....

[kaytieeldr]

Very probably, but it is the sort of behavior thats makes it easy for others with bad intention to hide behind.
I agree with the OP if you want a photo of a character then wait in line for your own, or take it during a parade.

What kind of bad intention would someone photographing a character - or scene, or event - which happens to include strangers' children have that needed to be hidden behind?

 

[Victoria3]

One time I saw a woman walk right up the exit for Santa Goofy and step in front of the family getting their pictures done.

People will do anything to avoid waiting in lines.

 

[SeilerBird]

I am a photographer and I have no children. I simply cannot understand parents who are paranoid about having their kids photographed. I am a wildlife photographer and the last thing I want to photograph are children. I don't even want to be near them. However, I have heard if you walk through New York City for a day you will be photographed 75 times on average. If you spend all day at WDW it is probably more times than that. There just isn't a way to insure absolutely no kids will accidentally be photographed. My advise to paranoid parents it you don't want your kids photographed either don't bring them, put a bag on their head or make them wear a mask. All any pedophile who wants photos of children has to do is Google "children". You will get millions of photos without fear of arrest or being hassled.

 

[sully&mike]

...........................

 

[GEM]

But, if she takes the photo she took of Aurora and uploads it to her social media without cropping our kids out...then our kids are on her social media. Our children's images are out of our span of control. ........

If this happened at a local playground - some stranger walked up to your child and snapped a photograph - would you not be concerned? Why is it that b/c it happened at Disney with a Meet & Greet Princess that makes it board-blessed and OK?

For what it's worth, I'm a mom myself and no....neither of the situations you mentioned...at Disney or at a park...would bother me. If someone was asking for personal information, getting too physically close to my child, etc. that would be different. But, I guess I don't really get why anyone particularly cares if your child's image is out there on someone's facebook account or instagram if they don't include your child's name, where they live, or other personal information. I may be the odd one, but it doesn't bother or concern me in the least. A picture without any attached information is harmless to my kid.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

If this happened at a local playground - some stranger walked up to your child and snapped a photograph - would you not be concerned?

You should be concerned in that circumstance. but this is not the same thing. People DO take photographs of the characters in this manner and it doesn't even matter to them whether the child is there or not. the CM even told you that it happens often and they can do nothing about it. It's also possible that your child is in other photographs that people are taking and posting on social media. If anyone were specifically looking at the photo to see a child, they would see them in that situation as well, whether they are in the "foreground" of the photo or not.

 

[angierae]

For what it's worth, I'm a mom myself and no....neither of the situations you mentioned...at Disney or at a park...would bother me. If someone was asking for personal information, getting too physically close to my child, etc. that would be different. But, I guess I don't really get why anyone particularly cares if your child's image is out there on someone's facebook account or instagram if they don't include your child's name, where they live, or other personal information. I may be the odd one, but it doesn't bother or concern me in the least. A picture without any attached information is harmless to my kid.

Exactly. That image alone is just that ... an image of a random kid. No one is even going to think twice about it.

 

[RaelynnsMommy]

Never had this happen to me but I would be mad I don't like the idea of a random person having pictures of my child.

 

[jtowntoflorida]

...
I'm sure that she meant no malice. But, if she takes the photo she took of Aurora and uploads it to her social media without cropping our kids out...then our kids are on her social media. Our children's images are out of our span of control. ...

OK, so what are you afraid is going to happen? Presumably, these people and their FB friends don't know anything about your child, other than that they exist and what they look like. They don't know the child's name, or where they live, or anything else about them. How is a stranger looking at a picture of an unknown child any different than your child being seen out in public by strangers? I'm genuinely curious, because I know there are other people out there who feel the same way, but I don't get the reasoning. The photos aren't inappropriate in any way, so I just don't understand the concern. Has a picture of your children ever wound up in your local paper, like for a school activity or sports? How do you feel about that?

 

[CookieGVB]

I see children's pics in their avatars here on the DIS; included in trip reports; etc. I can understand being annoyed if someone was competing for photo space while you were trying to get pics of your own child, but in Disney World the chances are good that you and your children will be in other people's pictures.

 

[jesse8931]

Never had this happen to me but I would be mad I don't like the idea of a random person having pictures of my child.

Then do not go to a theme park....

 

[Skywise]

I've done it myself several times.

Off the top of my head there's two character pictures I took including kids because of the character interactions themselves: One was Cinderella's evil step mother showing the child how to take a snooty picture for the camera (not me) and the other was a child asking Sleeping Beauty to show him where her finger had been pricked on the spindle.

There was one I took at the GF during Christmas of the Christmas tree with Mickey and Minnie in Victorian outfits and a coupla kids but I did it from a distance and while I was walking around taking other photos of the resort.

I really don't care about the children in the photos (though the first two I mentioned provide context for the photo) I'm usually shooting for atmosphere and experience and feel.

I'm actually sensitive to issues you point out as a photographer because it can be creepy. I keep my distance (even though I have a zoom lens), stay out of the way of the shot (it's not fair to interfere with your photos for mine... YOU stayed in line and it's YOUR family trip) and I try to limit it to one or two shots (and never use flash). If any parent complained (none ever have) I'd stop immediately and probably even offer to delete the photo. I certainly wouldn't continue taking photos which is downright rude (if not creepy) or get in your space (definitely creepy)

That's just basic etiquette of being a photographer.

 

[jesse8931]

The op is just a cry baby who thinks she owns world I deal with these kind of people on a daily basis and if they do not get the answer they are looking for they take there ball and go home....

 

[Laketravis]

I am a wildlife photographer and the last thing I want to photograph are children. I don't even want to be near them.

I know some kids you'd probably consider to be "wildlife"

 

[LBIJim]

No one is specifically taking photos of your kids. Your kids are mere distractions in the photos of the characters. No, in most cases I'm not going to wait in line to get an unobstructed picture.

If someone asked me to stop taking photos while their kid was with the character, I'd comply, but I wouldn't delete any pictures I had already taken. On the rare occasion I feel like posting a photo on social media, I'm not going to crop out any kids. Photo will be titiled "Mary Poppins with Some Random Kids Getting In the Way."

 

[mom2rtk]

Yep. Should have warned the OP. These threads never end well.

 

[cigar95]

Exactly. That image alone is just that ... an image of a random kid. No one is even going to think twice about it.

While this is the way *I* see it, there certainly are a good number of parents who are *highly* protective of their kids' images. It's not an isolated concern that can be brushed aside.

Maybe there's something that I'm missing, and one of these parents can explain what the issue is? Are there genuine dangers from images of "unidentified" children? I'm prepared to admit that younger parents may be dealing with issues I never did, or even considered.

 

[cheryl.UK]

Happens all the time at DLP, and I mean every time a character steps out from behind the scenes. However, this is because there is general chaos, standing in line and waiting your turn doesn't often happen. Parent's tend to just shove their child towards the character and take a shot so that you might get one child posing with the character and another simply grinning next to them. Almost all of my photos have a random child photobombing

 

[ArwenMarie]

Glad to help - you have to do this *instead* of loading them on the account yourself. They Can't help after you've already uploaded them. I found it extremely helpful after Jedi Training, which had tons more total photos than ETWB.

If I am understanding this correctly, this doesn't stop everyone else from getting the pictures of your kid though, right?

(Not that I am worried, just want to understand)

 

[Angel Ariel]

If I am understanding this correctly, this doesn't stop everyone else from getting the pictures of your kid though, right?

(Not that I am worried, just want to understand)

Correct. Anyone who takes the photopass card from ETWB (and I assume JTA) and uploads it directly to the website would get the photos of all participants of that show.