I Make People Nervous

I Make People Nervous
Photo-A-Day #1301

Sometimes when I haven’t had the time to take a picture I go and try out a photography skill that I need to improve. I need to improve my night time photography. I love the shots that people get of cars whizzing down the street and all you see are the taillights in a long straight line. I want to take that iconic shot of a highway at night with just lights in both directions. So I need to practice.

Tonight around 8:30 I went and put out the recycling and the trash. I took my tripod and set it up to take a few shots. I set it up on the side of the road and then I wanted another perspective so I made the tripod very short and took shots from ground level. I waited till I heard a car coming up the street and then shot the photo hoping to catch the car as it went by. On one of these passes a minivan came up the road, when I took the shot (I took it before they passed me, so they were behind me) they slowed down. Then the person went a little ways up the street and made a three point turn and drove by very slowly. When I looked over at the driver she sped up and drove away. A little while later I heard the car come creeping up behind me again. This time I turned to look and the driver sped up and drove away.

I’m such a menace.

I’ve got a busy weekend ahead. I have two videos to create, one for the IZEA Insiders position and another for the contest that starts on Saturday. Yes, another contest from The BenSpark. This time it is for some great products from Edge Tech Corp. You’ll have to wait till Saturday to find out what they are but it will be very easy to enter. Also this Saturday I’ll be mixing up a bunch of different Fry Sauces for the Ultimate Fry Sauce Recipe Contest. Sorry Stephen, yours did not make the cut.

16 thoughts on “I Make People Nervous”

  1. I would wave on the first pass, then specifically take their photo on the second. If they want to call the police, let them – you weren’t doing anything wrong.

    Photography isn’t a crime. 😉

    Night time photography is tough. I’m more paranoid of people at night rather than during the day. It also doesn’t help that I don’t have really fast lenses.

    Bryan Villarins last blog post..I love portraits – want your own?

  2. I can completely empathize with this article. Reaching out in snagging a picture from time to time does take well to take something that I don’t always have. My wife, who is a better photographer by a mile as compared myself, definitely seems to have less guilt or maybe it’s a lower level of discomfort at snagging pictures.

    She’s been actively taking pictures as a photographer for about 20 years now, where I’ve only really seriously dabbled with it for a couple years myself. This is a little ironic, as their many things that I don’t mind doing it all, that completely bugger out. But I still feel self-conscious when I take a picture in public when it involves anyone that I don’t no matter how close or far away they may be.

    brettbums last blog post..Talking head boxes with errors

  3. Bryan,
    You are certainly more adventurous as a photographer than I am. You capture some really amazing candid shots of people that I would certainly never have the guts to take. I feel like people will think some creepy guy is taking their picture.

    No, photography is not a crime. I’m just not a confrontation person or a person able to diffuse the situation with humor like you. Something I should work on.

    More night stuff tonight as we take Eva for her 1st walk about the neighborhood for Halloween.

  4. Brett,
    Exactly. I get nervous about taking pictures of people where a confrontation could occur. I’m not doing anything wrong and I’m not trying to portray anyone in a bad light. I should do some more with people though, that is a skill that scares me.

  5. Laurie,
    Thanks, I liked how the photo came out overall. And that person didn’t even live on the street. Who knows what was going through her mind.

  6. Maybe it was Google doing a drive by for their street view functionality on Google Maps.

    I have to admit that I was a little weirded out when I saw my own house in a cul de sac on Google’s street view.

  7. Brett,
    That could very well have been the case but I doubt it. No it was a suburban housewife in a minivan. I should check my street view just the same however.

  8. I was taking photos of a cell tower that was just off the road in an industrial park in Bourne. A policeman drove by and asked if I worked for the company. “No, just taking some photos.” He mentioned it was private property, I was done at that point, so we went on our way.

  9. Andrea,
    That is interesting. Were you on the property or were you on the road because that is not private property but I myself would not mix it up with the police over a photo.

  10. @Andrea,

    I think this covers that:

    “The copyright in an architectural work that has been constructed does not include the right to prevent the making, distributing, or public display of pictures, paintings, photographs, or other pictorial representations of the work, if the building in which the work is embodied is located in or ordinarily visible from a public place.” [17 U.S.C. 120 (a)]

    Bryan Villarins last blog post..Inverted parabola

  11. Bryan,
    I have to install Brian’s threaded comments plug in so you can talk with Andrea. Thanks for the info that is very useful stuff.

  12. Ben – sorry Willy has not been around. You must have been dropping on my cooking site and I have been concentrating on Hillbilly Willy site.

    Come over there and check me out. I am still using cooking site but not as much.

    Your dropping by is appreciated.

    Left you a recipe for the fry stuff. Not sure you will like it.

    Try me sometime on my brisket BBQ sauce from cooking website. it is really good.

    Where are you located.

    10-4 Willy

    Hillbilly Willys last blog post..Obama – Halloween or Presidential demeanor?

  13. Willy,
    I got your recipe, sounds good. I will make that tomorrow with the rest of them. It sounds tasty. I’ll have to make that Brisket sometime too. I’m in MA.

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