Photography Issues

[mikoyan29]

Yesterday I went down to one of my spots for boatwatching/photography after work. As I was pulling into the parking lot, I saw a bunch of trucks from the various news services. So I asked someone that was standing around what was going on and apparently someone fell off the Ambassador Bridge into the Detroit River. I didn't really think about it much although normaly I would take a picture of the Bridge but I didn't because you could see the scaffolding dangling.

Anyway, I did end up taking pictures of the various rescue craft that were either on the river or in the air. Is that particularly ghoulish? As I was taking pictures, one of the people from the group that apparently friends and family came up to me and asked if I was with the press. I said no and I told him that I was there to take pictures of the ships and pointed at the one that was creeping upriver. So then he said, "Well so and so fell off the bridge and his family is here...It would be nice if you weren't taking pictures....but if you must, can you move to the end of the park". So I moved to the end of the park.

Was I particularly wrong when I stuck around to continue what I was going to do? I wasn't taking pictures of the familiy and wasn't about to do that. Yes, I was taking pictures of the rescue craft but I would have stopped if they were pulling a body out. I don't know....part of me says I probably should have stopped but part of me says that I was staying out of the way and not taking pictures of particularly tragic things.

[Ginger Tea]

In their eyes anyone with a camera taking pictures and NOT press, could be taking pictures of their misfortune for unfair ghoulish gains, they don't know for sure that you would not take pictures of the body being recovered, so you being out of site is out of mind.

Say I was taking pictures of Kings Parade and there was a car accident when I already got there, but I decided "fuck it I was going to take a few shots of Kings, I'm here now, I'll do it regardles of the comotion behind me."

In no way am I even pointing my camera at the accident, just the University buildings, A> the police might just move me on anyway as with all onlookers, B> people will asume that I have or will take shots inbetween.

So, yes you were just going to take photo's of the bridge and a few passing boats, it just turns out that today, there was an accident (or otherwise) unfolding and people will just assume the worst.

[Kheldarson]

I dunno. This is a tough one. On the one hand, there's your interest, which from your posts on CS, is fairly legit. You like water and the things that go on around water from boats to bridges to wildlife. And frankly, how often do you catch rescue boats on the water?

On the other, I'm sure the family saw it as being sorta voyeuristic. They just had this tragedy and you, an outsider, are taking photos. That can seem kind of creepy. You might've said, "Taking pictures of boats is my hobby. I'm just taking a few of those boats there and then I'm gone. Sorry for your loss."

[mikoyan29]

The sad part is that as I looked at the local news site today, there was a more exploitive picture than anything I would ever take. They had a picture of the guy's brother sitting on a bench and praying or something.....

[mikoyan29]

I dunno. This is a tough one. On the one hand, there's your interest, which from your posts on CS, is fairly legit. You like water and the things that go on around water from boats to bridges to wildlife. And frankly, how often do you catch rescue boats on the water?

On the other, I'm sure the family saw it as being sorta voyeuristic. They just had this tragedy and you, an outsider, are taking photos. That can seem kind of creepy. You might've said, "Taking pictures of boats is my hobby. I'm just taking a few of those boats there and then I'm gone. Sorry for your loss."

That's basically what I told them.

When I take a picture, I ask myself if it is something that I would want to post on my blog....

[telecom_goddess]

The sad part is that as I looked at the local news site today, there was a more exploitive picture than anything I would ever take. They had a picture of the guy's brother sitting on a bench and praying or something.....

Yeah but the press took that shot....you expect that from them. I wouldn't expect that from someone like you, who is a hobbyist (photography is a hobby of mine too). I don't see where you did anything wrong myself. I probably would have done something similar and avoided the obvious shots of the disaster itself.

[Kheldarson]

Then you should've just done that. It was a personal request, but honestly, if you'd taken a few more pictures and left, would that've hurt anybody? Maybe your routine a little, but after getting the interesting shots, your normal pictures could've waited another day right?

[HYHYBT]

The press being the press doesn't make it any better...

I don't know. It wasn't really right to ask, but then again, hopefully they're not in that situation often enough to have really thought that sort of thing through, and your alternatives once they do ask are pretty much to go ahead and be nice and move on anyway, or else start up an argument.

[mikoyan29]

Then you should've just done that. It was a personal request, but honestly, if you'd taken a few more pictures and left, would that've hurt anybody? Maybe your routine a little, but after getting the interesting shots, your normal pictures could've waited another day right?

They did not say leave, they asked if I could move out of the way. One of the ships was heading to Duluth for winter lay up.

[mikoyan29]

And in case you are wondering...the pictures...And there's nothing gruesome in these...

http://michiganexposures.blogspot.co...side-park.html

http://michiganexposures.blogspot.co...er-blough.html

http://michiganexposures.blogspot.co...ten-again.html

[AdminAssistant]

Nothing gruesome, however, as the child of a First Responder, if you realize you're on the scene of an accident, you need to leave. In fact, had my father been there, he would have told you to leave. (My dad was the guy they sent after the media if they didn't leave after they'd been asked nicely.) There are a lot of people there trying to do a difficult job, plus worried family nearby. It's not a time to take pictures. It's extremely disrespectful. If you're really interested in seeing search & rescue equipment up close, ask your local departments. Most of the time, they're happy to give tours to people who are genuinely interested in what they do.

[Amanita]

I guess I'll risk a flaming here, but I don't think you were in the wrong. You weren't seeking out anything exploitive or morbid, you were making an effort NOT to take pics of anything that could be construed as such.

Personally, I would keep my distance from workers and family, but simply being there taking pics of other things isn't disrespectful in and of itself. In regards to photographing actual bad things happening, we can thank civilians who happened to be in the right place with cameras for many images we have of 9/11, not to mention other major events.

[jackfaire]

I had a similar situation, not on the same scale, but when I was a kid I got a new camera for Christmas and I took it to school I was so excited I was off in one part of the playground taking pictures, behind me far enough away I didn't hear it a kid fell off the jungle gym and hurt themselves. I kept taking pictures not knowing what was going on.

Then someone came up to me and asked me why I was being a jerk and taking pictures of the person who fell.

Apparently they failed to notice I was on the other side of the playground and facing the other way.

Sometimes it doesn't matter what you do. If you have a camera near something bad they assume your ghoul.

[mikoyan29]

I guess in retrospect, I probably didn't use the best judgement by sticking around to get the pictures I was looking for but I did move out of the way (it's a pretty big park), so I guess it's all good.

[protege]

Nothing gruesome, however, as the child of a First Responder, if you realize you're on the scene of an accident, you need to leave. In fact, had my father been there, he would have told you to leave.

Sometimes though, you *can't* leave.

A couple of years ago, the borough where I work, was tearing down an abandoned house...which was apparently a former crackhouse. The home had been bought by a contractor, who wanted to build a parking lot. During the course of several days, most of the building was taken down. Safety wasn't really a concern--debris would fall into the street, forcing vehicles to swerve, and pedestrians to run.

I'd already taken a few photos of the house coming down. I build models, and thought it would make an interesting scene on my model railroad. Plus, as there's a rail line 2 blocks from work, I usually have my camera in the car. But, I wasn't expecting what happened that day...

After the front of the house came down, the equipment started ripping down the back portion. One afternoon, as the crane was going over the former basement...one of the support beams snapped. Crane tipped over, and the bucket went through the upstairs wall of the neighboring house

Within a minute or two, the fire department and the police had the street blocked, and were trying to figure out what happened. I was never asked to leave...and even if I wanted to, I couldn't! There were fire trucks at both ends of the block, and the entire area was surrounded by caution tape.

That didn't stop a crowd gathering, many of whom took photos. In fact, I'd never seen as many mullets and missing teeth as I did on that day. Disasters seem to bring out the lookie-loos, and the camera phones. Yeah, I know I took a few pics of the aftermath. However, I was across the street, and I didn't get in the way of rescue personnel. At the time, nobody even cared about the photos. That night, quite a few were posted on the news stations' message boards...after questions were posed about the accident, and the stations couldn't provide pictures.