I was confronted by an irate woman yesterday when I was taking photos of my kids in a public place. Within a minute of entering a public area, she confronted me with "You're not allowed to take pictures of my (her) kids"....... I diffused her aggression in a calm manner even though she was angry (I was boiling inside) and told me she "knew her rights". When she left, another man came over to me and said "Bet she wouldn't have done that if you were a woman". I had my large 70-200 lens which probably looked threatening to her...... I was there with my own kids. Anyway, I hope this helps others here who may run into a similar problem: http://www.digitalcameraworld.com/2012/04/14/photographers-rights-the-ultimate-guide/
Aggressive women. Last month I was sitting in an British expat bar in Bangkok enjoying my beer, it was about 10:00 at night. The bar was relaxed, I could hear the polite conversation between an elderly Australian Gentleman next to me at the bar, and a fat British lady sitting to the other side of him. They were talking about the pros and cons of life in different countries. I overheard him saying that Africa was not as good for expats since there had been the problems with the blacks. The fat woman virtually exploded, "you f*****g racist b*****d" she shouted at him at the top of her voice. Fortunately I had just paid my beer bill, I finished my pint and left the bar within about 20 seconds.
She is a mother at the same school were my daughter goes. She seems the type to argue about everything. She is a "big mouth" I will present her with a printout of the rights and wrongs from the police website for her to read at home. I will politely tell her she had no right to be aggressive with me but I will make sure I tell her when other Mums are listening as she shouted at me in public with other people around. Somehow I don't think she will be able to read all of the long words in the document!
I have met many racist men at work in many different places. When they start saying racist things, I just tell them I am not interested and walk away. It makes them think. Screaming and shouting as that woman did took away the impact on him that she could have made. Planting seeds......
The Gentleman was not being racist at all, he was obviously referring to the atrocities of the Mugabe regime. The fat lady was well out of order as well as being drunk. Actually set me thinking about two issues. How could she find anything racist in what he had said, only a couple of weeks earlier Cumberbatch had his career dragged through the mud, and had to apologise after describing black actors as "Coloureds". "Black" is cool, Nothing that the Australian man said was at all racist, the woman was just being objectionable Was she being racist by attempting to impose her bigoted version of British political correctness on a foreigner, Australian political correctness may well be different. This is particularly worrying when it happens abroad in a third country.
Take care, presenting her with printouts might not be the best plan. If you upset her she might push things, and complain to the police about a man with a camera near her kids.
I have nothing to worry about as I did nothing against the law and would never take an indecent photo of a child. She was very aggressive to me without knowing the law: https://www.avonandsomerset.police....mmunity/taking-photographs-in-a-public-place/
I think that when he said "problems with the blacks" she should have got up and left immediately without saying anything but she was drunk and we know what problems that can cause. I think he should have been more careful with his words. To single out any colour can be racist in other peoples' company. racism ˈreɪsɪz(ə)m/ noun noun: racism the belief that all members of each race possess characteristics, abilities, or qualities specific to that race, especially so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race or races.
Loud abusive women taking advantage of their narrow minded view of political correctness to throw their weight around. The woman who falsely implied that you were up to no good taking photos of children. The woman who falsely tried to play the racist card against the respectable Australian Gentleman. Both of them on self opinionated power trips.
Dave, I wouldn't single out women as the only ones who can be abusive. I think the woman who was abusive to me was wrong and I will give her a printout from the police website to show this. I was not wrong. I fully understand that mothers are protective towards their children but she needs to know that she cannot abuse people in public. I think both parties were wrong in your example in Bangkok.
I spoke with her before and kept calm. There were other people there listening. She apologised and I accepted. I didn't have the piece of paper, I asked her to look at the county police web site. She just said "No, I believe you". I told her "Put yourself in my shoes. How do you think I felt as a man being told I cannot take photographs of my own kids in public?"
Taking pictures of children in a public place has, in recent years, become a bit of a nightmare and the woman whose children you may have inadvertently included in your photos may have a point but she completely exaggerated her "rights" (for want of a better word). She may well have mistaken you for a commercial photographer, as you were using what a non-pro photographer might believe is 'professional kit' and therefore she rightly states that you should have asked for her permission (ie sign a Model Release). I hate to say it but it is also possible that your age, relative to your children's, may have played some part in her decision-making process. My own situation is somewhat more acute than yours: I'll be 65 in July and I have a 30 year old wife and two children aged 3 and 1. Were we as a family to move to the UK, I'm pretty sure that we'd attract hostile reactions from those who disapprove of May-September relationships and we'd almost certainly be closely monitored by over-zealous social services 'nazis'. And given the rise of racist sentiment in the country, I really don't want my wife exposed to the risk of being labelled 'an immigrant'.
First paragraph..... Mark, the woman didn't have a point at all, the law is quite clear on what is allowed in a public place. This is vital for people to understand. From Avon and Somerset Police web page: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Taking photos in a public place is not illegal. The only time an offence is committed is if the photographs being taken are considered to be indecent. There is no law stating that you can't take photographs in public. This includes taking photos that include other people's children or taking photos of children directly. An offence will, however, have been committed if the photographs taken are indecent. No one has the right to ask the photographer to stop, to ask for a copy of the photos or to force them to delete the photographs, unless the images that have been taken are clearly indecent." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ If someone saw a photographer taking photos of a minor who was in an indecent pose or state of dress, then I think they could phone the police and this would be right and just. As I did nothing illegal and disrespectful, I have nothing to worry about but knowing the law on this issue makes me feel more relaxed about taking photos in a public place. Second paragraph..... FYI, I have never heard anyone say or do anything disparaging to me or my wife when are all in public.
I understand and agree with all that, Mike, but my point was that your were mistaken for a commercial photographer and therefore would need permission/signed Model Release. The page you linked-to in your OP does make that very point .
In the modern digital age it is always best to be wary of strangers taking photos, I always turn away, or pull my cap down if I realise I might be in their shot. Every weirdo and his sister seems to be snapping photos these days.
Hi Mark, This is pulled from the link in the OP: "Although decent photos of children (see our tips for better pictures of babies, children and teenagers) taken in a public place may be fine for non-commercial use, seek permission from the child’s parents or guardians and don’t shoot covertly with a long lens. For commercial images, you’ll need to get a model release signed by the parents." After reading quite a few Police websites, e.g. https://leics.police.uk/contact-us/faq/Q717, I feel confident that if I am in a public place in a non-commercial capacity, I don't have to get a model release. I went back to the play area again since the original episode and my daughter was playing with another little girl. The mother of the other little girl was next to me and I asked her if I could take a picture of my daughter and her daughter together. She said "Yes, sure". There were quite a few Mums and Dads taking photos with their phones also, and even though my lens was bigger, a camera is a camera. The fact that she may have seen me as a professional photographer is neither here nor there. I am not and am not interested in publishing photos of other peoples' children so I did nothing wrong.
Just a thought, but is saying that there is trouble with "the blacks" in Africa racist? Her statement was , presumably, based on the problems in Zimbabwe - which might not be all of Africa, but is presumably what was being referred to. Would it, therefore, be equally racist to say that South Africa used to have trouble with "the whites"?
