Oh Snap!
Hey there readers, It's time for Oh Snap! Camera Crowd's weekly photography links. I know it's a bit late and a new week is already starting, but i've finally caught the dreadful flu bug and I just feel gross. It's just been non-stop green tea, supplemental vitamins, airborne, and vitamin water. I hope it leaves soon. Anyhoo, I wanna go back to bed soon, let's get down to business shall we?
I haven't gone out shooting in awhile and my finger is just itching for that trigger. I sold my old camera and the new one is on its way. And when I get it, it's back to the good 'ol routine again, taking the camera with me all the time for some good street photography. If you're like me and prefer street photography more than anything else, you've probably encountered people who yell at you for photographing them, or those pesky security guards. Yes those security guards or rent-a-cops telling you to stop photographing and leave the premises right away or there will be some trouble. I've been stopped twice by security guards, and they had to search my backpack first and inspect my camera. They probably think it's a weapon or something.
Seriously, security guards, cops, and private citizens are treating photographers these days like they're terrorists plotting something. The following links below will provide you with tips if you ever get in a tough situation where you are ask to leave or give up your memory card.
If you've never been in a situation where you had to deal with pesky security guards who think they're all that, then photopermit.org is the place for you. It's filled with unbelievable stories of photographers being mistreated including a dad photographing/filming a high school football game and mistaken for a sniper, so the school called the swat team and he was this close to being snipered until they realised he was only filming. With photopermit.org, photographers can really take advantage of the forum, it has first hand accounts from other photographers about their encounters with rent-a-cops and suggestions on how to deal with them.
So you've read photopermit.org and you tell yourself, "how am I going to remember all of that information?" especially if a security guard is towering over you with his/her beating stick! The only thing to do then is to pull out your Photographer's Rights Flyer. Based on the Bust Card and Know Your Rights pamphlet from the ACLU, this flyer tells you what security guards can and can't do to you. Definitely print this out and take it with you all the time, especially if you're a street photographer like me. Although I haven't used it yet, I know for sure it'll come in handy in the future. When a sleazy rent-a-cop hassles you, just whip it out and BAM!
Flickr pool of the Week : Decisive Moment Pool
As for the flickr pool of the week, we have the Decisive Moment Pool. The pool strictly follows the footsteps of the famous photographer, Henri Cartier-Bresson, a French photographer who developed the style of street photography. The pool is pretty strict too, it has no photoshop, no HDR, and no pool spamming rules, so you know the photographs are going to be good, its quality over quantity.
And here's a little advice when it comes to street photography, obviously don't go photographing in a spot where it clearly states "No photography". Also try not to attract too much attention, like in an underground metro station, don't set up your tripod in the middle of the platform especially during commute hours, security guards absolutely hate that! Trust me I know. And as for security guards and rent-a-cops telling you to stop shooting in a place where its perfectly fine, talk to them and show them your photographer's rights flyer, hopefully they'll understand. If not then, then take those shots you wanted and then run!
Here are a couple of songs you can listen to while you read up on those rights.
Rebellion (lies) | Arcade Fire
The Freest Man | Tilly and the Wall
-Charlie
