Rant- Selfish, rude photographers

[Murph]

Sunday, I had gone with the kids back to the bluebonnet spot, which was a large, thick, lovely patch. There had been several well defined small routes though the flowers to areas where the kids could sit to be photographed. As usual, I gave them the admonition: "Don't step on any flowers, don't damage anything". It is a very popular spot, I came back later with just my two kids after the nieces had left and I observed across the street on private property where there was a HUGE field behind a fence, someone had cut and pushed down the fence, and there were several groups in the field trampling the flowers, and tresspassing.

On the field I had used, several large groups were leaving, and when I got back over there, the flowers were just destroyed, new paths, wider sitting circles, just wiped out almost. I am a firm believer in the Boy Scout attitude of leaving a place better than it was when you got there. This really annoys me, because so many of the bluebonnets were trampled, there was no reason for it, the routes were nice, the sitting areas large, and there were plenty of great photo ops.

Why do so many snappers (photogs with P&S) and others have to take so little care of things? Most of the people I saw were well dressed, coming from Easter services, dresses, suits, etc, all with little P&S cameras, the rare DSLR. On the field where they were tresspassing, it looked like a photographer was doing a paid shoot, because she had an assistant, lighting, etc. I know she probably did not have permission, because I have dealt with the old guy whose field it is, and he never gives permission for anyone to enter his property being a curmudgeon. I have tried myself to get his permission, and when denied, said "OK". These people just had no courtesy, no consideration, just cut the fence, hopped into the field, and trampled the flowers.

Rant off.

[Debbi]

I feel your pain. I just hate seeing stuff like this but most people only care about what they want at the moment. Very few consider that others might like to enjoy the flowers after they leave.

[Digigeek]

Maybe they should bring back hanging as the punishment for fence cutting.

[ldelacruz]

Sorry to hear but it is super common unfortunately. I went to my daughters 2nd grade play the other day. It was packed but I got a seat because we got there early. All the good seats were reserved. I learned that when parents pick up their kid after school 3 hours before the play they go to the auditorium first and reserve their own seats with yellow stickys or they print reserved signs on copy paper and save the seats. They save way more seats than they need so there were tons of empty seats with signs while 50 people had to stand in the back. To make it worse now almost every parent has a DSLR and has to take pics of the entire performance. Seriously do you need 500 crappy pics of your kid? Do you happen to think that there are people behind you that can't see because you have your camera in the air constantly. All the seats are level so it is already hard to see through the crowd to the stage and then you have a 100 people with cameras in the air. What happened to being considerate of others? Manners?

[revjvegas]

I saw the same thing up around Chappell Hill last weekend when I went scouting for a lessor known location for the wife and I to take a pic.

Makes you totally understand why the property owners have such a bad taste in their mouth when it comes to photographers.

It truly is sad that the majority, not all mind you, of the people are so inconsiderate.

[Coogie]

I'm not sure if the person I'm talking about is here so I won't name names, but at the Starbucks I go to which happens to be open 24 hours, there is this 40something "photographer" who routinely bothers girls to take their pictures. I said "photographer" because the first time I met him, I made the mistake of asking about his camera and it was obvious he knew very little other than Auto Mode. Maybe he's a nice guy who's lonley, but he is just clueless bragging to total strangers (and some of the people he's propositioning) that he loves to take pictures of beautiful women and how he was going to have a date with this 18 year old. Fair enough, but there is a time and place for it - Not when people are studying which makes just not him but all other photographers come across as creepy guys with a beat up old van.

Last night was particularly amusing because he approached these two attractive girls studying who were completely out of his league and was giving his "pitch"... She was just humoring him and trying to be polite but she never agreed to get her picture and asked "what will you do with the picture?". Then 10 minutes later from 15 feet away or so he starts clicking pictures of them (with flash too lol) much to the horror of everybody around them until this other dude (not me unfortunately) steps in and kind of explains to him what he should have already known- that he's bothering people and making the girls feel uncomfortable.

He tried to make nice later but really, he's known as a perv now. So if you're that type of photographer, please knock it off...it gives the rest of us a bad name :)

Last night

[toverman]

Arie, you can probably find this guy on your local Craigslist posting for "models" to build his "portfolio." Not uncommon, unfortunately.

Debbi already said it, but there are many people who care only about themselves and what they want. There's a complete lack of R-E-S-P-E-C-T for anything or anybody else. Selfishness abounds no matter where you go, it seems. That might be the human condition, but it is extremely disappointing anyhow.

[Coogie]

Todd, I have no problems with him wanting to take pictures of pretty girls. There is Craig's list, modelmayhem, and all these workshops on this site...So even if the guy is a perv, at least he can pretend he's not by going through legit channels. My issue was he was at a private business bothering people who expect reasonable privacy while minding their own business.

[toverman]

I agree with that, for sure. There have been threads of people elsewhere being banished from private businesses for photographing customers without permission/being a nuisance.

[JohnT]

I hear ya, Murph. I have little tolerance for those who trespass onto private property just to "get the shot." I know some on TPF do this routinely. It's called breaking the law, shows no respect for the property owner(s) and their rights, and it reflects negatively on those of us who choose to operate with some degree of integrity. Please consider this the next time you're tempted to jump or crawl under the fence, squeeze through the gate, etc.

[mdparthum]

I agree here too! I just got tired of going to shoot family or clients in areas like this for fear of being labeled or yelled at. I think the bluebonnet photos are nice and representative of Texas, but overdone now. The State of Texas should do a PSA about the rules of shooting bluebonnets on private property and along the freeways.

[DEMDeepEllumMusic]

I had a situation last year where I was shooting some BB's. The field is in central texas and is right next to a cell phone tower and about 100 yards from the road. So I pulled off onto the road, no fences around, and pulled into a parking area (gravel) next to the cell tower and then walked about 50 ft into the field and started to get some shots of some flowes. Well I was there about 15 minutes and a car pulls up with a guy in his early 80's and he asks me what I was doing (I had some screens set up to block the wind) and I told him that I was trying to get some good shots of some BB's and explained what the wind break was for. Well it turns out that it was his field and he said that it was ok and I said that I would have asked in advance if I knew who owned it. I explained who I was and that I have a sister that lives in the nearby town and he happened to know her and my ex-brother in law and he just said to be careful of snakes and gopher holes.

As to the situation above where some one knocked a fence down to get into a field I probably would have called the local sheriff to let them know about the trespassing and damage, I don't like it either!

BTW I always try to leave a location in better shape than when I went to it even if it means spending 10 -30 extra minutes picking garbage up. No it doesn't mean that I may not pull a stray weed or two away from some nice bluebonnets if they are in the shot but that is about it.

[Jeff_Green]

Oops, I thought the thread said "selfish, NUDE photographers" and I thought "what did Richard do this time???"

Carry on!

[mike78628]

Definitely agree with minimum intrusion and leave it better than you found it.

Trespassing in Texas: Under the trespass provisions of the Penal Code, a person on a property without the permission of the landowner is subject to arrest. In 22 states, posting is not required.

[Carl Stone]

Originally Posted by Coogie

Todd, I have no problems with him wanting to take pictures of pretty girls. There is Craig's list, modelmayhem, and all these workshops on this site...So even if the guy is a perv, at least he can pretend he's not by going through legit channels. My issue was he was at a private business bothering people who expect reasonable privacy while minding their own business.

I'm not standing up for rude folks, or the clueless character in this case, but I will take exception to your term "private business". Starbucks is a "public place", and those that want solitude for study would be well advised to go elsewhere if they can't stand distraction. Besides, photographers don't have a patent on being a PITA, other callings have their share of morons too.