Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/09/24

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Subject: Re: [Leica] <no Leica> Photo professionals
From: Harrison McClary <harrison@mcclary.net>
Date: Fri, 24 Sep 1999 21:13:07 -0500

Any one who has worked news has found him/her self in situtitaions that 
are very uncomfortable to photograph in.  I know there are times that I 
was working that had I been the subject I would not have wanted a camera 
there.

Once I was photographing the scene where several high school kids had 
been killed in a horrible car wreck.  Kids just out of school driving WAY 
to fast head on a mini van killing mom and kid in mini van and 2 of the 4 
high school students in the car.  The wreck had happened the day before 
and we were doing a follow up story on high school drivers as this was 
like the 3rd fatality wreck involving HS kids from that same school.  

I was shooting kids who had returned to the scene of the accident with a 
very long lens (400 with 1.4x) to try to stay as unobtrusive as 
possible...yes they knew I was there as I was in plain view...after a few 
minutes one of the kids said "Do you have to take our photos?!"   I put 
my camera down and thought to myself...no I don't...got in my car and 
went back to the office.  Admitidedly I already had what I needed but I 
probably would have stayed longer as I had burned only 10-15 frames.  
Sometimes the cost on your soul just isn't worth getting the photo.....

On 9/24/99 7:57 PM Eric Welch wrote:

>But likely that won't go that far, because 
>I'm not that kind of photographer. I do my job, but not to the point of 
>abusing a person.
>
>I do not consider ignoring a mother's request for not putting a picture in 
>the paper as abuse. If I did consider what I was about to do abuse, I 
>wouldn't do it, job or no job. I can't tell you how many times I've had a 
>policeman pull someone off me, or a colleague, and say "Ma'am (or Sir), 
>he's just doing his job, leave him alone." The press has to be free to tell 
>the story it deems necessary. Is there abuse in that? Unfortunately, yes. 
>But that's the price of freedom.


Best regards,
Harrison McClary
email: harrison@mcclary.net
http://www.mcclary.net
preview my book: http://www.volmania.com