I left my home this morning in a state of agitation after having a minor snit with the missus. There was heavy fog in the harbor so I stopped to capture the scene to “minimalism”. I shot a picture through the limbs of a tree with the bike path in the scene and a bicyclist passed through the shot. It was not intended. The bicyclist turned around and asked me to delete the picture of her. She justified the ask by asserting she is a photographer. In my state, I reacted harshly. She stood there for a long time, annoying me even more. My reaction was wrong, especially since I had no intention of keeping or using the picture. It was unreasonable of me to impart my feelings onto her. Do I understand her objections? No. Would I have been offended if it was me in the photo? No. Thinking this through, it is sad that people are so hyper-sensitive to being photographed. There is so much abuse of and misuse of imagery today. There are a myriad of ways to morph an image of someone for illicit purposes. I believe this state of the photographic medium was the root of my reaction. I wish I could apologize, but I will never see her again. I did get a decent picture, not well focused, but its mood does not match how I felt when it was taken.
I’ve had similar reactions, though it’s usually about having someone’s home in a photo. I ensure I’m in public space as much as possible to avoid these situations but in cases where someone is part of a photo it’s a fine line for me. There may be legitimate reasons, such as a person’s trauma background or mental health. In general, it’s good to try to understand the point of view of another. But I can also react in a spiky manner too, especially when I know I’m not legally infringing. It’s understandable too that in a world of surveillance where privacy is not a given that people are sensitive. There’s another part of me that simply regards all of the world as scenery that’s transient and open to be recorded. In time, people vanish and photos may remain. Still, there are ethics to consider and a simple request for deletion. One reason I don’t get into the street a whole lot!
Agreed. The street can be dicey if you are not careful and mindful.
Your photo is so beautiful and ethereal in the fog. Try not to let the bicyclist ruin your artistic mood.
I was feeling gnarly!