I’m also a father of two young children and I can’t understand the attitude that people had about your kids being photographed. Where is the harm?

As for the Dan’s work, it’s great, but that’s because you are seeing the finished product. When he’s taking the photo I’m sure he looks like a “creeper” just like anyone else.

LR4 spiral bound would be cool!

I love the Grid – never miss an episode. I have always learned something from each and every one. But, I never felt the need to leave a comment until I watched Episode number 55 regarding street photography. Rights and laws come to the forefront when talking “street photography”. You can check with the esteemed Ed Greenburg and any other attorney you wish, but I (as do we all) have a RIGHT to photograph anything and anyone when in a PUBLIC place. Period. The are exceptions such as a public restroom, a hospital emergency ward, etc., where people have a reasonable expectation of privacy.

I can go to a public park or playground or public street and photograph children ’till the cows come home and be perfectly within my legal rights. And anyone who attempts to, as Kalebra stated, “vaporize my camera” will find themselves in a crap storm they could never envision.

I would like to ad a quote from a person named Wigwam Jones who posted this on a website on 3/25/2007 – his words in quotes:

“Photography *is* expression, no different than speech, poetry, prose, sculpture, cartooning, and so on. Photography serves many purposes that are beneficial to society, including being a powerful tool of the media, who supposedly occupy a sanctified place as a watchdog of the people, among other functions.

And although it sounds petty and small to demand my right to take a photograph of a child whose parents object – this is simply the point of the spear. This is where the test is made on a daily basis. Do we or do we not have the right to take photographs in public?

My concern has been, and remains, the approach to this issue that appears to submit to laws that do not exist.

That is, a parent objects to a child being photographed, and we capitulate. That is all well and good for oneself. But those among us who practice this also seem quite content to pass that prohibition on to all photographers. It does not faze them at all that ‘feelings’ are not laws.

I respect the fears of parents, even the ones I consider unreasonable. And depending on the circumstances, I may shrug and move on without objection when asked to stop taking photographs by a parent.

But I will not, I cannot, give in to demands that I delete my photos, show them to a ‘concerned parent’, identify myself, tell them what purpose I am going to put the photographs to, and so on. Nor will I willingly surrender my property to a law enforcement officer without a valid search warrant being served on me. If it is to be a search incident to a lawful apprehension, then let’s get on with the arrest. Let’s make it all nice and legal – you arrest me and take my stuff, and then yes, we let the lawyers sort it all out.

Perhaps it is not meant for everyone to rave and rant about rights. Perhaps it is enough that a certain lunatic fringe keep pushing at the edges, making sure the tent stays up for everyone who finds it all very tedious and not worth the trouble. No problem, I enjoy the animating contest of liberty.”

I could be wrong but the impression I got from the Grid episode was that photographing children in a public place should be banned as well as photographing women in a public place.

Jay Maisel was mentioned as well as other street photogs. Jay has taken thousands of photos many of which involve children and women on the streets of NYC and other places. Are we going to tell Jay and/or Dan Steinhardt that they cannot photograph women and children in public places? Or does one have to be well-known and published to be “trusted” to take a child’s photo.

For the record, I’m not a street photographer and have no interest in taking photos of children but with the attitudes and opinions expressed on episode 55 we may be embarking upon a trip to eventually ban all street, and perhaps other types of photography, in the future.

A very interesting perspective on street photography!

I always wanted to have “the guts” to shoot people on the street. Now I have some additional info on that.

1- I don’t need to get a small Fuji-can’t-focus camera! I won’t scare people with my dSLR.

2- This creepy factor has to be watched out.

The question that came to my mind when it was mentioned “how the photographer looks like matters. So if it’s Jeremy Cowart taking the picture, would most of the people be fine with it?