
>>them on your wall, nor have a slide show. Or would you?
>>
>>I am not being facetious or argumentative. I simply would like to know. Is
>>it possible to explain the use of the resulting photographs? I have no
>>desire to do this kind of photography, therefore, without help, I cannot
>>understand the motive involved.
>
>In my case, I'm doing a photo essay on a very pleasant local
>neighborhood park, called "Evening of the Everyday".  Its theme is the
>various things people do in the park as the sun goes down.  So far I
>have shots of an apres-wedding barbecue (bride and groom in full
>regalia), kids fishing in the ponds with dipnets, a rollerblader
>silhouetted against the setting sun, a kid in an electric toy truck
>jammed up against a tree, men playing soccer, kids trying to throw
>each other in the water, father and son fishing outings, etc. etc.
>etc.
>
>One of the features of this park is a playground, and I did get into a
>problem there earlier in the summer shooting other fathers' children.
>This has left me a bit gun shy, and I must admit that no photos from
>that playground have made the final cut as of yet.
>
>I don't think of myself as "sneaking" photos - I think of it as taking
>candid pictures of life around me.  Plenty of people see me shoot, and
>I don't try and hide my purpose from anyone (as if I could with a pair
>of Leicas on my shoulders!)
>
>The purpose?  It's twofold, actually.  The main one is to beat the
>pants off other photogs in the Ottawa Camera Club's annual photo essay
>competition.  The secondary one is to put the prints in a "brag book"
>of their own for the edification of my friends, and maybe later when I
>have more wall space they will figure in a private gallery.
>
>Mostly, they're for me to look at - to provide reflection points on my
>art, my craft, and how I think about the world around me.  No photo
>you take is ever wasted if you think about it hard enough.
>
>Paul Chefurka
>