Re: [Leica] Re:perceptions and street photography

["Paul Klingaman" <pklingaman@hotmail.com>]

I think Mark is right about photophiles, males in particular.  The 
perception of a man with a camera has changed greatly throughout the years.  
However...
(stepping up on soap box)

If you know in your heart that you are not a perv, and your intentions are 
pure, You should NEVER let your fear of what someone thinks of you hinder 
what you really want to do.  If you're just plain shy, that's one thing.  
Work at it, and it *will* get better.  However, if you decide not to lift up 
that camera just because you're afraid of looking like a perv, that's almost 
a sin.  No doubt getting candids of certain people might be easier for a 
woman, but hey...have you checked out corporate America lately?  It's no 
secret which gender has the upper hand there.  Bite your lip, swallow that 
lump in your throat and do it.  Take it like a man.  Before I get the 
flames, I'm not talking about making anyone feel uncomfortable here; only 
yourself, for the first few times.  You know the difference between right 
and, "too far."  In the latter case, back off and respect people's wishes.  
Maybe it's easier for me to say, because I'm a Gen-X'er, and I'm just 
expected to look like an indiot.  I do know that I worried about how I 
looked, what clothes I wore, and who I hung out with for four years of high 
school, and 5 1/2 more of college(yeah, yeah.  I know.)  I have finally 
broke free from those chains, and must look like a complete weirdo to 
everyone I point my camera at.  I JUST DON'T CARE.  The prints that hang on 
my apartment walls give me much more joy than looking normal ever did.  They 
are expressions of my true self.  Look pretty when you display the images, 
not when you make them.  Of course, the affirmation Mark suggests couldn't 
hurt, either.

(stepping down from soap box, ready to stop, drop and roll.)
- -Paul


>From: Mark Rabiner <mrabiner@concentric.net>
>Reply-To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
>To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
>Subject: Re: [Leica] Re:perceptions
>Date: Tue, 21 Sep 1999 10:53:34 -0700
>
>Anthony Atkielski wrote:
> ><Snip> ous.
> >
> > I almost never photograph people at all, much less children 
>specifically, for
> > the reasons discussed in this thread.  People always assume the worst.  
>I'd love
> > to be able to photograph people, but since just holding a camera makes 
>me a
> > suspect, that isn't possible.
> >
> >   -- Anthony
>
>The first few years I had my Voigtlander at 13 I would shoot snowdrifts and 
>fill
>up my Parents crystal with colored water lighted up from antique slide
>projectors dusted off from the basement. It was the mid Sixties and 
>photography
>was perceived of I thought as something to the kin of sniffing glue in your
>basement and playing with  you little chemistry set; Nerdy.
>Then Blowup came out and the Photographers image was transformed from Nerd 
>to Cool-guy.
>Now we are not longer Cool-guys but just a bunch of perverts or paparazzi.
>Affirmation technique: I'm not a pervert I'm a cool-guy! I'm not a pervert 
>I'm a
>cool-guy! I'm not a pervert I'm a cool-guy! I'm not a Nerd I'm a cool-guy! 
>I'm
>not a Nerd I'm a cool-guy! or gal.
>Mark Rabiner

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