AndyH Loc: Massachusetts and New Hampshire

Several friends have posted on their Facebook walls a video of a guy who was surreptitiously taking photos of girls (don't know the age, but judging from comments, they were minors) on Hampton Beach, a very popular and crowded stretch of sand. From the video, it seems he has a DSLR with a high end telephoto hidden between his legs with a towel draped over it. He shoots without ever bringing the camera to his eye, so is probably viewing a screen each time he looks down.

The girls told him they knew what he was doing and at first asked the cops to stop him. When they refused, the girls directly asked him to stop. He said the towel was needed to protect his "film" from the heat, and that he wasn't sneaking any photos, but when called on it, he packed up quickly and moved along.


The Book of Face is howling with outrage from parents who want to variously castrate, beat up, or kill him for this behavior. Others suggest that it might be more appropriate to find out who he is, and show the video to his family or employer to let them judge for themselves whether he was exhibiting pervy behavior. I thought it was an interesting case of freedom vs. protection of minors. It may already be viral by the time you read this. Take a look at the tape and judge for yourselves.


http://www.nh1.com/news/new-hampshire/watch-man-caught-sneaking-photos-of-girls-at-hampton-beach

Thoughts?
Andy

toxdoc42

As the article says, if he had the camera out, then would anyone have cared? I believe that you lose your privacy legal rights when you are out in the public, even at a beach. There is an unwritten rule at nude beaches that says no photos. But, even there, I don't think it is illegal, just that you might be beaten up.

AndyH Loc: Massachusetts and New Hampshire

No, it's certainly not illegal if the subjects have no reasonable expectation of privacy in the location. But it is certainly creepy and pervy to many. I wonder what his wife or employer or kids would think of that video if they saw him in it?

Andy

BB4A

I vote “Pervert”.

If someone really wanted to add a selection of portraits of the bikini-clad female form to their Portfolio, then the US is absolutely overflowing with very professional, beautiful, legal age models, who would be happy to pose for a very moderate Model Fee. I suggest ModelMayhem.com.

Just my perspective (I may be wrong, I often am!), but anyone shooting stills or video under a towel on a beach probably deserves to be called a Pervert. They certainly aren’t a Professional or Amateur Photographer. And they also deserve being singled out as an unwilling star in their own video. 😉

Rootman

As far as the law goes, you are right, "No reasonable expectation of privacy." The law is the law! What I said, pertains to the US. not what other countries might do.

Personal feelings, he is a pervert and creep.

Vietnam Vet

Who has any expectation of privacy at a public beach?

AndyH Loc: Massachusetts and New Hampshire

Nobody. But if you saw this guy taking surreptitious shots of your minor daughter, what would you do?

Did you watch the video? I might be inclined to accidentally spill some salt water and beach sand in his lap. But I definitely think his family and employer should be informed of his weekend recreational pursuits.

I don’t advocate violence, but I do understand the feelings of parents of daughters like the one who posted this.

Andy

Whuff Loc: Marshalltown, Iowa

Just a couple of days ago here in Iowa there were 2 incidents of people taking either photos or videos seriptitiously of a child in one case and female joggers in the other and facebook was aghast at someone taking pictures with a “big camera” and a “big lens”, calling the guys creepy. I posted a comment that I was an amateur photographer and I hoped that someone didn’t call the police if I happened to point my “big camera” in the direction of a female or child unknowingly.

I can understand the thinking a bit since there have been some high profile missing person stories lately with a couple of women disappearing, but I explained that there is a genre of photography called street photography and that photographers involved with it tend to take candid photos. Things seemed to calm down a bit after that with no more replies posted about it.

Walt

Rootman

How about he just wanted to capture people in their natural state. That's why many of us use telephotos.

foxfirerodandgun Loc: Stony Creek, VA

Back n the 90's around Christmas Eve I would take my SLR camera + zoom lens and go to a local mall. I would normally take a seat on one of the benches fairly close to where Santa was and watch as parents with their children visited him with their Christmas list. I was able to take some fairly interesting, and funny, pictures of the children in all states of joy and fear of the "Jolly 'Ole Elf" and of parents in various stages of frustration and anger. Never used a flash or tried to hide the camera and never had any issues with anyone, including mall security. In today's society I would not think of doing this. My, how things have changed. :~(

AndyH Loc: Massachusetts and New Hampshire

Then let him explain that to his boss and wife... at least in my opinion.


I also shoot street photos, but at least I have the honesty to hold my camera up to my eye and shoot in the open. You can tell from this guy's whole demeanor that his motivations are not artistic.


AT least in my opinion.

Andy