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Have you ever been called a SICKO doing street photography?


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<p>"Sicko" woman never knew for sure where you were looking. And even if you were pointed at the other woman, it's not the business of Sicko. You'll never see her again, she'll never see you again. Like the saying goes, "water off a duck". She wasn't worthy of a response, no need to cause a confrontation in public, and an explanation isn't necessary to anyone. I would have pretended to not even hear her and kept on doing my thing.</p>
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<p>I did what Steve said of course - pretended not to hear her - and I <em>thought</em> what Andre said - she's just jealous...<br>

but it still bothers me to hear that. I hear your "Water off a ducks back" Steve, but if one person is saying that, how many others are thinking that? Since when have photographers been lumped in with "the guy in the white van taking pictures by the playground"?</p>

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Most people have no idea what street photography is. They see you being sneaky with a camera and assume that

since you're being sneaky you're up to no good. I once had to explain it to a friend who knows quite a lot about

fashion photography but nothing about street like this: "I'm doing street photography. That's what it's called when I take

photos of people I don't know."

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>>> Today I was called a SICKO by a woman who glanced in the direction I was pointing my camera,

and saw another woman in my field of view. Does this happen to the rest of you? What do you feel

when that happens? How do you react or deal with it?

 

I do a lot of street photography, but don't sneak shots of women just because they are women. So

that's never happened to me. I've seen other photogs (actually part of a club) acting sketchy shooting isolated

women from a distance with long lenses. I suspect they receive a similar negative reaction when discovered.

 

How you are treated on the street has everything to do with you're behavior and attitude. Being direct

and shooting in the open with a 35mm lens (on a fullframe) I've never encountered any negative

responses.

www.citysnaps.net
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<p>I'm pretty thin-skinned, and it is this attitude among some members of the public (especially in recent years) that has kept me from doing street photography. Fortunately, as I get older I'm developing more of a "don't give a damn" attitude, which is really wonderful. I like the idea of a fake "credential" around the neck, as long as it can't be used to choke anyone. Maybe I'll eventually be able to try the transition.</p>
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<p>I think that you have to develop a thick skin or not carry that big DSLR. Act like a tourist and you can get away with a lot. I do street work with a 1937 folder and when I do get looks it is of amazement and curiosity than anything else.</p>
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<p>Ironically my big DSLR commands respect and I've never heard anything from anybody - this incident was when I was using an ancient Russian SLR - which might be half of the problem... the loud Ka-CHUNK tells EVERYBODY a picture has been taken!<br>

Maybe I'm just too thin-skinned as well. I don't want to be a creeper, and I don't think I am. At the same time I photograph absolutely everything that looks interesting to me - from flowers and bugs to homeless people, people doing interesting things (male or female) , architecture, performers, kids, and so on. If the subject has no reasonable expectation of privacy, they're fair game for photographers. The only issue I have is what to do with pictures of kids. For the most part I post them if I know their parents, and keep them private for family and friends only if I don't. And I"ll always make them private at the parents request.<br>

The wife of a friend of mine always calls me 'creepy guy'. She's a controlling sort who might be saying I shouldn't take any pictures of people without their permission. I don't know... my photo stream was super boring until I started taking pictures of people. I looked around at other people's photo streams to see what made a stream interesting and not interesting, and I found that the most interesting photo streams on Flickr were streams that focused on people. I'm a 'b'-type personality - more comfortable with things than with people, so my photos were mostly of things. Now I'm trying to focus more on people. The hard part is splainin' myself when called 'creepy guy' or 'sicko'.</p><div>00Z1Mw-378393584.jpg.e12c4adf28a56b26138313268a12fe93.jpg</div>

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<p>I once was shooting an old locomotive leading a train through a small town. A woman approached my car and accused me of taking pictures of school children (teenagers) that were loitering in the background. she threatened to call the police on me because I was a potential child molester. At which point I called the police myself to report her for harassment.</p>
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<blockquote>

<p>"Sicko" woman never knew for sure where you were looking.<br /> first woman likely just jealous no one pointing camera her way<br /> she's just jealous...</p>

</blockquote>

<p>These are impressive mind reading skills considering the authors almost certainly never encountered this person ever, much less, at the time.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>Most people have no idea what street photography is. They see you being sneaky with a camera</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Unless the use of the camera is being openly used with no effort at concealment, that is exactly what is being done. Observers have no way of knowing what such a photographers are thinking but creepy intentions are among the reasonable possibilities. This "sicko" person is much like our mentalist friends above except that she had the benefit of actually seeing the accused in action. While I have no reason to believe that Daryl is a sicko, she seems to have more basis to draw a conclusion about him than those above make about her.</p>

<p>If you engage in an activity that is sneaky and and/or can appear as creepy, don't be surprised if some people perceive you as sneaky and creepy. As we learn from this thread, people sometimes think they can read other people's minds.</p>

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<p>John H, what exactly are you saying? That I was sneaking a shot and she had every reason to be suspicious, and to call me a sicko in public? It sure sounds like you think you know what happened. If I was being sneaky, I wouldn't have lifted a 10 pound camera to my face as she walked in front of me.<br>

The first responder here got it right. She had no basis for her accusation as there were no helpless children in sight, and nothing particularly interesting in my line of sight. As far as she knew though I might have got her in a previous shot, and I think that's what bugged her. By extension, every person with a camera in a public place is a sicko. Even you!</p>

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Daryl,

 

Many people believe that one requires permission to take their photos.

 

And then use them, especially if it for your own inferred or real gain. More so, even.

 

Or ridicule more so than that.

Take the photo of the angry woman above as example. Or peopleofwalmart.com as another.

 

You may believe the opposite, that you don't need permission. Your beliefs will not change theirs.

 

Even the terminology has an implied theft to it. What do you do when you take someone's picture? You take their

picture. If you want to wiggle your way around this, you need to social engineer, not become confrontational. (if you

did that to me, your camera would be in peices on the ground, and we would be seeing each other in some form of

court I'm sure of).

 

If you can't do that, especially when photographing women, you need a new more socially

acceptable hobby or vocation. Women are biologically and evolutionarily pre-wired to require permission, much more than men are.

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<p>I believe acting the part has a lot to do with how you're perceived. The more "pro" you look and act, the more you're perceived as simply doing your job. My biggest whine when out on the street carrying a pro body in Los Angeles is being called "papparazi."</p>

<p>Also, I do think wearing some kind of credential can be very effective at putting people's minds at ease. A number of national photographers' associations offer "membership cards" which look fairly official. In my experience, credentials work quite well. Whenever people realize I'm credentialed "news media," they just love to be photographed (for television). I haven't worn any media credentials on the few times I've been out attempting street photography (actually, I misplaced mine), but I think I may start to when I receive my new one. I used to have an LAPD media credential--those are the hardest to get, and the ones which carry the most weight (at least in Los Angeles). But, I'm sure one of the association credentials will work nearly as effectively with the general public.</p>

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