Would you have stopped?

ov if it was a canon it take a better photo
 
Cg_Girl said:
Does that determine whether you might stop or not??? because that's lost on me
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Another discussion that goes round and round in circles never achieving anything because of peoples different of opinions.
The vietnam photo i wouldnt have taken, id have stopped and helped, the RTC id have stopped and helped, the OP was unfairly treated by members of this forum for a thought that crossed his mind!
I think im in the wrong place!
 
boliston said:
Being a "freelance journalist" certainly gives no extra right to behave insensitively - these days everyone is a "journalist" if they capture what they see, even if they don't do it to make money. Just because you are a "pro" journalist gives you absolutely no more "right" to photograph an accident as anyone who is not a "pro".
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What necessarily makes photographing an accident "insensitive?" Just because it's an accident? Because someone may have died? How is it different from photographing the aftermath of a storm? Or any other event really?

It's not the act of taking pictures that is necessarily insensitive/in poor taste... it's the "how/why." And just because it's not "happy," it might upset someone, or hurt to see doesn't necessarily mean it's a story that shouldn't be told.
 
Caroline Charles said:
Another discussion that goes round and round in circles never achieving anything because of peoples different of opinions.
The vietnam photo i wouldnt have taken, id have stopped and helped,
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So don't apply to be a war photographer.

Caroline Charles said:
the OP was unfairly treated by members of this forum for a thought that crossed his mind!
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I tend to agree.
 
I wouldn't stop and photograph an accident unless I was a journalist. I might take a photo if I am a passenger going past but I think stopping could cause more problems than its worth for the paramedics.. Distracting them when they should be treating someone isn't a good idea.

But even if I was a journalist, I'd be careful as to what I photographed.. E.g. I wouldn't try and photograph someone while the paramedic is trying to treat them. As it is possible to photograph an accident without invading someones privacy.

One of my friends had an accident which was so bad the paramedics had to cut off all his clothes. A photojournalist came into the garden without permission and tried to photograph him while he was naked. They seemed to think that it was okay for them to go into someones back garden without permission just because the paramedics had left the gate open, and then photograph someone who was knocked out and involuntarily naked. The photo of the helicopter taking off was fine, even being put into the helicopter, but ones of him being treated were going too far.
 
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What made me think about taking the shot was the amount of debris and destruction from the car spread all over the road.
What stopped me doing it was the realisation that someone was in the middle of that mess. Someones son, daughter mother or who ever, there were real people involved.
We can find horrific images all over the internet and media of horrific crashes / incidents, and my question was more aimed at the person who would have taken the shot.
For all I know the driver may be perfectly live and well as I have checked local news sources for any info on the accident and can't find anything.
If this is the case which I sincerely hope it is, and I had took the shot it would have been one of those "and he walked away from this" images that get flirted around the web.
 
Alisonfd said:
I wouldn't stop and photograph an accident unless I was a journalist. I might take a photo if I am a passenger going past but I think stopping could cause more problems than its worth for the paramedics.......
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So are you saying that if you WERE a journalist you WOULD stop, even though you think stopping could cause more problems than its worth for the paramedics?
 
boliston said:
So are you saying that if you WERE a journalist you WOULD stop, even though you think stopping could cause more problems than its worth for the paramedics?
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If I was a journalist I would trust that I knew how to avoid causing problems for them. I'd most likely of photographed quite a few car accidents by this one and know how to avoid causing a problem and I wouldn't be interfering. If the car accident was outside of my coverage area, then I wouldn't stop as it wouldn't benefit my work.

But as a member of the public, I might make a mistake which causes problems, I could get in the way by standing in the wrong place or something, as I'm not used to photographing car accidents.
 
Alisonfd said:
If I was a journalist I would trust that I knew how to avoid causing problems for them. I'd most likely of photographed quite a few car accidents by this one and know how to avoid causing a problem and I wouldn't be interfering....
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So if you were a journalist and you had NOT photographed any car accidents before? Surely this means you MIGHT cause a problem as you would not yet have experience of shooting car accidents? Would you stop in the knowledge that by stopping you might cause a problem?
 
boliston said:
So if you were a journalist and you had NOT photographed any car accidents before? Surely this means you MIGHT cause a problem as you would not yet have experience of shooting car accidents? Would you stop in the knowledge that by stopping you might cause a problem?
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If I had to for my work, then yeah. I'd have no other choice.
 
I always take the shot if I can.I think the photographs are interesting it is amazing how many people want to see them rather than my landscape shots.you should have stopped the newspapers might have been interested.

View attachment 17971


The chap was only injured.

View attachment 17973



The rider manged to get clear before it blew up.
 
boliston said:
So if you were a journalist and you had NOT photographed any car accidents before? Surely this means you MIGHT cause a problem as you would not yet have experience of shooting car accidents? Would you stop in the knowledge that by stopping you might cause a problem?
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What is the point in this questioning? Its like a cross examination from a barrister with your NOT and your MIGHT emphasized!
Stop looking for an argument and grow up!

Would the Amins please remove me from this site
 
Caroline Charles said:
What is the point in this questioning? Its like a cross examination from a barrister with your NOT and your MIGHT emphasized!
Stop looking for an argument and grow up!

Would the Amins please remove me from this site
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Given that internet chat forums are unlikely to conform to your sensibilities, may I suggest you remove yourself.

Or you could do what most people do - ignore some posts, shrug your shoulders at others, enjoy some, learn from some, laugh at some.

It's just an internet forum.
 
PMN said:
You're missing the point, no-one's saying being press gives you an excuse to behave insensitively so I'm not quite sure why you've brought that up. The point is the OP was talking about stopping at a random possibly fatal car crash to get photos purely for his own personal use which is a vastly different situation from people like Nick Ut, Don McCullin, Steve McCurry, etc, being in the middle of a war zone trying to let the rest of the world know what's going on.

The motives for taking photos in those two situations couldn't be further apart.
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Don McCullin did say once he was driving in London not on a job,when he saw a man collapse at a bus stop,before he new it he had stop his car poke his camera outside the window and taken the shot.
The reaction he got from the crowd at the bus stop,were the same as we are showing here,he said he felt very guilty about afterward.

Some of you are making quick judgment as those you never made a mistake your actions have always been perfect :(
 
simonblue said:
Some of you are making quick judgment as those you never made a mistake your actions have always been perfect :(
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I said I think it would be a disgusting thing to stop and immediately take photos of a car crash and I'm damned well entitled to that opinion. I never said the OP was a bad person so quit your accusations of people judging others.

Is the fact I think the first instinct in such a situation should be to help people rather than pull my camera out so alien to you?
 
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PMN said:
I said I think it would be a disgusting thing to stop and immediately take photos of a car crash and I'm damned well entitled to that opinion. I never said the OP was a bad person so quit your accusations of people judging others.

Is the fact I think the first instinct in such a situation should be to help people rather than pull my camera out so alien to you?
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Again quick to judge i never said you,i used your link as you mention Don McCuillin
 
i would stop, ask if they need any help, and then.. i dont know. and i dont believe all of you are sure what to do in that moment.. hard to be sure, but i wouldnt be happy at all if someone just take some photos of my disaster..
 
simonblue said:
Sorry it wasn't all that obvious,but as you mention Don McCullin i was pointing out that even photographer we admire can and do make mistakes.
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Yep of course people make mistakes, we all do but again, I think they're different situations. McCullin has spent much of his life photographing terrible things, when he stopped at that accident he was probably acting on instinct rather than logical thought so it's fairly understandable why he'd feel guilty afterwards. Here the OP is asking whether it would be acceptable to stop at an accident specifically to take photos which is totally different.

There seems to be a lot of comparing situations that are completely incomparable going on here and I'm not sure why.
 
PMN said:
You're missing the point, no-one's saying being press gives you an excuse to behave insensitively so I'm not quite sure why you've brought that up. The point is the OP was talking about stopping at a random possibly fatal car crash to get photos purely for his own personal use which is a vastly different situation from people like Nick Ut, Don McCullin, Steve McCurry, etc, being in the middle of a war zone trying to let the rest of the world know what's going on.

The motives for taking photos in those two situations couldn't be further apart.
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simonblue said:
Sorry it wasn't all that obvious,but as you mention Don McCullin i was pointing out that even photographer we admire can and do make mistakes.
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Since people are mentioning Don McCullin, I was at a talk by him in recent years, where someone asked him about taking these images. He said it's right to take photo's, to document and record the moment, he was emphatic that this has to be done, but what's important is what you decide to do with the images. He said he has a number of images, including ones taken in the uk that he has no intention of publishing, but that opinions or time may change perspectives on what's acceptable.

wchadders said:
What made me think about taking the shot was the amount of debris and destruction from the car spread all over the road.
What stopped me doing it was the realisation that someone was in the middle of that mess.
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Shot sensitively, without getting in the way, would be documenting local history. An example would be, we've a junction on a new piece of road that they've just rephased the lights at and slightly redesigned following a number of vehicle accidents over the last 4 years
 
PMN said:
Comparing this to images of war is utterly ridiculous. People taking photos such as the one by Nick Ut are doing so to tell the rest of the world what's going on, it's a totally different situation to grabbing a few shots of a car crash. Absolutely, utterly, completely different.
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And in the the Nick Ut case, two other photographers there took the girl to get medical help rather than take photographs.

boliston said:
Just because you are a "pro" journalist gives you absolutely no more "right" to photograph an accident as anyone who is not a "pro".
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Everyone has a legal right to do it but that doesn't make it the right thing to do.


Steve.
 
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Caroline Charles said:
Another discussion that goes round and round in circles never achieving anything because of peoples different of opinions.
The vietnam photo i wouldnt have taken, id have stopped and helped, the RTC id have stopped and helped, the OP was unfairly treated by members of this forum for a thought that crossed his mind!
I think im in the wrong place!
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You what seriously... how do you think that tog could have helped? It's a completely different scenerio it's called war journalism and I wouldnt be surprised if it was taken by a solider or someone hired by the army etc.

Please imagine if it was your family in the RTC how you would feel if someone started taking camera out and shooting?

Let the OP choose whether they are being mistreated they have a report button to use as and when they choose.

To OP I would have moved on.
 
On the other hand our local police regularly tweet almost live pictures from accidents, though I'm sure they wouldn't if it was a serious injury.
e.g. late yesterday
" a sheep jumped out "


BunU3MyIMAArP3v.jpg
 
4wd said:
On the other hand our local police regularly tweet almost live pictures from accidents, though I'm sure they wouldn't if it was a serious injury.
e.g. late yesterday
" a sheep jumped out "


BunU3MyIMAArP3v.jpg
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Yes but thats to show what can happen and probably to highlight a dangerous or a part of the road you need to be aware of. Not self gratification.
 
boliston said:
Just because you are a "pro" journalist gives you absolutely no more "right" to photograph an accident as anyone who is not a "pro".
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If we are talking "rights", anyone has the right to photograph on a public road.
If we are talking sensitivity then even a Pro would probably not photograph in a way that would display the seriously injured/dead occupant(s) of the car ... unless maybe if that in itself was 'newsworthy' ... cue the alleged disgraceful acts of the paparazzi at the scene of Diana's accident.
 
I'd Stop (in fact I have stopped before when I've had all my camera kit on me ). However it'd be to offer assistance.

Thinking about taking a photo of somebody else's nightmare, distracting paramedics from doing their job and generally adding a level of anxiety to the "subjects"?

Well that's about as high on my list if priorities as stabbing my self in the testicles. Repeatedly. With a blunt spoon.

I love people photographs but this wouldn't even cross my mind.

S
 
jonbeeza said:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-mobile-phones-police-refuse-investigate.html

A story in the papers yesterday, and from the victims point of view. Although this was being videos and she was being laughed at, would it have been any different if they had not laughed, and quietly took photos from a distance? I don't thinks so, deffo should have thought about helping and not even consider getting some sneaky photos!
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I don't see the parallel really, what they did was appalling and the event not the least bit 'newsworthy' - if you are saying that anyone photographing a road accident would be behaving in the same way, then yes I see your point ... but I don't think that would be true, especially of a Pro/Freelance getting a 'story' of a dangerous bend/hit & run/personality etc.

e.g.
rowan-atkinson+car+crash.jpg
 
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“Today everything exists to end in a photograph.” It seems that (some) photographers have taken Sontag at her word and no longer ask themselves why they wish to photograph things - almost as if things haven't happened unless they've been photographed..
 
So, if the OP had stopped and taken photographs and sold them (or tried) to sell them to the local newspaper that would have made a difference?
 
Heres the answer your all looking for..


.
 
jonbeeza said:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-mobile-phones-police-refuse-investigate.html

A story in the papers yesterday, and from the victims point of view. Although this was being videos and she was being laughed at, would it have been any different if they had not laughed, and quietly took photos from a distance? I don't thinks so, deffo should have thought about helping and not even consider getting some sneaky photos!
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The people that were in the park, that could have helped, but didn't are just as bad, in my book.
 
jonbeeza said:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-mobile-phones-police-refuse-investigate.html

A story in the papers yesterday, and from the victims point of view. Although this was being videos and she was being laughed at, would it have been any different if they had not laughed, and quietly took photos from a distance? I don't thinks so, deffo should have thought about helping and not even consider getting some sneaky photos!
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Just shows the mentality of the ignorant people videoing her, sadly all too common with the iphone (other makes of phone are available) brigade. :rolleyes:
 
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