I mostly don't photogrpahy individuals but urban phenomena. On the  
occasions I have photographed people I have asked them and no-one has  
yet said no.

People didn't used to be paranoid about being photographed. I suggest  
that the reason they are now is mostly due to the media stirring up  
fear rather than any sense of rights in relation to privacy, even  
though that is what they might say...

Tina

Quoting David Crouch <[log in to unmask]>:

> Hi
> it is funny that discussions like these tend to work around notions   
> of power, control, `state work/oppression/suppresion`- such is   
> paranoia.
>
> and hardly bother to sense the feelings of individuals, families,   
> etc etc, who may feel uneasy about being photographed, for a whole   
> raft of reasons.
> David
>
> ________________________________________
> From: A forum for critical and radical geographers   
> [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Matt Collins   
> [[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: 05 September 2011 16:59
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: photographs in public places in UK
>
> Hi,
>
> There's a whole host of issues here, of course. To pick out a few...
>
> Informed consent - whilst the vast majority of research works on this
> model (imported, seemingly, from the medical sciences), you simply can't
> get informed consent from everyone if you're doing research in public
> spaces. Indeed, some universities have a clause in their ethics policy
> which reflects this (as mine did when I did my PhD), allowing you to do
> your research without trying to get informed consent from an entire
> city. In light of this, we have to ask ourselves whether or not our
> photographs can reasonably be expected to cause "harm" to those people
> in them, and proceed on that basis. And as Paul Williams just wrote,
> whether they may be exploiting the vulnerable. I would say that most of
> my research pictures - shots of crowds with some individuals
> distinguishable - could not be reasonably expected to cause any harm at
> all. I would also argue that if you want to take a picture of an
> individual for your research (close-up), then you ought to ask
> permission - there's much more likelihood of causing distress there.
>
> The right to withdraw from research - I don't see that this can be
> expected to apply to research on public spaces in the same way as other
> research. I would say that we have to accept, as a society, that to be
> in public means to appear before others (which is different from
> accepting state surveillance, which has no mutuality of appearance, a
> very different power relation). The only proviso I would add is that I'm
> assuming you're not going to be working to identify people in your
> pictures without their knowledge. Equally, if someone asks you to delete
> a photo, then do so. Whilst you can reasonably expect that photography
> won't cause 'distress', if it does, delete the picture and move on.
>
> Of course, the deeper issue here is that of what being "in public"
> means, which is perhaps a whole other debate.
>
> I think it's probably unfair to say that you can grab a camera and do
> what you like, at least in my experience. These are issues that will
> still be raised in the ethics review, with broad rules of behaviour
> subsequently set, but I think the best way to deal with them is to be
> sensitive to and observant of other's feelings when you're doing the
> actual research, on the ground. I've had some quite positive responses
> from the general public when taking photos in public space - people
> interested in what I'm doing or just happy to see someone taking an
> interest. I wonder if this is in part due to the fact that I was mainly
> operating outside London. Its levels of paranoia do seem to be markedly
> higher than those of other cities. I've actually never had a
> confrontation whilst taking pictures in public, and I wouldn't want
> others to be put off from it as a research method. I also wouldn't want
> to see the mission creep of the ethics boards destroy a valuable
> approach to cities and public spaces because it doesn't fit a standard
> model. I think as long as we're sane and sensitive about what we're
> doing we shouldn't worry.
>
> All the best,
>
> Matt-
>
> On 05/09/11 16:14, David Crouch wrote:
>> Hi
>>
>> in view of the manic ethical procedures for research practie in   
>> every other field [largely a v good thing] it is astounding that   
>> you can grab a camers and do what you like.
>>
>> interesting, worrying, worth a good debate- at least I`d hope   
>> professional-crit geographers would exercise good ethics
>> David
>> ________________________________________
>> From: A forum for critical and radical geographers   
>> [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Deb Ranjan Sinha   
>> [[log in to unmask]]
>> Sent: 31 August 2011 10:51
>> To: [log in to unmask]
>> Subject: Re: photographs in public places in UK
>>
>> while i am no lawyer, it should be OK according to this guideline:
>>
>> *Members of the public and the media do not need a permit to film or
>> photograph in public places and police have no power to stop them
>> filming or photographing incidents or police personnel.*
>>
>> http://www.met.police.uk/about/photography.htm
>>
>>
>> On Tue, Aug 30, 2011 at 6:40 PM, Adefemi Kingsley Adekunle
>> <[log in to unmask]>  wrote:
>>
>>> Does this apply to being stoppend and searched by the police?  Can you
>>> photo an officer who does that to you?
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_______________
Tina Richardson
PhD Researcher: Cultural Studies
School of Fine Art, History of Art & Cultural Studies
University of Leeds
blog: www.particulations.blogspot.com
collaboration: www.arcadespromenades.wordpress.com
twitter: www.twitter.com/concretepost