Film street photography, pros and cons

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Jon
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I am sure I did see a thread on the subject somewhere on this forum, but I can't find it. I did do a search using key words. It was regarding taking photos out and about on the street, and when you get someone complaining, and they object that they may be in the image you took. I can only recall this happening to me maybe a couple of times, once a woman stopped her car and asked, "did you take a photo of my car?". She was worried about a personal issue she was going through, and she was worried about her safety, and wanted me to delete the photo, just in case someone spotted it etc etc. I did delete the photo, and I showed her as I was doing it.

Anyway, I am going out and about with my newly revived film camera. Not purposely taking photos of people, I want to get buildings and structures etc. I am sure the inevitable will happen, and someone will walk into the frame, just as I am taking the photo.

So, what happens when they ask, "please delete that photo of me"?

As I said there was something on this theme already posted, I just can't find it.
 
Honesty? "I'm sorry but I can't", then assure the person that you will not post it publicly.

That's about all you can do.
 
Honesty? "I'm sorry but I can't", then assure the person that you will not post it publicly.

That's about all you can do.

Just don't like the idea of some soft sod, ragging the film from the camera. Like they did in the movies, and usually beat up the photographer as well.

Not sure what I would do really, but yes, not much I can do. Either just ignore them and move on, or take the film out and destroy it, in front of them. But would anyone destroy a roll of film, even if a roll costs about £7 per on average or so? Oh, plus losing the previous photos you took.
 
I've never seen the point of deleting a digital image, lets face it it's easy enough to recover that image and use it.
 
I think that you are over-worrying the situation.
If anyone ever confronts you, simply tell them it's a roll of film and it doesn't get posted on social media etc.
If they insist, offer to 'phone the police.

For information:-
Freedom to photograph and film
Members of the public and the media do not need a permit to film or photograph in public places and police have no power to stop them filming or photographing incidents or police personnel.
Photography and Section 43 of the Terrorism Act 2000
Officers have the power to stop and search a person who they reasonably suspect to be a terrorist. The purpose of the stop and search is to discover whether that person has in their possession anything which may constitute evidence that they are a terrorist.

Officers have the power to view digital images contained in mobile telephones or cameras carried by a person searched under S43 of the Terrorism Act 2000 to discover whether the images constitute evidence that the person is involved in terrorism. Officers also have the power to seize and retain any article found during the search which the officer reasonably suspects may constitute evidence that the person is a terrorist. This includes any mobile telephone or camera containing such evidence.

Officers do not have the power to delete digital images or destroy film at any point during a search. Deletion or destruction may only take place following seizure if there is a lawful power (such as a court order) that permits such deletion or destruction.
Section 58A of the Terrorism Act 2000
Section 58A of the Terrorism Act 2000 covers the offence of eliciting, publishing or communicating information about members of the armed forces, intelligence services or police where the information is, by its very nature, designed to provide practical assistance to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.

Any officer making an arrest for an offence under Section 58A must be able to demonstrate a reasonable suspicion that the information was, by its very nature, designed to provide practical assistance to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.

It would ordinarily be unlawful to use section 58A to arrest people photographing police officers in the course of normal policing activities, including protests because there would not normally be grounds for suspecting that the photographs were being taken to provide assistance to a terrorist. An arrest would only be lawful if an arresting officer had a reasonable suspicion that the photographs were being taken in order to provide practical assistance to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.

There is nothing preventing officers asking questions of an individual who appears to be taking photographs of someone who is or has been a member of Her Majesty’s Forces (HMF), Intelligence Services or a constable so long as this is being done for a lawful purpose and is not being done in a way that prevents, dissuades or inhibits the individual from doing something which is not unlawful.

Met Police
 
If they insist, offer to 'phone the police.

I'd invite them to do it. People who want to take the matter beyond a reasonable and polite explanation just (IMO of course) need to be stepped away from. Engaging with them usually makes things worse. Again 'In My Experience'.
 
I'd invite them to do it. People who want to take the matter beyond a reasonable and polite explanation just (IMO of course) need to be stepped away from. Engaging with them usually makes things worse. Again 'In My Experience'.

Either way ... no way I would destroy a roll of film, unless I was in real danger.
If I felt threatened and in the street I would look for the nearest shop/office etc to walk into.
 
If they insist, offer to 'phone the police.
The best solution every time. I've only had this happen once in 55 years of photography and that a few months ago. I gave him that advice then just turned away and ignored him. That was the end of the matter.
 
No one has ever asked me to delete a photograph. For some street photography I speak to the person first anyway so do not take a shot if they really do not wish to be photographed. If you are worried take a large minder with you but no one can demand your film or that you delete an image. The only time I got into a problem was taking a few seconds video of my two children by a dinosaur display in a branch of Tesco's while on holiday. The assistant Manager asked me to stop though I had already done so. He called over two security guys and threatened me demanding I hand the video tape. This upset my children and my wife the dumped the trolley full of goods as we were not intending to buy anything after such treatment. They tried to block my way and I threatened to call the police as they now wanted to add assault to theft. After returning home I contacted the Consumers Association whose solicitors made it clear to Tesco's that this behaviour was unacceptable and, had they taken my video tape, criminal charges would have followed.. Tesco's legal department wrote a begrudging apology to me. This was around 25 years ago but we have never shopped at any Tesco since.

Dave
 
No one has ever asked me to delete a photograph. For some street photography I speak to the person first anyway so do not take a shot if they really do not wish to be photographed. If you are worried take a large minder with you but no one can demand your film or that you delete an image. The only time I got into a problem was taking a few seconds video of my two children by a dinosaur display in a branch of Tesco's while on holiday. The assistant Manager asked me to stop though I had already done so. He called over two security guys and threatened me demanding I hand the video tape. This upset my children and my wife the dumped the trolley full of goods as we were not intending to buy anything after such treatment. They tried to block my way and I threatened to call the police as they now wanted to add assault to theft. After returning home I contacted the Consumers Association whose solicitors made it clear to Tesco's that this behaviour was unacceptable and, had they taken my video tape, criminal charges would have followed.. Tesco's legal department wrote a begrudging apology to me. This was around 25 years ago but we have never shopped at any Tesco since.

Dave

Stories like this make me wonder what was going through their minds. What did they think you were doing and what could possibly be their objection? Unless you were creating a disturbance or obstruction and I assume you weren't.

I don't remember seeing anyone obviously taking pictures or vid in a supermarket but I wouldn't be too surprised to see it happening if there was some sort or display or activity.

I was once told "No photo" by an armed guard in a chocolate factory shop in Kazakhstan which I did think was rather odd but their choice. It was only a quick snap with a Panasonic GF1 (an evf-less mirrorless camera little bigger than a compact.)
 
Just don't like the idea of some soft sod, ragging the film from the camera. Like they did in the movies, and usually beat up the photographer as well.

The closest I’ve ever come to that was while in East Berlin in 1987.

A DDR soldier thought I had taken a photo of the Potsdamer Platz, which was just a sea of mud at the time as the authorities had decided to dig it up in honour of the 800th anniversary of the city. Apparently, this was not supposed to be photographed by western visitors (the proximity of the Wall may have been another factor).

It took all of my limited German to persuade him I had not actually taken a picture and that there was no need to confiscate my film, nor indeed to point that gun at me.
 
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Just pretend to be hitting buttons and say its deleted.

Don't let them grab the camera or look at the back of it, draw the line.

Take the film out if there is a real situation developing though.
 
Been out with the film camera a couple of times now, and had a nice walk along a canal path. Come across various people who spotted I had an old camera, struck up a nice conversation on a couple of occasions. One chap mentioned someone who he thinks still developed film not too far away. I did do a little search, but I found nothing.

But my experience so far, has been good.
 
No problem when you have two slots!

I've been approached three times. Once (most recently), a shopping centre 'security guard' told me to stop taking pictures *outside* of the shopping centre at the boarded up building he was guarding, because he felt I was taking pictures of the locations of the CCTV cameras. I told him quite plainly that I was standing in a public space and I was afraid the law was on my side. I also explained the project I was taking the shots for. He reluctantly 'allowed me to continue', which I found funny but I didn't push it.

I took a street shot of a few brightly dressed folk, and was approached by one of them. He asked if I'd taken a shot, I said yes, he asked if I could delete it, I asked why, and he explained he didn't want to be associated with the Brexit march which was going on near by. I made it clear that I wouldn't post it anywhere and certainly not imply they were supporting Brexit. I didn't delete it.

The most serious example, which left me actually frightened, is a much longer story which I won't describe in full here, it's on my blog, folk can PM me if they want a link. Essentially, an event security guard accosted me, started calling me a nonce, called over his manager, both big guys. I showed the pictures I'd taken to the manager. He asked me to delete the ones I'd taken of the other guard (who was using the excuse of 'protecting the children' to actually protest me taking a picture of him). The guy had twice attempted to grab the camera. I felt the safest option was to comply. So I deleted the image, forgetting I'd recently switched to RAW + JPG with them on separate cards. I had deleted the JPG.

Edit: I've used my camera out and about in multiple cities for many, many, many hours and those are the only three challenges I've had, the first two being trivial really.
 
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