[Leica] HCB Wannabes

[oliverbryk at comcast.net (Oliver Bryk)]

Tina wrote:

"I think it's terrible that everybody has gotten so paranoid about
photographers. If I was in a public park with my children and someone came
up and started photographing them, I would just be flattered that they
thought my kids were cute! Maybe living in the South is different. We
would probably strike up a conversation starting with who we were kin to and
where we go to church. We would discover that we are second cousins, twice
removed, and our pastor's son married their granddaughter. I'm just not
naturally suspicious of anybody. Nobody has ever questioned me when I'm out
photographing in public places. I know there are bad people out there, but
there are a whole lot more really nice ones and some of them are even
photographers!"

Tina, 

I share your sentiments but with almost daily reports of pedophilia and/or
child abduction, as well as the proliferation of photographs on the web for
unsavory purposes, some restrictions may be the lesser evil in some
situations. The playgrounds of several small neighborhood city parks in San
Francisco have been posted for years with "photographing children is
prohibited" signs. I avoid them because the parents or grandparents who
bring their children not only don't know me personally but I am obviously a
stranger. 

In the park where we often meet our grandchildren, ages 3 and 5, (and I
photograph them and their friends at play or soccer practice) I am not a
stranger. While there aren't any signs that photography is prohibited I
suspect that someone whose appearance doesn't fit in would be questioned by
a parent if that stranger were to photograph his/her child. As a practical
matter, invoking a First Amendment right would probably be beside the point,
as the situation would no longer lend itself to casual photography of
subjects who are not aware of or not concerned about the photographer.

Oliver