Dear Imran: People shooting in the States by foreigners.

[cebes_johnson]

Dear Imran,

 

I hope you read this before it is deleted and prior to everyone here

scaring the H@ll out of you!

 

I didnt catch your mail beforehand so I am posting it. Dont wanna

read it, move on.....

 

(NO RELIGION, NO POLITICS, JUST PHOTOGRAPHY!)

 

 

 

 

I have no idea what everyone is talking about here. What ignorance.

 

America, nor arrogant power trip american police, will(should not)

bother you in any way whatsoever. Should they, I would ask

seriously "WHY?!" Ignorance is everywhere I'm afraid and it is

possible you will face it.

 

However, it is a rare occurance. So rare I should not even mention

it.

 

 

Most americans are embarrassed of the war, middle east problems,

etc. and will make even greater an effort to appease and help you.

 

I do not care if you are a practicing muslim, etc. with the full

dress, you act like a photographer you will be treated like a

photographer. I firmly believe this.

 

You act like an artist, you will be treated like one. PERIOD.

 

 

There is ignorance everywhere, one can easily see it here as well.

People are like sheep.

 

 

You are free to take photos of any and everyone in this country as

long as it is a public place and you do not intend to publish them.

You will have no more difficulty than I who enjoys hunting the

HCBresson, Ronis type of moments and comes across the perturbed putz

who finds his image so sacred.

 

 

For people who disagree, look at PDN lately?

 

 

What no one seems to even realize as well is that you are a foreign

citizen and have a far better excuse than I do when some nut gets

upset because you have taken their precious photo.... (when it is

not their visage you are interested in, as if I were wanting to post

them on the internet or send the shot to his wife while he is out

with his mistress, but the feeling she/he evokes.)

 

 

 

It amazes me people at all take offense to having their photo taken.

Even photographers who photograph people/moments do not like THEIR

photo taken by others! Many here within the forum, even HCB did

not?!

 

 

This is another toopic for another time.

 

As for government restricted areas, and likewise, that is of course

common sense. No, you or I should not take photos there.

 

Is this your intent on visiting America? (LOL...I am joking....)

 

 

 

As I say, you have a great excuse as you are foreign. I wish I could

use that. "Oh I am sorry, is that your wife I was kissing? Where I

come from in my country this is how we greet people ;-) USe that!

(I am joking do not use that)

 

 

Here is another idea. I dress in a sport coat these days, dress up a

bit when at all possible. Wearing casual t-shirt and cut shorts

does solicit a COMPLETELY different response from people.

 

I have NEVER had a problem dressing in slacks, dress-casual shoes or

jacket shooting people in the exact same situations as I did when

wearing my bum clothes.

 

 

I speculate this may be why perhaps HCB did it? (I know I am getting

sick of HCB comparisons and writings, but man, he was good.)

 

 

 

Further advice, ****a smile goes a long way.***

 

Someone catches you taking their photo, then smile back. Anyone who

takes offense to such a thing usually is alright afterwards.

 

....Or say, "Thank you." (I personally recommend 'thank you' if you

have a bad smile ;-)

 

 

IT IS THAT SIMPLE PEOPLE!

 

 

It is simple psychology that those who are angry want that same

anger met with anger. But, if you greet anger with kindness it

completely throws them as most people are kind hearted deep below.

 

 

 

 

In short, don't worry. Worse thing anyone can do is tell you to

stop. So take photos!

 

have fun

 

Cebes

 

(PS: Unfortunately it is always the small percentage of bad that

seem to cause a problem for the whole. All cultures are the same.

best wishes )

[al_kaplan1]

All good advice for ALL of us. Thanks.

[pensacolaphoto]

I second Al on that one. No need to get paranoid, but it is wise to stay alert.

[socke]

100% agree.

[imran_ahmed]

Thanks Cebes, I agree with you. I have great affection for USA and it's people

 

Imran

[michael s.]

There is some good practical and human advice offered here by Cebes.

 

He goes astray, however (and runs afoul of his own 'NO POLITICS' promise), where he purports to speak for "most [A]mericans ..." and then generalizes wildly about "arrogant power trip [A]merican police ..."

 

Cebes also states: "You are free to take photos of any and everyone in this country as long as it is a public place and you do not intend to publish them." As has been discussed elsewhere, this is simply not an accurate statement of the law.

 

Laws vary from state to state, and some cities have their own ordinances, too. Depending upon which state or municipality Imran visits, Cebes' statement is very likely to be both unduly restrictive ("as long as ... you do not intend to publish them") and in a some instances unduly permissive as well.

 

Not sure, Imran, whether you caught my statement in the old thread before the whole thing was deleted? I suggested that there had been significant changes in the U.S. since the September 11th attacks -- some important and constructive, and some terrribly unfortunate. And I said that I thought you'd be fine in tourist areas where all manner of cameras, camcorders, and camera-phones are constantly in use.

 

But I also said that depending upon your destination(s), I'd be prepared for the unlikely but by no means unheard of possibility that you might be stopped and questioned. If that should happen, I would hope that any inconvenience to you is minimal, and that law enforcement professionals behave professionally and courteously and delay your photographic adventures for not one moment longer than it takes for them to allay any legitimate security concerns.

 

Have fun, Imran. And please post some pictures for us.

[al_kaplan1]

If you get down to the Miami area lets get together and maybe do some tarpon fishing. Those big silvery fish jump and jump and jump, sometimes really close to the boat! Makes for some exciting pictures!

 

http://www.rnfl.com/knotnancy/

 

This'll get you to my friend Captain Dave Kostyo's website.

[vic_.]

Imran, I hope you have a wonderful time. Most Americans are good people, generous to the max, as you will have noted by reading most of what you read on this forum. Of course, in any group there are the outliers, ignore them, they are the reason bell curves exist.

 

The weird thing is that if anyone was intent on taking surveillance type pictures, all they have to do is to get a high resolution digital video camera (consumer grade should suffice, such as Sony Hi8), put it in an innocuous looking bag with a hole for the lens, stick in an 8 hour digital tape, and voila, you can photograph every nut and bolt in any facility without so much as causing a ripple in the Homeland Security Iron Curtain. All this I got from watching too much 60 minutes. If I was a pro spy there must be gear available, more miniaturized.

[msitaraman]

Notwithstanding the abundance of my good-hearted fellow Americans, you can expect, if you are questioned or detained by the authorities for any reason, a bit of a rough ride as a person with a possibly Pakistani muslim name, who is not an American citizen.

 

There has always been a racist and xenophobic streak amongst some (or many) Americans, and at times of tension, such as during the cold-war, or now, it can be a mile wide. Paranoia amongst petty municipal officials, immigration officers, policemen, and Federal law enforcement officers shouldn't be ruled out entirely, you know.

 

Be prudent and sensible, and don't get yourself into trouble. And enjoy a wonderful trip meeting people such as those in this thread.

 

:-)

[jeff_lu]

fact is, people are scared by what the unfamiliar. not many understand what a random

guy is doing shooting pictures of nothing in a street. it gets worse if you're near one of

those special danger zones.

 

just be kind to anyone. kindness buys more than money (at least in terms of goodwill).