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Well the article by Stephen Bayley in yesterday's Telegraph takes the biscuit as the grimest example of Britain's moral panic about photography that I've read in a long while...........

But thankfully I did find that The Telegraph had published a while back a piece so fantastic and refreshing in it's straight forward no nonsense uplifting attitude.......... that I was moved....... I have never read stuff quite like this ............ in a mainstream publication.......

It was music to my ears...... a mother fighting to say that having cameras near her kids or any other kids is most certainly not illegal and is not in anyway child abuse.........

"I also told him that he was mistaken: there is no law against using cameras around children, or indeed openly taking photographs of them. I know this because I investigated the subject, after a similar incident at a christening."

The parents want to take photographs at their children's Christening..... but the Priest is banning it due to 'Child Protection'........ but this mother, Jemima Lewis, is clear they are just ordinary folks....... the Priest is the one with the sick ideas in his head polluting an innocent event ...... such a lovely innocent event...... that they the parents and their friends just want to have keepsake photographs to remember the children as babies.............

It was fantastic and uplifting to read something from this perspective....... not from a fellow photographer...... something from the perspective of a mother striving for a reasonable attitude to photography..... around her children and the children of others.

Jemima Lewis thinks straight forwardly........... but her clear logical thinking is so rare in Britain on this issue........ that her views have to be labelled a personal view.

Shame....... but it is still fantastic to read it.......... thanks so much Jemima you made my day...... sure you are facing the grim moral panic about photography thats closing in on all of us ....... but you are making fantastic arguments as a mother against all this rot......... thank you :-))

I put this picture up....... not because it relates to children......... because it does not......... but because its not set up...... and is shot from real life...... I shot it in Washington Square in New York....... I was passing and I saw people in the fountain....... so next thing I am watching these women in the fountain using my large professional cameras........... they were unaware of me....... but no shining knight came to beat me up....... none of the sun bathers looking on saw anything to worry about........ there was nothing to worry about....... I made these pictures totally unmolested and without causing any reaction from any of the hundreds of people sunbathing ....... then when the women came out of the fountain I went up to them and showed them the pictures....... they were delighted....... they gave me their email addresses so later I sent them the pictures.

This is the kind of fun moment and beautiful image from real life that will be lost in Britain........... both because the people in the fountain would object and others would object for them...... This kind of simply observed thing will be and effectively is already ........ lost............ unless we start to think like the fantastic Jemima Lewis or like most Americans do about photography. We have to remember photography is not illegal and does not need prior permission........... and actually act knowing it is not illegal to make pictures in public places.

So lets hold on to that students......... :-)) to recap.......... Photography is not abuse. It is not abusive to make pictures in the public spaces in cities and streets even if children are around or in the pictures....... Reportage Photography of real life...... in real situations is simply not abuse.... or in anyway harmful...... or in any way illegal. There...... I've said it...... I feel better for that...... :-)) :-)) :-)) :-))

Cheers Jez XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

PS......... Paul I know....... I promise to pack it in tomorrow........ :-)) I think..... I'm off to the Harry Potter World Premier tomorrow...... maybe I will put up a pic of Harry, Hermione and Ron......... and stop ranting :-))

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Previous | Next :: Girls in Fountain : Washington Square : New York City | November 10, 2010, 9:48 pm