Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/04/19
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Sometimes I think that photography is often forbidden because the ubiquitous point-and-shoot flashes its flash in anything but bright sunlight, and sometimes even then. This ruins it for those of us who would photograph responsibly. The constant barrage of twinkie lights ruins the experience for other visitors, and Management reacts by banning photography altogether. Apropos this attitude: A while back, I photographed a concert. I submitted a shot of the final bows to a local paper, and it was printed. Shortly afterwards, a Person in Charge (PIC) called me angrily, using all sorts of fearsome words like distraction, harm, attorney. This person wouldn't listen to a word I tried to say. Some time later, I encountered the same person, who started chatting with me as if nothing had happened. The following (abridged) ensued. * * * Me: Are you still angry at me? PIC: Oh, no, of course not. You know, it turned out that yours was the only decent photo we got of the whole event. But you know, the hall doesn't allow photography, because flash is *so* distracting to the performers. . . Me: But I didn't use flash. PIC: Huh? Me: I almost never use flash, and certainly not at a concert. PIC: But how can you get any pictures? Me: Mutter mutter blah blah fast lens. . . mutter mutter camera suited for this kind of thing. . . blah blah fast film. . . mutter mutter skill and experience. . . blah blah timing the picture with particular beats and loud passages in the music, mutter mutter been doing it for thirty years. PIC: Oh. You're very gifted. * * * What with P&S cameras and slow zooms on SLRs, a lot of people no longer realize it is possible to take pictures indoors without flash. Those of us who know how to do so therefore have a lot of explaining to do. Before 9/11, we often could. Nowadays, many places take the George Orwell tack--"Anything not specifically permitted is forbidden"--and we forbid everything we can think of. --Peter At 04:50 PM 4/19/04 -0700, Aaron wrote: >I for one wouldn't want the Wall to turn into >just another photo-op on the list of tourist destinations. . . . Too >many tourists >there running around doing nothing other than adding photos to their >collections would screw this up, I think.