SCENE.—A pleasant summer afternoon. MAN is in the Drummers’ Grove in Prospect Park, kneeling near the performers and taking photographs whilst enjoying the music. He can see a half-dozen other people with cameras basking in the scene. A young woman, hereafter known as DWIGHT K. SCHRUTE, briskly approaches the MAN.
DWIGHT K. SCHRUTE. You can’t take pictures here without permission.
MAN [pats the grass]. I thought I was in the park. This is a public space.
SCHRUTE [looks shocked]. You can’t take pictures here because you are being disrespectful!
MAN. I’m not being disrespectful. I’m enjoying the music and I’m taking pictures and you haven’t even asked me what they’re for.
SCHRUTE. You are being disrespectful. You are disrespecting our culture. Do you want to take this to the cops?
MAN. Why, yes.
(MAN and SCHRUTE begin walking to a nearby fence where two policemen are perched.)
SCHRUTE. You can’t just come here from another country and disrespect our culture by taking pictures. You don’t know our culture, you don’t understand our culture.
MAN. Um, I live just over the other side of the park. I’m not disrespecting you or the performers. Why do you think it’s disrespectful to take people’s photographs?
SCHRUTE. It’s disrespectful to take people’s pictures without permission. The vendors pay for this space. You can’t take pictures here without our permission.
(MAN and SCHRUTE reach the policemen.)
SCHRUTE. He is taking pictures over here without permission and he is being disrespectful.
POLICEMAN NO. 1 [shrugs his shoulders] It’s a cultural thing.
INSANELY HANDSOME POLICEMAN NO. 2 [gestures toward the drummers’ circle]. These are good people.
SCHRUTE. It’s disrespectful!
MAN. I didn’t mean to be disrespectful to anyone. I’m enjoying the music and taking pictures.
SCHRUTE. We pay for this space. You have to ask permission to take pictures. [points at MAN] You can’t take pictures of the performers or our vendors without their permission.
MAN. I thought this was a public space.
POLICEMAN NO. 1. Yeah, you’re in a public space, but you can’t take people’s pictures.
[pause]
MAN. OK.
SCHRUTE. You come to me and you ask me if you want to take pictures.
MAN. OK, well, give me your phone number or your e-mail address and in future I’ll do that.
SCHRUTE. Here’s my business card. Now give me your card.
MAN. I have a variety of different picture cards and you can pick the one you like best. [Fans out his business cards and offers them to SCHRUTE] Do you want to choose one?
SCHRUTE. I don’t care.
MAN. Here’s one with a photograph of the Botanic Gardens. I’m sorry that you think I’ve disrespected you.
[silence]
MAN. Thank you for your understanding. [to POLICEMEN] And thank you for making things clear.
THE END.
Postscript: It’s funny that this little encounter happened the day after the Mermaid Parade, where I was appalled by the obnoxious, arrogant, and physically abusive—in a word, disrespectful—behaviour of many of the photographers. Too many photographers feel that simply holding a camera gives them carte blanche to show a complete lack of courtesy to people who just brought their eyes. And the professionals are worse than the amateurs. A friend reported a too-typical example: a photographer shoved him and then said, by way of explanation, “Listen, I’m working here.”
So the etiquette of public photography has definitely been on my mind this weekend. I know what my rights are, but what are my responsibilities? Generally, if I’m taking pictures of an individual or a small group, I’ll hold up the camera to signify that I’m about to take the pictures; if anyone says “No” or turns away, I automatically put my camera down. In the Drummers’ Circle, among scores of musicians and a hundred or so spectators, I didn’t take that precaution. At public events such as this one or the Mermaid Parade, I also take pains never to obstruct anyone’s line of vision just to get a better shot.
Photographers’ and non-photographers’ thoughts are more than welcome.
Labels: Brooklyn, Drummers Circle, photography, Prospect Park, public space, summer, Sunday
Tuesday night saw the Hanukkah lighting ceremony at Grand Army Plaza. According to the Brooklyn Paper a competing ceremony was held at Borough Hall, WHERE THE MENORAH WAS ONE FOOT HIGHER (PWNED!).
Click on the image to open the large version. The top picture is PC format and the bottom for the wider screen Mac.
