Re: [Leica] Street photography

[Ted Grant <tedgrant@home.com>]

Chuck Albertson wrote:
> 
> I was photographing the Last Demo in the waning days of the WTO debacle,
> when one of the demonstrators accosted me and demanded to know if I was a
> cop (nope). Then, was I a member of the news media? (No, again.) Then, what
> was I doing taking all those pictures?
> 
> I gave her my demented Peter Sellers grin and said, "I like to watch." I got
> a disgusted look, and wasn't bothered after that.<<<<<<<<<<

Hi Chuck,
Along similar lines during a protest and me hung with two M6's around
neck on chest, an R7 with motor and 280 on left shoulder and on the
right an R7 with 15. Great in the push and shove of demos, like you are
really in the thick of it when you fill the frame with a 15. :-)

Early into the demo, several of the folks would come along and try to
push their hand out paper work on me and I kept refusing to take it. 
Finally a kind of burly built female of some stature accosted me with,
"Hey what the hell you doin' with all the cameras? Who you takin'
pictures for?" 

I said, "Is it necessary you know?" smiled and went on with my
assignment picture taking. She blurted something which I didn't respond to.

As part one of the demo wound down and became a massive parade, the same
gal is back on my case. "Hey you one of them  secret cops like the Red
Coats?" (meaning Mounties)   And she became more belligerent with the
words. (unrepeatable here) So I put the 280 camera onto shoulder, as for
one fleeting moment I thought I should just whack her with it once! :-) 
 hey it could've been police brutality!;-)

I said, "Excuse me Miss look at me, I'm a senior citizen out for some
picture taking of exciting times in a peoples demonstration.  And if you
look closer, you'll see I'm wearing hearing aids. Doesn't this image
tell you something about me not being a police officer?" 

"I guess you're not, you do look kind of old to be a pig." and away she
went swinging her demo sign in the air.  Not the end of story. I join
the parade and continue shooting to the Legislative buildings where an
even bigger demo is forming.

When I get there, the first person I talk to is a buddy motorcycle
traffic  officer on the who is an excellent photographer. So we're in
heavy discussion about photography when lo and behold who walks up but
BIG  miss goodie two shoes,. "So you're not a f....ing cop eh!" 
Bullsh--t, you f.........ing cops are all alike!" I hope all your
pictures don't turn out!"  

And she stomped away still waving her sign.  Police officer buddy said,
"What the hell was all that about?"  "You don't want to know!" :-)
ted