April Challenge DISCUSSION - Chiaroscuro

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Les the Scientist said:
I didn't think so myself, was just getting a bit worried that everyone so far had gone for b&w. :-D
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mine's in, and it's not black and white either. hope it fits the theme. taken on my mobile last night on the way home from the harbour view, walking along st peters riverside.
when i look through the pictures i took i feel very privileged to live where we do :-D

i have put a couple more pictures from my phone on facebook if anyone fancies seeing what i saw on the way home :lol:
 
lucky knickers said:
mine's in, and it's not black and white either. hope it fits the theme. taken on my mobile last night on the way home from the harbour view, walking along st peters riverside.
when i look through the pictures i took i feel very privileged to live where we do :-D

i have put a couple more pictures from my phone on facebook if anyone fancies seeing what i saw on the way home :lol:
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Go on then, quite like that pic of yours... looks like a HDR shot strangely.
 
That's mine in. Not too happy with it but I don't really have anything else to submit! Far too much work on and no time for play :cry:.

I did take some more traditional chiaroscuro portraits of the kids this month which I'm pleased with and had considered entering one of them, but on reflection decided it's probably not a good idea to post up photos of small children on a public forum. On the basis of previous competition entries, I get the impression most of us feel that way. It still helped me focus my mind on chiaroscuro which has been a useful learning exercise anyway. It is a technique particularly suited to portraits I think.
 
The Great Soprendo said:
I did take some more traditional chiaroscuro portraits of the kids this month which I'm pleased with and had considered entering one of them, but on reflection decided it's probably not a good idea to post up photos of small children on a public forum. On the basis of previous competition entries, I get the impression most of us feel that way. It still helped me focus my mind on chiaroscuro which has been a useful learning exercise anyway. It is a technique particularly suited to portraits I think.
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Its terrible that you feel unable to share pictutes of your children. Its appalling that the gutter press have instilled this fear of peadophiles watching/stalking our kids wherever we are. I have posted a pic of my daughter in one of the monthly comps, another in a different thread, theres nothing in them that could be considered "wrong" (apart from my technique maybe!) but I am happy to post pictures of her.
We are prohibited from taking photos of them in the school play, or running at sports day incase the pictures fall into the wrong hands. Utter rubbish - we are depriving our kids and ourselves of memories of the best days of their lives.
I love nothing more than snapping my daughter playing in the park, but the looks I get from other parents are shocking, sod them. Im a photographer not a paedo.
What Im trying to say is if you are proud of your photos share them.
Dont be put off by the shit you read in the papers and on the net.

Sorry for the rant but its something that really bugs me.
 
MaDMaCKeM said:
Its terrible that you feel unable to share pictutes of your children. Its appalling that the gutter press have instilled this fear of peadophiles watching/stalking our kids wherever we are. I have posted a pic of my daughter in one of the monthly comps, another in a different thread, theres nothing in them that could be considered "wrong" (apart from my technique maybe!) but I am happy to post pictures of her.
We are prohibited from taking photos of them in the school play, or running at sports day incase the pictures fall into the wrong hands. Utter rubbish - we are depriving our kids and ourselves of memories of the best days of their lives.
I love nothing more than snapping my daughter playing in the park, but the looks I get from other parents are shocking, sod them. Im a photographer not a paedo.
What Im trying to say is if you are proud of your photos share them.
Dont be put off by the shit you read in the papers and on the net.

Sorry for the rant but its something that really bugs me.
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Good post madmackem.
 
MaDMaCKeM said:
Its terrible that you feel unable to share pictutes of your children. Its appalling that the gutter press have instilled this fear of peadophiles watching/stalking our kids wherever we are. I have posted a pic of my daughter in one of the monthly comps, another in a different thread, theres nothing in them that could be considered "wrong" (apart from my technique maybe!) but I am happy to post pictures of her.
We are prohibited from taking photos of them in the school play, or running at sports day incase the pictures fall into the wrong hands. Utter rubbish - we are depriving our kids and ourselves of memories of the best days of their lives.
I love nothing more than snapping my daughter playing in the park, but the looks I get from other parents are shocking, sod them. Im a photographer not a paedo.
What Im trying to say is if you are proud of your photos share them.
Dont be put off by the shit you read in the papers and on the net.

Sorry for the rant but its something that really bugs me.
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No problem. I share your sentiments largely and it bugs me too that society has been conditioned to think that paedophiles are waiting around every corner for your kids. My natural tendency is trust that people aren't paedophiles (or racists, or anything else) unless I'm given a reason not to, and I don't live in fear of my kids being preyed on. Quite the opposite.

I'm glad to say their school/nursery has a trusting approach to school plays etc where photos are encouraged, though every parent has to sign a disclaimer at the start of the year saying they're happy for their kids to be photographed, and thankfully there are no objections so far in their classes.

With hindsight I should have been a bit clearer in my explanation. The photos in question had quite a bit of flesh showing - the kids had come out of the bath and were playing around in the nuddy, and while not revealing in any way, I just felt a bit awkward about publishing them (dead cert competition winners as well...but you'll just have to take my word for it ;)). I'd be happy to post pics of them in other contexts however as they are actually the subject of most of my photography...but these were probably just a bit too personal.

I too get funny looks snapping my kids in the playpark, even though I'm always careful not to take pics that include other people's kids. It's a terrible shame that you have to think like this. I'm sure Cartier-Bresson never had to deal with that kind of thing when taking brilliant pics like this:

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sorry - link won't work for some reason...look em up yourself if you need to!
 
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The Great Soprendo said:
I too get funny looks snapping my kids in the playpark, even though I'm always careful not to take pics that include other people's kids. It's a terrible shame that you have to think like this.
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I have never been questioned about taking pictures of children in the park, even in the paddling pool area.

I don't know why it has changed so much. At my children's primary school, they used to raise money selling videos of the christmas concert etc, and everyone took pictures at Sports Day, but I do know the local childminders have to have signed statements from parents saying whether they are happy for their child to be photographed or not and in what context etc

PS that cartier bresson photo didn't show.

PPS I too think it is more healthy to assume people are good rather than bad.
 
peachbum said:
I have never been questioned about taking pictures of children in the park, even in the paddling pool area.

I don't know why it has changed so much. At my children's primary school, they used to raise money selling videos of the christmas concert etc, and everyone took pictures at Sports Day, but I do know the local childminders have to have signed statements from parents saying whether they are happy for their child to be photographed or not and in what context etc

PS that cartier bresson photo didn't show.

PPS I too think it is more healthy to assume people are good rather than bad.
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Could well be down to being a woman. Although there have been a few high profile female paedophile convictions lately, I expect most of the fear will be of men, not women.
 
The Great Soprendo said:
With hindsight I should have been a bit clearer in my explanation. The photos in question had quite a bit of flesh showing - the kids had come out of the bath and were playing around in the nuddy, and while not revealing in any way, I just felt a bit awkward about publishing them (dead cert competition winners as well...but you'll just have to take my word for it ;)). I'd be happy to post pics of them in other contexts however as they are actually the subject of most of my photography...but these were probably just a bit too personal.


lol, yeah that makes a difference!
Glad to hear you're allowed to take pics at school/nursery, maybe one day people will realise how foolish they are. My daughters school wont allow it but sells dvds of plays etc but you are allowed to photograph them after the event :roll:- go figure.
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The Great Soprendo said:
Could well be down to being a woman. Although there have been a few high profile female paedophile convictions lately, I expect most of the fear will be of men, not women.
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Didn't actually think of that. Yes, you could well be right. I feel sorry for men if they feel (society makes them feel) that they are paedophiles.
 
MaDMaCKeM said:
Glad to hear you're allowed to take pics at school/nursery, maybe one day people will realise how foolish they are. My daughters school wont allow it but sells dvds of plays etc but you are allowed to photograph them after the event :roll:- go figure.
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I recently took my camera to my 6yo's football match (he plays for a team outside of school) and got approached by a bloke (who I had to assume was just another parent, rather than someone there to stalk small children) saying I wasn't allowed to take photos without all the parents' permission. Difficult to start arguing in such circumstances. It's sad that people are so negative and untrusting that they feel the need to do that.

I noticed recently that it's forbidden to take photographs in public swimming pools in Sunderland too, even of your own kids. How long before that extends to playparks, beaches etc?
 
The Great Soprendo said:
I recently took my camera to my 6yo's football match (he plays for a team outside of school) and got approached by a bloke (who I had to assume was just another parent, rather than someone there to stalk small children) saying I wasn't allowed to take photos without all the parents' permission. Difficult to start arguing in such circumstances. It's sad that people are so negative and untrusting that they feel the need to do that.

I noticed recently that it's forbidden to take photographs in public swimming pools in Sunderland too, even of your own kids. How long before that extends to playparks, beaches etc?
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When you're on private property you need permission to take photos.
When you're on public property you need no permission whatsoever. Even if you are photographing someone on private land - as long as you are on public land.
A while ago I was standing outside the entrance to the Bridges (Greggs end) waiting for my wife and daughter, I took a couple of snaps of people feeding the pigeons and was asked to stop by a security guard. He said he had been told to keep an eye on me because I had my slr hanging over my shoulder and had followed me through the shopping centre. He asked me what I was shooting so I told him, He advised me to go to the opposite end of the square as I was on private property and did not have permission to photograph on it, but I could from over there. Same subject different view!
I wasnt too bothered, his attitude was good but when I went back in with my wife we stopped at one of the barrows and two lasses with kids stood taking photos of each other and their kids with a compact and nowt was said!
I realise that its mainly anti terrorist views that stop you taking photos in places like this but would a terrorist draw attention to himself with an SLR and big lens or would he try to do it covertly with his phone?
My opinion now is I will take photos whenever I want unless there are signs saying no photgraphy. If I get asked from joe public in a public place then I will assess the situation, I've never been threatened yet with violence or the police, but if it happens I will be the one phoning the police.
 
MaDMaCKeM said:
When you're on private property you need permission to take photos.
When you're on public property you need no permission whatsoever. Even if you are photographing someone on private land - as long as you are on public land.
A while ago I was standing outside the entrance to the Bridges (Greggs end) waiting for my wife and daughter, I took a couple of snaps of people feeding the pigeons and was asked to stop by a security guard. He said he had been told to keep an eye on me because I had my slr hanging over my shoulder and had followed me through the shopping centre. He asked me what I was shooting so I told him, He advised me to go to the opposite end of the square as I was on private property and did not have permission to photograph on it, but I could from over there. Same subject different view!
I wasnt too bothered, his attitude was good but when I went back in with my wife we stopped at one of the barrows and two lasses with kids stood taking photos of each other and their kids with a compact and nowt was said!
I realise that its mainly anti terrorist views that stop you taking photos in places like this but would a terrorist draw attention to himself with an SLR and big lens or would he try to do it covertly with his phone?
My opinion now is I will take photos whenever I want unless there are signs saying no photgraphy. If I get asked from joe public in a public place then I will assess the situation, I've never been threatened yet with violence or the police, but if it happens I will be the one phoning the police.
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Completely agree.

It's a load of nonsense. If a terrorist was trying to recce an area, they could use a mobile phone camera, or else their eyes and a notepad. Presumably this imagery terrorist would just be casing out location of CCTV cameras etc., all of which will be available on Google Streetview.

And as for the whole business of taking pictures of kids, of course you need to be sensitive about taking pictures of kids you don't know, but then that's just manners. I think the suggestion that we have to worry about paedophiles snapping sports days etc. is just stupid. The sad fact is that paedophiles will know where to access indecent images - they don't need to record their own images of kids in innocuous situations. If I want porn then I'll Google 'lezzers' or whatever, not head out to Top Shop with my SLR.

One of my favourite things to do is wander around a city on my tod, taking pictures. There's bot all wrong with it.
 
not spavin said:
Completely agree.

It's a load of nonsense. If a terrorist was trying to recce an area, they could use a mobile phone camera, or else their eyes and a notepad. Presumably this imagery terrorist would just be casing out location of CCTV cameras etc., all of which will be available on Google Streetview.

And as for the whole business of taking pictures of kids, of course you need to be sensitive about taking pictures of kids you don't know, but then that's just manners. I think the suggestion that we have to worry about paedophiles snapping sports days etc. is just stupid. The sad fact is that paedophiles will know where to access indecent images - they don't need to record their own images of kids in innocuous situations. If I want porn then I'll Google 'lezzers' or whatever, not head out to Top Shop with my SLR.

One of my favourite things to do is wander around a city on my tod, taking pictures. There's bot all wrong with it.
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I just Googled 'lezzers' on your advice. I'm not happy.

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