Last night I went to a local carnival and figured it was a good opportunity to practise some night time techniques using only manual mode. This is thanks to you all for recommending reading Understanding Exposure. I was a A type person before. To keep things simple used a prime 35.

So I taking pictures of the colorful rides and the folks having fun at the carnival. I was politely stopped by the police and was asked what I was doing. Simply told them taking pictures of the event. They said some of the parents had complained about me.

WOW...this happens to other folks. We had a brief discussion. One officer said if I wasn't with my SO, he would have asked to me leave. I told him I would stop taking pictures of people and focus on objects. He seemed to be ok with that. It was not too long after that we did leave anyways.

This got me thinking, no doubt it was a mother that got freaked out. What did that one person think a pedophile or some other malcontent was going to do with the pictures of the their kids in an evil way. As a parent not sure how I would have reacted (my kids are grown up and I don't have to worry about stuff like this). Is this simply something they have seen or read in the news that should be reported and action taken on or do they have valid reasons to react this way.

Just wonderin

Willie

I'm also female and I have been questioned when taking pictures in a park. A man walked up, introduced himself as the father of a couple of the kids playing and asked that I not take pictures of his kids...he was very polite but I got the distinct impression that if I didn't comply he would push the issue. I replied that I wasn't taking pictures of any kids except my grandkids and turned the camera so he could see the screen and scrolled through the pictures. My grandson coming up right then asking if he was "bothering me" and did he need to go get his Dad cinched it...the man smiled, nodded, said thanks and walked off with a wary glance in my son's direction. (This guy was maybe 5'9", 150lbs...my son is 6'4" and built like a body builder.)

Willie,
I think that I would have had to politely ask to officer to stand there with me for five minutes and count how many people he saw taking pictures with cell phones. Then politely ask him what the difference was. I understand that he was doing his job and that we live in a paranoid society. Sadly, your experience is why I don't shoot in public places very often, people see a SLR and automatically assume that you are some kind of pervert or worse yet, a terrorist. Yet, it's fine and dandy to snap away with a cell phone.

Yeah, nobody thinks twice about a cell phone in the restroom.
Watch all hell break loose if you carried a Nikon D4s in there!!!
(Nikon, because we all know that pervs don't like Canon :-) )

Just like in most things in life, a little common courtesy and common sense will avoid MOST problems.
The rest, we have to try to deal with as a society.

I stopped doing "street" photography at the pier because I was uncomfortable with what was showing up in my images.
Not that I was shooting things that I felt were inappropriate, but background people (minors) wearing things that I felt had no business in street photos.
Of course I framed my shots with the background in mind, but in my mind, people don't dress like that! (Santa Monica pier, BTW)

Not once was I questioned, but I wouldn't want photos of my niece dressed like that floating around in cyber space forever. Even though it is THEIR choice to go out in public like that, it is my choice NOT to immortalize it.

Just my $.02, okay, maybe that was more like a dime...
:-D

GT

Last night I went to a local carnival and figured it was a good opportunity to practise some night time techniques using only manual mode. This is thanks to you all for recommending reading Understanding Exposure. I was a A type person before. To keep things simple used a prime 35.

So I taking pictures of the colorful rides and the folks having fun at the carnival. I was politely stopped by the police and was asked what I was doing. Simply told them taking pictures of the event. They said some of the parents had complained about me.

WOW...this happens to other folks. We had a brief discussion. One officer said if I wasn't with my SO, he would have asked to me leave. I told him I would stop taking pictures of people and focus on objects. He seemed to be ok with that. It was not too long after that we did leave anyways.

This got me thinking, no doubt it was a mother that got freaked out. What did that one person think a pedophile or some other malcontent was going to do with the pictures of the their kids in an evil way. As a parent not sure how I would have reacted (my kids are grown up and I don't have to worry about stuff like this). Is this simply something they have seen or read in the news that should be reported and action taken on or do they have valid reasons to react this way.

Just wonderin

Willie

I don't usually take pictures of kids. They might be in the edges of the shoots. But if I see a cute baby with a family having fun, I always ask if they would like a shot of the family. And hand them my card. They always seem to say yes, and when they send me their email and send them the picture.:)

But the folks that live in this country better start waking up. I can pretty much tell if a person is a good guy or a bad one. And the people that are bad always find me for some reason.:) I have tons of stories and should write a book.:)

But I agree the parents are the ones that have to learn and teach they kids.

And I always carry! And unfortunately I have had to use my gun more times than I ever thought I would have had to.:( But 99% of the time. The bad guy will back down and the police take over. It is a changing world here in the US! I can remember taking my rifle to school when it was hunting season!!!
Erv