I don’t normally consider myself a photographer but this last week I turned into one.
I was on my way back home from Lake Charles LA. to Dallas. I decided to take a new route that I had never taken before. It was a nondescript highway that shoots from TXHW 69 to I-45. The highway I refer to is Tx-105.
Anyway, the highway itself was a nice drive. It was very scenic. Lots of trees and lots of old buildings that look like they came right out of the 19th century. (Even the Cut & Shoot police station)
My sons and I were in no hurry to get home so we found ourselves pulling over to take lots of pictures. One thing that gave my sons and I a tickle was an old cowboy we saw standing on the side of the road. He came complete with cowboy hat and cowboy boots and a big ol’ belt buckle. With him he had a horse along with a sign that read: “Horse for sale”
So we pulled over and asked the guy if we could take his picture. He was real nice, he said “Sure, go right ahead”. He even posed with my two sons.
All this left me wondering; how many people would pose for a picture for a random stranger? Would you?
I ask, because this recent picture taking event was quite fun. In fact, I think I may have found myself a new hobby. My Christmas present to myself this year will probably be a fancy schmancy camera of some sort.
Having lived in isolated, foreign places (Albania, Afghanistan) I’ve had several people ask to take my picture and I always happily oblige. I guess they just want a photo of a “westerner.”
A few months ago my wife’s grandfather was making a trip to DC with a bunch of fellow WWII veterans, and my wife asked me to meet up with them at the WWII memorial in my (USAF) service dress. She dolled our kids up in their little sailor suits. I ended up getting there way early, and had to mill around for an hour or so. In my service dress. At the WWII memorial. With my 2 year old daughter in a sailor suit.
I was thoroughly photographed. Most people just snapped away, some tried to do it when I wasn’t looking, and only one woman came up and asked, but she requested certain poses.
I didn’t really mind, although I’m an introvert and hate getting attention. I look damn good in uniform and my daughter’s as cute as a button, so I understood
I don’t know. I have been * asked * for my picture before, by totally obviously pervy people. I have * also* been asked to take a picture of someone - you know, tourists - but they never have asked me to be in it. But I have * never *been asked to have a picture of myself with a stranger that wasn’t obviously pervy. So I can’t say, not having had that experience.
Now, if they said, “We want a picture with you!” I might not mind that as much, and would agree to that. It’s the “You stand by yourself and I’ll take a picture of you” that smacks as seriously pervy. And kind of…attention-whorish to say the least (of me) to let them do it.
Depends on the circumstances. If I were doing something that was inherently picturesque (a la said cowboy), I’d probably say okay. If I feel the picture is being taken for less-than-savory reasons, I’d probably refuse.
I used to work in the dealer room at comic book conventions. At the time, females were in short supply at these events, and I’d usually dress fairly provocatively to attract customers to our booth. I wouldn’t mind if someone took my picture, but if they asked me to pose, I’d either refuse or ask for a $5 “modeling fee.” Why? Because they’d most likely be using it for wank fodder, and I don’t really like the notion that someone is using a pic of me like that. :eek:
And it’s not as though I’m unaware that these things happen. Hell, I know it’s happened. But I’d rather at least choose when to be an active participant in someone else’s wankfest.
I’m in the SCA so I regularly dress up in armour and whack my friends with sticks at apublic park during the summer so it happens fairly regularly. I don’t have any problems with it. I wouldn’t pose in a way I felt uncomportable about though.
This past Halloween I dressed up as Jesus and it was a pretty good costume if I do say so myself. I was stopped at least 20 times for people to have their pictures taken with me. (no exaggeration) I didn’t have any problem with it.
I do normally avoid pictures though. If someone stopped me on the street when I’m in normal clothes and asked to take my picture I would probably be just as likely to politely refuse.
I was at Disneyland wearing a big yellow and black hat with bells on it, with a matching shirt. Two Japanese tourists took a picture with me.
I’m a photographer myself, I also like having my picture taken. (It just doesn’t happen all that often.
Yes, without hesitation. When I was a Civil War reenactor, I was photographed with some regularity, although I never had the impression that it was for anyone’s wanking material. Y’know, sweaty blue wool and gunpowder stains just aren’t a turn-on for most folk.
I have been asked, as a foreigner and only white girl for miles, by complete strangers.
I was uncomfortable at first, my Chinese friend just shrugged so I let them. And it happened on and off through our journey.
At one point, we were lost in a tea plantation in Malaysia, and a carload of teenage boys driving by spied us and came a long way out of their way, down dodgy roads, to ‘chat’ with us.
Of course they wanted a photo with me. One after another, I politely obliged.
As soon as they started to drive off my Chinese girl friend turned and said, “You know they’re all going to tell everyone they slept with you!”
And so ended my short lived career as hapless model of white womanhood!
In China, I personally had at least one daily request which I obliged. Our kids, on the other hand, were rock stars. At one point in Baha’i park, we were running on the trails fleeing from large tour groups full of Chinese who wanted to have pictures with the kids. It was the closest I have ever felt to being a Beatle.
