I recently took my daughter for a walk down a road where I used to babysit for one of my high school teachers. Ms. J is what we called her and she was my art teacher. She was the coolest! Her house was a street over from a park and the park like setting continued blocks out from it's diameter. I have wanted to take a walk on this street like I used to and decided to put the girls (our chi's) in the car and drag my daughter with me. I grabbed my camera just in case I saw some potential photos to be taken. As we walked you could hear the wind's breeze through the trees. It was wonderful! I took some pictures of this and that as Sophie was pulling me along. Some of my photo's are blurry because of that. As we made our way to the street along the park, a black Tahoe stopped and rolled it's window down. The woman inside asked me if I was a photographer. I didn't think anything about it, because quite frankly I am asked that quite often; I always have my camera with me and take pictures of things ~ don't you? I explained to her that no, I wasn't a photographer. I just took pictures for my blog. She asked me what blog? I told her it was just a personal blog. She asked me the name of it. I recall now that I am thinking about it, I didn't tell her. She asked me my name and I did tell her that. I explained to her that I used to babysit for one of my teachers. Anyways, to make a long story short, she started to ask me question after question. At first I thought she was just being nice and striking up a conversation. As she continued, she told me that she seen me take a picture of her house and was wondering what I was doing. That is when she showed that she had a little attitude. My daughter then spoke up rather loudly, "Look, my mom just likes to take pictures. She doesn't mean anything by it." It was then I realized the woman had literally jumped into her car looking for me and really just wanted some answers. It kinda shook me up and stuck with me for two days. It made me wonder what if someone had taken some pictures of my house, and what would have ran through my head. How would have I reacted? I had zoomed in on what attracted my eye, but to a person watching me, it looked as if I was taking pictures of their house... and I guess I was. I really didn't mean anything by it, but now I find myself hesitating and a little reluctant to take a picture. wahh*
I'm sorry that this attitiude has prevailed in your neck of the woods too. England is so over run with CCTV that it has started to make people resentful and paranoid. Most confrontations are disarmed with openess and a smile but increasingly I find myself hiding my camera like a guilty secret.
ReplyDeleteGreat photos,
ReplyDeleteIt is too bad that some of us have gotten a tad bit paranoid. I bet you were really taken aback to be considered a potential danger to anyone.
Too bad that woman didn't take time to get to know you. She would have loved you as much as we all do.
Huzzah for your daughter's response. She will protect her mother, no matter what.
Keep on taking those photos.
this happened to a friend of mine too, sigh ... really at the end of the day, i understand the need for privacy but if someone took a photo of something in my yard, it really wouldn't bother me ~ our yards are pretty public if they can be seen while walking. i would never publish a photo of someone's license plate or identify where exactly someone lived ... but to capture beauty is a compliment i think ...
ReplyDeletesorry this happened to you, i think you handled it beautifully. xo
I am sorry about this I have to admit I am glad that your daughter was with you! I have been trying to be careful of what photos I take and put on the blog it's a shame. you have a great eye for capturing unique things with the lens don't let one persons paranoia take that away from you.
ReplyDeletelove you bunches
Hugs
Tia
Oh the dangers of needing pictures for our blogs.
ReplyDeleteI'm feeling those emotions as I read your re-count of the story.
Yeah for Diandra... You little watch dog..
I take my camera when I walk Molly and now I will be a little more careful whose yard I'm pointing at...usually it's just to get a lovely flower.
I have to agree with Jack..wish she had taken the time to visit with you, she would have loved you and invited you in to take picture inside.
Love and Hugs
Wanda Mom
They are beautiful photos... it's hardly surprising these elements caught your attention.
ReplyDeleteI do wonder that people decorate their homes and then question when people are attracted to them!!
And you chatting away without even realising the person was annoyed. It shows what a genuine person you are.
My reaction was the same when a local TV station kept coming to the house we lived in--a new home in a new subdivision--and shooting film. I finally went out and asked what they were doing and they were shooting film for an advertisement and they used our house (probably since it was the only one with the landscaping finished) as the photo for, "and the yards are beautifully landscaped!" on their ad. That was okay with me, but since we were the 7th house built there, I'd learned to be a little cautious. I didn't want any reference to my house number or street to show up and they respected that, so I was fine with it.
ReplyDeleteYour questioner may have had her identity stolen or something or a house broken into. She may have had someone stalking her or something else horrid happen and she has learned to be cautious.
You can come take pictures here and stay here even, but I'd cut her some slack and just figure she's had a bad experience. Oh, and Angela, take photos, Please take photos!
Thank you for the comments! I have read and re-read them over and over.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your insights and encouragement about this matter.
Sign of the times!
ReplyDeleteMaybe someday, if we all try to make it better, it will be as it was "back in the day".
Don't put that camera down for very long. You have a real talent for putting life into your pictures. My coffee table is still waiting for that book of artful photographs.
Yayyy for D!
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