Toronto Photography Meetup Group

Yesterday at Queen & Spadina, south east corner, a short middle-aged guy with a leather cowboy hat, a canon DSLR and a backpack was taking pictures. He was acting really ostentatiously by ducking and dodging for shots and making a spectacle of himself. Then a couple of guys with their girlfriends who were passing by started saying loudly, "this guy is perverted, this guy is perverted..." pointing at the photographer and laughing, a lot of people stood and begun to stare at this photographer and yet he still continued with his dodging and ducking for shots as if nothing is happening. When almost everyone in the corner of the intersection begun to look he stopped and his response was "perverted in what way?" lol

Most of the time photographers are afraid of angry people confronting them but this was different, it was public ridicule and I have to say I felt really crappy about this hobby and some of the goofy poor souls who get into photography, especially street photography to play the photographer. At least if you're interested in photography don't try to make yourself the centre of attention in busy places where mostly young people hang out. If you don't fit in the scene shoot and move on, don't stand and make a fool of yourself.

What do you mean "not fit the scene"? Like this http://www.zhfoto.com/gallery.html?foli ... ON%20%2709 NSFW

Who cares what they think just do your thing.

begin ridiculed by one, few or a bunch of people at a street or any place is the least of my worries ...

Seriously, I don't live by what other people says or do as I have a conscious of my own.
A couple of occasions before while shooting, I had curious people looking at me and then come by skeptically to ask about my photos (like in some sort of self-righteousness and authoritative manner) and demanding to see on the camera display.
Although I could reject straight forward such inquisitor mannerism; I actually try to make a convert every time by engaging into a friendly talk...heck even sometimes I get a new facebook fan !!

His only mistake was not being aware of what was happening or if he was aware not confronting the ignorant idiots that called him a pervert.

A while ago a young guy and a girl went by me when I had my Mamiya TLR around my neck it was closed and I wasn't taking photos at the time. The girl on noticing my camera said to the Guy "that's an interesting camera I never saw one before"

His answer rather surprised me "That's some type of pervert camera"

Since he obviously said it loud enough so I could hear, I replied loudly: "Your ignorant!"

Of course that stopped him in his tracks, as he started to puff up to impress the girl I asked her if she wanted to look through the view finder. She accepted and of course she was blown away by the Mamiya's real time live view. As she left with the guy she told him in a voice loud enough that the whole street could hear: "Yes you are ignorant"

If I actually get to the point to pull my camera up and decide to take a shot or two, there is very little others can do to interrupt me.
Unless I happen to block traffic (can be waited out), or security decide to impose his authority in unmarked private property (can be negotiated),
or something else in that manner, I am going to pick the best accessible spot for that shot.

If you always going to take pictures while "fitting with the crowd", don't expect many spectacular views - the general crowd tends to have a narrow outlook on things
and very bland vantage point (all pun intended).

Besides, wpf1s9, you seems to be blaming the victim.
Baseless and very rude remarks towards the photographer from those few jerks are hardly a representation of normal behavior in civilized society.

Good for you!

South east corner of Queen and Spadina is not only very narrow but one of the busiest during Friday afternoon rush hour (when this happened). I was walking south and I saw this photographer long before i reached the intersection, then I stopped for the lights and he was still at it, I crossed the lights and this is when people crowded the corner, he was not only blocking the way but people were trying to avoid walking in his shot. He was moving around chimping and shooting, and this is when those guys started calling him perverted and made fun of him but he still continued on.

Forget photography, standing right at the crossing path of a very busy intersection and blocking people's path is rude and inconsiderate at any time, but then to stand there for a long time and take photos very aggressively is bound to get people annoyed. I think he was abusing the politeness of Toronto, had he done that in some other place people would have gotten nasty.

This guy was wrong, both as a photographer and as a city pedestrian or whatever you call it. He was asking for it.

He was not wrong, plain and simple. Odd perhaps. What would say about Bruce Gilden (yep I brought up BG) ?

He was not wrong, plain and simple. Odd perhaps. What would you say about Bruce Gilden (yep I brought up BG) ?

I've never been called a perv... but I have been approached by members of the public, and I always shrug them off, and keep moving on.

Love this......

Love it too! haha

"I've been called a lot worse by people better than you"

That's my standard reply to people who, for one reason or other, want to belittle me. Some people feel they can humiliate me but let me tell you, once you've been humiliated a couple times in public it's no big deal.

I believe the photographer in this case was just fine in responding the way he did.

Was he "wrong"? - maybe he was not being courteous but "wrong" is a bit harsh I think for someone who is merely taking photos for the sake of taking photos.

Cheers,
Dave

Maybe you shouldn't be a photographer. You sound just as bad as the group mocking this guy.

Based on your account, perhaps he wasn't being "courteous" (have you ever taken the ttc during morning rush hour?), and perhaps he was a bit "odd", but how is that "perverted"? And how does that justify being mocked by a group of ignorant people?!


(Metrix, love the story of your encounter and how you dealt with it! Very Impressed!)

There is no justification for public mockery but if someone goes out of their way to be a public nuisance playing the street photographer without any consideration for the very people he photographs, then mockery should be the least of that person's worries.

Annoying people in practice of one's hobby is incredibly selfish behaviour but in the case of photography its muddying the water for others who like doing the same thing but without making a spectacle of themselves... Every person who takes photos on the street is responsible for public relation of all other photographers, especially in the same area.

Photography is my hobby I'm not a photographer, I don't make money of it I have not been published and I have not had even an exhibition in one of those dinky Kensington market coffee shops. I also don't consider every guy with a camera as my brother in arms that I have to defend no matter how silly and self destructive their actions might be. But I do get annoyed when people such the guy in question here makes it harder for me to enjoy my hobby.

seriously ??

yeah, seriously.

But then again is this how you communicate in real life as well? When you're not sure what's serious and what is not then it might be prudent to just keep quiet and not make a fool of yourself.

Anyway, I'm done with this thread.

I am sure many of us have done something similar to what the guy did at one point or another. In fact, lots of great photos came from those moments. To a lot of us, photography is not just a hobby, it's a passion. I am proud of it, not embarrassed by it. Maybe this is the wrong hobby for you if you would let something like this bother you so much to a point where you cant enjoy it anymore.

I believe that in this case, only in response to the way the photographer, he is also very good.
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