Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/09/24
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Any one who has worked news has found him/her self in situtitaions that are very uncomfortable to photograph in. I know there are times that I was working that had I been the subject I would not have wanted a camera there. Once I was photographing the scene where several high school kids had been killed in a horrible car wreck. Kids just out of school driving WAY to fast head on a mini van killing mom and kid in mini van and 2 of the 4 high school students in the car. The wreck had happened the day before and we were doing a follow up story on high school drivers as this was like the 3rd fatality wreck involving HS kids from that same school. I was shooting kids who had returned to the scene of the accident with a very long lens (400 with 1.4x) to try to stay as unobtrusive as possible...yes they knew I was there as I was in plain view...after a few minutes one of the kids said "Do you have to take our photos?!" I put my camera down and thought to myself...no I don't...got in my car and went back to the office. Admitidedly I already had what I needed but I probably would have stayed longer as I had burned only 10-15 frames. Sometimes the cost on your soul just isn't worth getting the photo..... On 9/24/99 7:57 PM Eric Welch wrote: >But likely that won't go that far, because >I'm not that kind of photographer. I do my job, but not to the point of >abusing a person. > >I do not consider ignoring a mother's request for not putting a picture in >the paper as abuse. If I did consider what I was about to do abuse, I >wouldn't do it, job or no job. I can't tell you how many times I've had a >policeman pull someone off me, or a colleague, and say "Ma'am (or Sir), >he's just doing his job, leave him alone." The press has to be free to tell >the story it deems necessary. Is there abuse in that? Unfortunately, yes. >But that's the price of freedom. Best regards, Harrison McClary email: harrison@mcclary.net http://www.mcclary.net preview my book: http://www.volmania.com