It's not that I'm uncomfortable with including people. I just have absolutely no interest in poking my nose into the lives of others by setting out to take candids of whoever walks across my field of vision. Would I actually avoid people in a shot? Probably not. My subject interests are architecture and landscapes, and people or vehicles or whatever are the obvious way to show scale. The only time I think I would consider candid shots is if I were doing a photo essay where I'd be following an individual or group over a period of time, and even then I would make sure they saw a copy of what I took and gave their consent. The only candids I would take without asking permission of the subject would be of wildlife, and the only reason I wouldn't ask is that I don't speak the language and they wouldn't stick around long enough for me to try sign language.
The route of all this seems to have gotten started over someone's complaint that a state goverment had no business restricting where, when, or with what may anyone take pictures. I know it will offend somebody, and my apologies for that, but these discussions over laws seem to have less and less to do with the validity of the law in question. Rather they tend to take on the tone of a rebellious teen spouting off that no one tells them what to do.
Is the Michigan law valid, or is it simply a knee-jerk reaction to pressure from some interest group or other? Don't know, and at the moment I don't suppose I care as I am not a resident of that state. I'll wait until the debate makes its way into our provincial legislature before I dig into it further. The cell phone camera has been created because it can be, not because it has a useful reason for being for the general public. Personkind, to be PC about it, is a rather imperfect lot and I include myself in that circle. We prove time and again that we are simply not capable of self-guiding our way through life. Laws and principles, whether laid down in the bible or in the legislative chamber, have to accepted and followed by a social unit to make things run smoothly. Mistakes get made and it still is one heck of a bumpy ride, but it is the best we all can do. From cradle to grave there is always going to be somebody laying out the rules of the game. It's part of our duty to
learn to live with that peacefully, and change what we can by appropriate channels rather than simply saying "F--- You, I'm going to do as I please."
"God, Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."
Take care, folks...
lookaround360@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
Brian,
If you feel uncomfortable including people in your photos without their consent, fine. There is no ethical or
legal reason not to. A person's sense of decency and taste should govern how they use candid shots of strangers
- not just legalities. I find people in their environments more interesting than most things. I don't know why
anyone would photograph spaces that people inhabit without the people!
AZ
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---
Brian Lunergan
Nepean, Ontario
Canada
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