Re: [Leica] and personal space....

["Dan Post" <dwpost@email.msn.com>]

(snip)
> How many people would react kindly to having a complete stranger come up
> close into one's personal space, touch you on the arm or shoulder, and
then
> push a camera into one's face?

As long as I had time to powder the glare of my bald spot, okay....
Seriously, if I were subject to public scrutiny- i.e. being a celebrity, or
elected, or with some sort of notoriety of my own devising, I would take it
as a matter of daily business.
To me, a shining example of behaviour in front of the camera(media in
general) was Ken Starr; he was patient, civil and showed a great deal of
forebearance considering the pressure he was under. Whether you like or
dislike his politics or whether you abjured his task, he behaved
commendably.
I think the media perpetrates a lot of  the 'hostility' by noting
conspicuously when someone 'misbehaves', and totally ignores the many people
who, in the face of the public, are gracious and to some degree
accomodating.
I wonder if Dodi Fayhed, and Lady Diana Spencer had stopped- given a short
photo op and thwarted the frenzy that they might still be with us today; to
often, bad or circumspect behaviour plays into mankind's nature to be
curious. It is much like dangling a piece of string in front of a cat- they
will jump loops to get it, but if you just let it lay there, their interest
is not piquedn nearly as much.

For non-celebrities, I would think that I would approach the person, or
persons, and ask- much as I would like to be asked- if I might take a
photograph. At a recent "Christmas in July" festival in West Jefferson, NC
this worked well with me.... I hope to have some shots on my website soon!
Dan