Have You Ever Been Accosted In Such A Way During Street Photography

Playing devil's advocate now, why do you think it's OK to upset somebody just so you can enjoy your hobby?
This lady obviously didn't want her picture taken so what's the harm in respecting her wishes.

How about I live next door to you and I enjoy playing my electric guitar.
You ask me to give it a rest, but I reply it's not illegal and I'm only enjoying my hobby

Depends on how loud you were playing and what time, because there are nuisance laws, and you can be summonsed for playing too loud, in particular between the hours of 11pm and 7am if there are complaints.
 
@garryknight - i've seen lots of your street photography over many years on the various forums, and i'm surprised but also grateful to hear, that you've only been approached once in 12 years. Maybe I just got unlucky eh :(

Only challenged once, but I just remembered as I was reading the thread that I also had the usual 'telling off' by a security guard at The Gherkin. I asked him where the boundary was, he told me, I made sure I stayed outside it. With my 50-200mm lens. :)
 
Depends on how loud you were playing and what time, because there are nuisance laws, and you can be summonsed for playing too loud, in particular between the hours of 11pm and 7am if there are complaints.

As I said, just an analogy and wouldn't dream of behaving like that.
Good to know something could be done, too many lives blighted by antisocial behaviour
 
As I said, just an analogy and wouldn't dream of behaving like that.
Good to know something could be done, too many lives blighted by antisocial behaviour

I agree with you in a sense on the analogy side, it is a hobby this for most of us, and I doubt any of us want to irritate anyone because of it. But this is a prime example of how photographers can be abused ... for simply going about their hobby. The woman in question here certainly was no lady, she didn't ask politely and went from 0 to calling OP a pedophile in a flash. Seems to me he was just too stunned to try reason. If I was taking street shots and someone approached and politely asked me not to include them in my pictures, I'd oblige, no problem. But if someone started screaming abuse at me they could F right off and they better no get too close, because I'm not just a photo enthusiast, I'm a member of the public too and have the right to defend myself. We can be sheepish , bow our heads and toddle on each time, but it just makes us seem like we're in the wrong each time we do that IMO
 
None whatsoever but there is no indication in the o/p that the woman's picture had been taken, more that she wanted to make a fuss.

Exactly this IMO. It wasn't her I snapped, just random members of the public walking in front of the poster i'd chosen for my backdrop.

I think I can see where I went wrong exactly, in not being totally honest in what I was trying to achieve, but (and i'll never now know), i'm pretty certain, the way she reacted, that I wasn't going to get a reasoned discussion with her.

Hey ho, no-one hurt, one ego a little bruised and some very good advice offered and gratefully accepted for the future

Cheers all, you've been a great help
 
A few years ago I was sitting by myself in a park after putting some food down and wanting to get a shot of some of the local squirrels. There was a childrens playground some 50-60 metres away up the path behind me. A woman walked past and told me "Don't point that thing at me". I explained that I was hoping to see some squirrels and pointed to the nuts I had put down.

10 minutes later a pair of coppers turned up stating they had had complaints and I should "move on". When I asked why they told me they could arrest me for being a nuisance !! I replied with "OK, let's go down that route then.... But are you really sure you know what you're getting in to?" He backed off, and I advised him that he best go and speak to the woman about wasting police time.....

It's just some people are stupid, some want to cause trouble, and some are both. It's best to think about your options & situation before you decide what to do next.
 
A few years ago I was sitting by myself in a park after putting some food down and wanting to get a shot of some of the local squirrels. There was a childrens playground some 50-60 metres away up the path behind me. A woman walked past and told me "Don't point that thing at me". I explained that I was hoping to see some squirrels and pointed to the nuts I had put down.

"I wouldn't dream of taking your picture madam, have you looked in a mirror lately?"

:D
 
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There is someone on here that did an amazing street photography project, when stopped by someone he showed them his work and from memory was impressed and actually had their photo taken to add to the project? Think they had a card with the website/flickr stream on it so they could go check, this maybe one way to help especially if it escalated and police arrived you could show you are genuine.
 
"I would dream of taking your picture madam, have you looked in a mirror lately?"

:D

"I don't shoot people ma'am ... not with a camera at least" ... ok, that might be a bit too far? Since the person very possibly isn't in the mood for jokes. I actually have a lame T-Shirt, missus got me it for my birthday - has a picture of a camera with the words "I shoot people" ... it's not one I'll wear going through the airport! And maybe not the best to wear when heading out street shooting.

How many of us here would take issue with someone taking our picture randomly? It has happened to me a number of times and I probably ruin it for them by pulling a silly face or giving thumbs up and a wink when they're after candids :D
 
How many of us here would take issue with someone taking our picture randomly? It has happened to me a number of times and I probably ruin it for them by pulling a silly face or giving thumbs up and a wink when they're after candids :D

I don't live in an area that attracts tourists which might explain why people can sometimes be confrontational but we do go to the beach quite often where cameras are more common but even there I don't remember anyone obviously taking my picture, ever. Me and Mrs WW were sat in the train station on Saturday when a middle aged couple walked in. He looked a bit bored while she had a DSLR and what looked like a kit lens. She did a camera at half arms length sweep of the scene including me and Mrs WW, presumable taking a video, and then walked out onto the platform and took a couple of still shots in each direction. No one cared or said anything to her. That's the only time I can remember having my picture taken by strangers in my area.
 
I don't live in an area that attracts tourists which might explain why people can sometimes be confrontational but we do go to the beach quite often where cameras are more common but even there I don't remember anyone obviously taking my picture, ever. Me and Mrs WW were sat in the train station on Saturday when a middle aged couple walked in. He looked a bit bored while she had a DSLR and what looked like a kit lens. She did a camera at half arms length sweep of the scene including me and Mrs WW, presumable taking a video, and then walked out onto the platform and took a couple of still shots in each direction. No one cared or said anything to her. That's the only time I can remember having my picture taken by strangers in my area.

It's never happened locally, but I live in a small-ish town and it's not the kind of one where you're likely to see anyone doing street photography. But an hour up the road, in Dublin City it's very common, you'd see a dozen street photographers just walking the length of O' Connell street - nobody bats an eyelid, it's a great city for it. I would have thought London would be much the same [where OP had this run in]. I know NYC is, nobody cares there but might want you to pay them after taking the picture if they're a local hustler :D [this actually happened to me] I have definitely had my picture taken in Dublin a few times, I could spot them easily, maybe as I was doing it myself at the time. The only half decent street shots I've ever taken were in that city too. Your confidence grows with the hustle and bustle, the anonymity, the feeling that not many would notice as there's so much going on in every direction.
 
Did anyone else think of the old 'Janet and John' stories on Terry Wogan's breakfast show on Radio 2 when they read the squirrel story above? "I'm hoping to see some squirrels... would you like to see my nuts?". See John's black eye, poor John! :giggle:
 
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It's never happened locally, but I live in a small-ish town and it's not the kind of one where you're likely to see anyone doing street photography. But an hour up the road, in Dublin City it's very common, you'd see a dozen street photographers just walking the length of O' Connell street - nobody bats an eyelid, it's a great city for it. I would have thought London would be much the same [where OP had this run in]. I know NYC is, nobody cares there but might want you to pay them after taking the picture if they're a local hustler :D [this actually happened to me] I have definitely had my picture taken in Dublin a few times, I could spot them easily, maybe as I was doing it myself at the time. The only half decent street shots I've ever taken were in that city too. Your confidence grows with the hustle and bustle, the anonymity, the feeling that not many would notice as there's so much going on in every direction.

I've had people ask if I'm from the council. Dunno what the council would be doing taking pictures but maybe the DSS could be taking pictures of benefit cheats.
 
You have to be very wary of the public. They can and will get their mobile out and waste valuable police time and resources making false claims.

It happened to me before although it was not photography related and the police came looking for me on the strength of total lies lol.
 
I did have a discussion with a security guard when doing some work for a local estate agent some years back. They wanted pictures of the area and I did a couple of shots outside our local mall. As I wanted people movement in the shot, I used a tripod, and a security guard came out of the mall saying "You can't take pictures here, this is private". I explained that I was actually on the road, not their property and she decided she was going to call the police.

I quite happily waited and they told her she was in the wrong. She then decided to stand right in front of my lens so I couldn't continue, and the copper told here to go away or be dealt with...

If the police get involved, and you are polite, show reason, and can show you are not in the wrong, it will work for you, not against you.

I don't shoot street stuff anymore, just doesn't float my boat these days so I come across this sort of stuff much less.
 
I've had people ask if I'm from the council. Dunno what the council would be doing taking pictures but maybe the DSS could be taking pictures of benefit cheats.

I'm sure they do! There was a teacher in our school who would head to the local park or anywhere he got wind students were smoking and he would take pics of them with the threat of showing the parents. Now, whether he actually showed the parents or not is another thing . . . Same teacher ended up in court years later on abuse chargers. Not everyone taking pictures in public is legit, this is what ruins it for the rest of us sadly.
 
ETA: Actually, a few years ago we went to the London Dungeon and I wanted to take some pictures when we came out - as it's almost opposite the Houses of Parliament and I thought it would make a good backdrop. It was dark, so I had my wife and daughter lined up and took a couple of shots with some flash. One of the security guards from a property along there came and told me I couldn't use flash anywhere along that stretch. I could take photos, but no flash. Apparently.

I figured that was probably bull, so I just waited till he'd wandered off and then took another couple.

There is something about the southbank being restricted as private property. I have previously come across two photographers being accosted by security guards there
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Well I say two - his mate stood back and took photo's of the encounter :D
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There is someone on here that did an amazing street photography project, when stopped by someone he showed them his work and from memory was impressed and actually had their photo taken to add to the project? Think they had a card with the website/flickr stream on it so they could go check, this maybe one way to help especially if it escalated and police arrived you could show you are genuine.

Blakestar 100 Strangers project?
https://www.talkphotography.co.uk/threads/100-strangers-round-3-complete-5th-april-2018.648760/
 
I'm so happy that (empty) landscapes are my thing ;)

I was out photographing in Barford St. John, Oxfordshire tonight, stood on the public road. A car came past, stopped and the bloke got out & came running towards me, said (in farm labourer accent) "What are you taking pictures of?" I replied it was the horses in the field, and he mentioned something about "not the farm then" before going away.

Then she started getting abusive (quite loud), told me to delete the images, told me she'd call the police, and then as I was deciding it was best to walk away, again loudly, called me a 'f**king pervert and nonce'.

I know this kind of person, and even work with one. They don't care about the photography, but see a potential victim that they can humiliate and abuse to make themselves feel empowered. If they cannot undermine you by distorting the truth then they will lie, as others have commented, in order to do you harm. There's nothing you can do about them, short of applying a cattle prod, and the best you can hope for is to be secure enough to face them down until they realise they can't win, or for the police to give them grief for wasting time.
 
Twice in tube stations the busker has stopped playing and demanded I delete!

Odd that buskers above ground expect everyone to want a picture (and everyone to throw money in the hat too).

Then I found out that most London street performer are legal, most underground aren't.
 
The OP should have said he taken a photo and offered to phone the Police about her abusive attitude.

I got accosted for taking a picture of a Door when I was stood in the road (about 2m away) the person claimed it was thier door but may have been worried I was from the DSS.
 
but may have been worried I was from the DSS.
If you were they'd never have seen you. Their surveilance skills are excellent. One of my relatives was part of a DSS enforcement team for a few years and some of the stories were astonishing.
 
There is someone on here that did an amazing street photography project, when stopped by someone he showed them his work and from memory was impressed and actually had their photo taken to add to the project? Think they had a card with the website/flickr stream on it so they could go check, this maybe one way to help especially if it escalated and police arrived you could show you are genuine.
You could wear a hi-viz jacket with the word PHOTOGRAPHER on the back, smile at all troublemakers and tell them you are too busy to talk. :D
 
An interesting thread and I sometimes think it is going to take a photographer getting serious assaulted before it become more widely know/stated that it is not illegal to take a photo of someone in public(I'm excluding following and/or repeatedly photographing some one which could be harassment).

Dave

BTW Loudly calling someone, "F**king pervert nonce" is NFS (normal for Stratford):)
 
What I find most frustrating about this whole situation is that there are so many people out there who think someone taking photos on the street for fun is a bit weird.....but many of those same people love seeing old photos on social media of the general public in the good old days (including kids playing in the street). Well how do these people think those photos got taken in the first place. The answer obviously is by some photography enthusiast like the ones they keep thinking of as "weird".
 
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Not having a go at you here
No offense taken. I suspect they don't think of people using flash or perhaps they're just not bothered. Perhaps drop them a message and ask.
 
I think you have to ask would you like someone pointing a camera at you as you’re running errands etc? The reaction was over the top and people are quick to call you a pervert these days, but that’s what you have to expect. I got called a P**** once for taking landscape photos in the Peak District, there were kids biking nearby but they weren’t in my shot. Very disconcerting and I make sure kids aren’t in my line of sight now, not worth the potential hassle and embarrassment.
 
I think the trend towards private “public” open areas is very troubling. I think we should insist on fences and gates etc and where they don’t want them put them up on our public side — see how they like it up ‘em. :mad:
 

How odd is that?
There must be 1000s of photographs taken on that stretch of the riverbank every day, yet if you put a tripod up you get harrassed.

I had a security guard tell me to move on in our local shopping centre once when photographing the christmas lights with a low end canon. Went back the next day and stood taking pictures with a phone for twenty minutes and they didn't bat an eyelid.
Strangely enough the pics I got with the phone were better than the ones taken with the canon before he told me to sling my hook.
 
Strangely enough the pics I got with the phone were better than the ones taken with the canon before he told me to sling my hook.
I always have a travel zoom in my pocket and no one has ever said a thing wherever I use it. Must look like a cellphone to the uninitiated.

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I always have a travel zoom in my pocket and no one has ever said a thing wherever I use it. Must look like a cellphone to the uninitiated.
I would have thought having a travel zoom in your pocket was even riskier, especially should it get switched accidentally as in “is that a travel zoom in your pocket or are you just pleased to see me?” :exit:
 
I was in town early morning taking photos and a woman who i hadnt spotted came over ranting and said i had took her photo and to delete it. I looked at the photo and about 100 yards away you could see her near a cash machine. Normally i would delete if someone asked me nicely but this woman was an idiot and kept on about getting the police and me being locked up, so i said "lets see what the police have to say". Walked her to the police station and the inspector told her i had every right to take the photo and nothing she could do about it and not to waste his time again.
 
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