What should you do when this happens when you taking a picture? (Page 2): I think Florida is paranoid - all of those gated communities. Maybe the paranoia is justified, but why would...

repleo Loc: Boston

martinfisherphoto wrote:

A story of my own, several years ago I found an em... (show quote)

I think Florida is paranoid - all of those gated communities. Maybe the paranoia is justified, but why would anyone want to live in a fearful and untrusting environment like that. Northern winters aren't that bad.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

TB4 wrote:

I am guessing that you are a woman which possibly makes it a different situation from me as a 200 lb male that was a school principal for 30 years. I would have started nice like you did and show the pictures but not offer the SD card. If he persisted I would have suggested he was acting guilty and ask if I should call the police? It sounds like he was being a bully and exerting control. I am glad you weren’t hurt.

The offer to call the police is a good one. And keep your SD card.

Even if the blinds were closed, the flash would have shown through.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

repleo wrote:

Northern winters aren't that bad.

I look forward to the change of seasons.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

gloryg wrote:

I was just taking some pictures today of some scarecrows for a photography contest. I first was taking them in one of the near by towns. It is an annual event. Kids make scarecrows on the main street in town.

I live in an apartment complex. When I came home from taking pictures before I happen to notice someone had put a small scarecrow on the lawn. This small scarecrow was small and cute and I thought I would take some pictures of it.

I was not inside any of the buildings in the complex. I was on the side walk and the scarecrow was on the front lawn of one of the buildings.

Most of the apartments you have to go up stairs to. There are a couple of apartments in the complex that are on the ground floor.

Where I was taking pictures was on the other side of the complex and I don't know how the apartments are set up where I was taking the pictures.

I took some pictures of the scarecrow and it was getting dark so the flash did go off.

The next thing I know some teenage kid comes out of the building as if he was going to attack me saying why was I taking pictures of his apartment?

I didn't even know what he was taking about. Apparently this was one of the ground floor apartments.

I could not see into the building since there were blinds and they were drawn. The scarecrow I was taking pictures was small and of was on lawn on the ground.

I told him what I was doing. I showed him the photos of the scarecrow and even offered to give him the memory card.

He said he was sitting inside with his friends and saw the flash and one of his friends said there was someone taking pictures of his apartment. The blinds were drawn and I could not see inside this apartment. If I could not see inside he would not have been able to see outside. So something sounds fishy to me.

I have lived here for over ten years. I see people taking pictures all the time in the complex with camera and with their cell phones. I take pictures around the complex all the time. I have always tried to be careful and considerate and not to take pictures of windows. I am wondering if this kids were up to something and maybe I should have called the police? This kid seemed like he was going to attack me.

I was just taking some pictures today of some scar... (show quote)

Did he attack you? If not, no harm, no foul. Everyone has a different level of paranoia. If the blinds were pulled, and there was no way to see inside their apartment, don't WORRY about it. Most of us has had that happen to us at least once, shit happens, move on.

Don, the 2nd son Loc: Crowded Florida

TB4 wrote:

I am guessing that you are a woman which possibly makes it a different situation from me as a 200 lb male that was a school principal for 30 years. I would have started nice like you did and show the pictures but not offer the SD card. If he persisted I would have suggested he was acting guilty and ask if I should call the police? It sounds like he was being a bully and exerting control. I am glad you weren’t hurt.

Don, the 2nd son Loc: Crowded Florida

The flash would be visible through the blinds. My guess is that they were doing something secretively and felt "at risk" of discovery. You did nothing wrong. I would avoid flash in the future though in such a complex.

foathog Loc: Greensboro, NC

Animals have rights too!!! LOL

vonzip wrote:

Man, makes me glad I shoot wildlife although this has its own set of priorities.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

gloryg wrote:

I was just taking some pictures today of some scarecrows for a photography contest. I first was taking them in one of the near by towns. It is an annual event. Kids make scarecrows on the main street in town.

I live in an apartment complex. When I came home from taking pictures before I happen to notice someone had put a small scarecrow on the lawn. This small scarecrow was small and cute and I thought I would take some pictures of it.

I was not inside any of the buildings in the complex. I was on the side walk and the scarecrow was on the front lawn of one of the buildings.

Most of the apartments you have to go up stairs to. There are a couple of apartments in the complex that are on the ground floor.

Where I was taking pictures was on the other side of the complex and I don't know how the apartments are set up where I was taking the pictures.

I took some pictures of the scarecrow and it was getting dark so the flash did go off.

The next thing I know some teenage kid comes out of the building as if he was going to attack me saying why was I taking pictures of his apartment?

I didn't even know what he was taking about. Apparently this was one of the ground floor apartments.

I could not see into the building since there were blinds and they were drawn. The scarecrow I was taking pictures was small and of was on lawn on the ground.

I told him what I was doing. I showed him the photos of the scarecrow and even offered to give him the memory card.

He said he was sitting inside with his friends and saw the flash and one of his friends said there was someone taking pictures of his apartment. The blinds were drawn and I could not see inside this apartment. If I could not see inside he would not have been able to see outside. So something sounds fishy to me.

I have lived here for over ten years. I see people taking pictures all the time in the complex with camera and with their cell phones. I take pictures around the complex all the time. I have always tried to be careful and considerate and not to take pictures of windows. I am wondering if this kids were up to something and maybe I should have called the police? This kid seemed like he was going to attack me.

I was just taking some pictures today of some scar... (show quote)

They were most likely doing something illegal.

fourg1b2006 Loc: Long Island New York

This is the way our world is today...unfortunately.

Cotondog Loc: Saskatchewan, Canada

WOW! I am damn glad I live where I live!

JerryOfAZ

It's unfortunate that happened. It is quite possibly the 'I did something wrong so I'm going to chastise you before you can call me on it' syndrome. Like someone flipping you off because you beeped your horn when they were sitting at a green light texting. I can't fly my drones any more because so many people are paranoid that I'm taking pictures of them (had more than one person tell me that). You have to be wary of people like that. Write it off and move on but be wary of that individual.

Snapperjdj Loc: Bury, England

Sorry to hear about your experience. That sort of thing can be quite disturbing. Hopefully it was just someone over reacting and nothing more sinister. Hear in the UK we went through a silly period a few years ago when photographers, amateur and professionals, were targeted unreasonably. Suspicion was fuelled by the terrorist threat and the belief that those planning an attack would recce the target and take pictures. The misunderstanding and missuse of newly introduced anti-terror legislation also caused problems. Being stopped in the street while legitimately and legally taking photographs and questioned at length was not uncommon. Private security were probably the worst offenders although the police in many instances also failed to understand the laws they were supposed to enforce. It created some silly confrontations and time wasting for all concerned. Photography was banned in some places and made impossible in others even though such actions were totally illegal. A heavy handed approach by private security sometimes went way over the top leading to violent confrontations. Why stop me with my relatively bulky DSLR and ignore the growing number of people using their mobile phone cameras? If I was a terrorist I'd want to keep my head down and if pictures were necessary it would be the phone every time. Ironically, it was the photographic community that got to grips with the legislation first and through lobbying by professional bodies persuaded the police and other organisations to improve training and understanding of the legislation and adopt a more common sense approach. The situation is much better now and although the terror threat remains and the security services are on high alert it is agreed that this common sense approach to photographers has not been detrimental in preventing attacks. The unjustified fears created by the actions of police and security people during this period snowballed into the wider community, creating distrust and reinforcing the myth for many people that anyone taking pictures in the street must be up to no good. In addition to the lobbying for common sense, in the end it was probably photography itself that brought us back to normality with the proliferation of the mobile phone camera and the passion for selfies.

Brent Rowlett Loc: Atlanta, GA

I always carry anyway, living and shooting real estate in a Black city of Atlanta. If some thug wants to rob me, take my equipment, or do me harm, they are in for a BIG hurt. So far all I have had to do is expose my weapon twice, and the cowards leave me alone.

Notorious T.O.D. Loc: Harrisburg, North Carolina

Don't assume that they can't see out just because you can't see in, it doesn't necessarily work that way. It sounds like he saw they flash fire for sure. It sounds to me like he may have been up to something he wanted to keep private. That is not wrong. But I would never offer to give anyone a memory card. I might delete a picture if the police told me I had to but that would be a stretch too in most cases for me. If you felt threatened then you should probably have called the police. Otherwise I would just continue on my way.

Best,
Todd Ferguson

gloryg wrote:

I was just taking some pictures today of some scarecrows for a photography contest. I first was taking them in one of the near by towns. It is an annual event. Kids make scarecrows on the main street in town.

I live in an apartment complex. When I came home from taking pictures before I happen to notice someone had put a small scarecrow on the lawn. This small scarecrow was small and cute and I thought I would take some pictures of it.

I was not inside any of the buildings in the complex. I was on the side walk and the scarecrow was on the front lawn of one of the buildings.

Most of the apartments you have to go up stairs to. There are a couple of apartments in the complex that are on the ground floor.

Where I was taking pictures was on the other side of the complex and I don't know how the apartments are set up where I was taking the pictures.

I took some pictures of the scarecrow and it was getting dark so the flash did go off.

The next thing I know some teenage kid comes out of the building as if he was going to attack me saying why was I taking pictures of his apartment?

I didn't even know what he was taking about. Apparently this was one of the ground floor apartments.

I could not see into the building since there were blinds and they were drawn. The scarecrow I was taking pictures was small and of was on lawn on the ground.

I told him what I was doing. I showed him the photos of the scarecrow and even offered to give him the memory card.

He said he was sitting inside with his friends and saw the flash and one of his friends said there was someone taking pictures of his apartment. The blinds were drawn and I could not see inside this apartment. If I could not see inside he would not have been able to see outside. So something sounds fishy to me.

I have lived here for over ten years. I see people taking pictures all the time in the complex with camera and with their cell phones. I take pictures around the complex all the time. I have always tried to be careful and considerate and not to take pictures of windows. I am wondering if this kids were up to something and maybe I should have called the police? This kid seemed like he was going to attack me.

I was just taking some pictures today of some scar... (show quote)

odujim Loc: New Jersey

I had a similar experience a couple of years ago. I carry pepper spray, since it is so tough to get a conceal-carry gun permit in NJ.