Something happened today


A message from the photographer



Today I got caught.

Taking someone's picture, that is. On my train ride home today I found myself taking shots of people sitting across from me on the subway. I was using my small camera and trying to use it covertly, like I usually do. When my stop came and I left the train, a woman who was sitting across from me, who I photographed secretly, came up behind me and said, " Do I have to call the cops on you and see what you're taking pictures of?" I was taken aback and somewhat shocked.

She began to tell me that what i was doing was illegal and that she could have me arrested and sued. She said that maybe I was a pervert or something. All along, I was telling her that I was a photographer and a street shooter and I was doing nothing wrong, but I was sorry if my taken her picture offended her. She had none of it. She was tough. Scared the crap out of me.

She grilled me about what I was planning to do with the images, whether I was showing them in a gallery or something. She was very upset. All I could offer her was my word that I would not use any pictures of her and that I was a legit photographer. I gave her my email address and my other web site address (not this one, but my portfolio site). My hope is that she will see that I am who I say I am. Her last words were that she was a lawyer and her boyfriend was a detective.

Phew.

I went away from that encounter with this sense that I did some overwhelming wrong to someone. The feeling was the same as if i had gotten caught shoplifting. It took about four hours for me to calm down and get things straight in my head.

Sure, I invaded her public privacy (if there really is such a thing). She, and other people, were "victims" of my lens. They were not informed that I was taking pictures of them and I sure, if asked, many would say that they would not want to be on film, especially for this blog. Maybe I'd even get a black eye from the muscle man I was shooting as well.

When I got home, I sat at my computer checking out this blog and a lot of others on fotolog.net. Seems like a lot of people in NYC who are making photo blogs are doing the same thing as me, and I them. Shooting on the subway is something that is not uncommon. Then, there's this book I have with Walker Evans shooting on the subway using a hidden camera. They are black and white and photographed in the late 30's, 40's and 50's. Then there are all the street photographer over the years, taking pictures of thousands of people without their permission.So, I'm in good company, I can see.

Then I realized that I did nothing wrong, at least in the legal sense. I can take pictures of people in public places and, as long as I do not slander them, or liable them, and I do not profit from their image, then I think I am well within my rights. But, of course, that does nothing to change the fact that someone did not like what I did and considers me a person of dubious character. I try not to take that only personally and that helps. Then again, I rather it not had happened.

I've been keeping this blog as a record of what I see, and much of that includes the people of this great city. I do point out funny situations and chose to highlight the irony of a visual situation because I think the image warrants such commentary. All along, my intention is not to make fun of the subjects I photograph or treat them with them with any disrespect. If I do, in some way, stray from this mission, I hope the viewers of this blog will let me know so I can avoid doing it in the future.

Anyway, thanks for all the supportive emails I've been getting from so many of you.

I return you now to your irregularly scheduled blog....

Posted: Sat - October 11, 2003 at 02:16 AM      

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