Don, the 2nd son Loc: Crowded Florida

No, I had been photographing the statues when I began searching. My 77mm lens cap goes on when the lens goes in the case.

BebuLamar

I don't think they are afraid of camera the proof is that there are millions of selfie taken everyday. They just think people who take pictures of others not themselves are up to no good.

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

If that is your only interest, you had better limit your photography to flowers. In 2005, on our way back home to Massachusetts from DC, we stopped to photograph an interesting looking train station. As usual, I took some time deciding on the right angle and framing; as is not usual, I spent some time explaining to the local police what I had been doing - it turned out that a local Senator named Biden commuted daily from that station, and they wanted to be certain I wasn’t planning to blow it up.

ggab Loc: ?

[quote=shouts “What’s the rifle for?” (A rifle with a big WHITE lens?!) [/quote]

To shoot idiots!!!

flyboy61 Loc: The Great American Desert

There seems to be a paranoia, even among photographers. A forum I once a participated in had this big, ugly guy who posted regularly, saying "NOBODY better take pictures of my kids!
Not remotely photo related, but in another instance, a man was metal detecting in a public park, and a woman with children saw him at some distance, and reported him to the police, because she felt "uncomfortable".
People don't seem to realize the meaning of "Public" does NOT mean a private space.
But, what to do? Stupidity/self-centeredness abounds...aided by photographic jerks who think they are entitled to act rude.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

It's the year 2020. The good old days are far behind us. It's unfortunate but nowadays innocent photographers are paying for the deeds of voyeurs, pedophiles, pornographers, and other perverts that use cameras as tools of their trade. There are all kinds of alarming news items about these criminal activities. There are also dramatizations of this unfortunate victimization on television police/drama series. All of this causes real concern and paranoia. There are many stories of the photographer being accosted by security guards, self-styled vigilantes and actually and wrongfully arrested by police. There have been cases where innocent photographers were seriously assaulted. Besides these facts, we now live in a litigious society- there are lots of folks who love to sue one and another and might be out there "looking for trouble"- the invasion of their privacy, trespassing on their property, infringing on their nonexistent ore real or imagined copyright or whatever.

As a professional photographer, I certainly don't want to keep a lawyer on retainer, constantly tangle with real or self-appointed authorities, get arrested, etc. So...whenever I need to shoot on ANY privately owned location, or even a public beach or park, I secure written permission from the owner or authorities. I won't go anywhere NEAR a school, daycare center or any place where there are children's activities with a CAMERA unless I am hired to be there and have written permission and in most cases accompanied by the authorizing persons or security personnel. I won't show up at a VIP secured location with a long lens or a gunstock mount and again, I won't go there unless I am duly accreted to the event and have all the passes and paperwork in place. If I need to shoot children's or adult swimwear, I do it at the studio or at a private beach or a cordoned-off area with professional models, parental permission and accompaniment when appropriate and all the necessary model and property releases secured in advance.

Most of us know our real rights as to the expectation of privacy in public places and all that good stuff, however, as I wrote at the beginning of this post- it's 2020. Be advised- be safe! Don't become the subject of another photographer's horror story.

Back in 1968, I worked for a big city daily newspaper. On a slow news day in the summer, the editors would send up out to the beaches, public swimming pools, and parks with wading pools and shoot the "bathing beauties" and kids playing in the water. Folks would pose for us- ask when the picture would be in the paper- if the could get copies. Nowadays they'll call the police or set upon you before the police get there- it's 2020- not 1968.

slo Loc: Longmont Colorado

I have been accused of being police, FBI and grilled by a patron at an event I was invited to photograph by the organizers. I have been rudely asked to leave a shopping mall simply because I had a Fuji X100 in the case around my neck. I asked the mall cop about the hundreds of cell phones in the mall and he said he can’t do anything about that as he reached for his radio to call for backup. I guess I looked like trouble walking around the mall on a weekend with my wife and daughter. Now I carry a Sony RX100IV in my shirt pocket. No one bats an eye at that.

ggab Loc: ?

There is no fighting stupid.
This is why I shoot wildlife.
I have never been sued by an eagle!

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Unfortunately

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

Nor I by a Sparrow. Photographing a place built for people seems pointless to me if no people are present, but it is so much safer.

flyboy61 Loc: The Great American Desert

Not yet!

rook2c4 Loc: Philadelphia, PA USA

That's NOT the same thing as someone screaming and cursing at you at a pedestrian busy intersection, threatening to call the police. Not even close.

radiomantom Loc: Plymouth Indiana

Reminds me of a situation my uncle told me about many years ago that happened to him. My uncle was a commercial photographer and he was taking pictures around town of homes in it to get ideas on designing a home of his own that he wanted to have built. He was taking a photo of a home from the road when a woman came out of the house ranting and raving at him and telling him to get out of there. He politely explained to her that he was with the IRS and she immediately turned around and went back into her home.

flyboy61 Loc: The Great American Desert

Blaster34 Loc: Florida Treasure Coast

You should have said yes I'm blowing it up to...a 36" x 48"....