Re: [Leica] Re: clandestine photographs of other people

[chefurka@sympatico.ca (Paul Chefurka)]

On Mon, 20 Sep 1999 17:22:41 -0700, Jim Brick
<jimbrick@photoaccess.com> wrote:

>This thread of how to take clandestine photographs of other people without
>getting beat-up, pops up over and over.
>
>Ted, Harrison, Tina, and others, are people photographers. But there is a
>purpose for their photographing these people. And Ted, Harrison, Tina, and
>the others are welcome into whatever the situation is.
>
>But those of you that "sneak" photographs of other people, or photograph
>other people's children at a playground... what is it that you do with
>these photographs? You cannot publish them, you would neither want to hang
>them on your wall, nor have a slide show. Or would you?
>
>I am not being facetious or argumentative. I simply would like to know. Is
>it possible to explain the use of the resulting photographs? I have no
>desire to do this kind of photography, therefore, without help, I cannot
>understand the motive involved.

In my case, I'm doing a photo essay on a very pleasant local
neighborhood park, called "Evening of the Everyday".  Its theme is the
various things people do in the park as the sun goes down.  So far I
have shots of an apres-wedding barbecue (bride and groom in full
regalia), kids fishing in the ponds with dipnets, a rollerblader
silhouetted against the setting sun, a kid in an electric toy truck
jammed up against a tree, men playing soccer, kids trying to throw
each other in the water, father and son fishing outings, etc. etc.
etc.

One of the features of this park is a playground, and I did get into a
problem there earlier in the summer shooting other fathers' children.
This has left me a bit gun shy, and I must admit that no photos from
that playground have made the final cut as of yet.

I don't think of myself as "sneaking" photos - I think of it as taking
candid pictures of life around me.  Plenty of people see me shoot, and
I don't try and hide my purpose from anyone (as if I could with a pair
of Leicas on my shoulders!)

The purpose?  It's twofold, actually.  The main one is to beat the
pants off other photogs in the Ottawa Camera Club's annual photo essay
competition.  The secondary one is to put the prints in a "brag book"
of their own for the edification of my friends, and maybe later when I
have more wall space they will figure in a private gallery.

Mostly, they're for me to look at - to provide reflection points on my
art, my craft, and how I think about the world around me.  No photo
you take is ever wasted if you think about it hard enough.

Paul Chefurka