Are people really that worried about being photographed in public places?

[bcla]

Kind of a random thought for the day. However, I’ve been in a situation where I was just minding my own business checking on someone on my iPhone when some cratchety old guy is yelling at me about all manner of things, including accusing me of taking photos of him. I really didn’t, but it was none of his business and it was a public place with no expectation of privacy.

One time I was at a sit-down restaurant with my kid and we’re just having lunch. My wife worries about eating enough and I’ll typically take photos. I might have taken one, just of my kid eating. But at the next table over, another customer just turns around and asks if I’m taking photos of her. I wasn’t, and my device would have had its camera pointed down at the table anyways, the way I was holding it. It didn’t go any further after I said no, but it seemed really odd. I did previously take one photo where the back of her head was incidentally in the photo, but I’d hate to think that I need permission to take a photo of my child in a public place. I’m frankly what made her think she was interesting enough that I’d be surreptitiously taking photos of her.

 

[Jangles]

I think many people are particularly cautious of others taking photographs around children, particularly at seasides, parks etc., and in truth few sane people want to inadvertently find themselves TikTok worldwide ‘stars’.
For better or worse, it’s the world we now live in.

 

[amcnj]

So many photos are taken now, all the time and everywhere, and some people get worried about their photo ending up online with the potential to be used for who knows what. Coupled with facial recognition concerns, they are way more conscious of being in photos taken by others.

I try to avoid capturing others, after all I really don’t want them in my photo! But many times it is impossible to avoid it. I have never confronted someone about snapping a photo in my vicinity. If I see someone taking a photo I assume that they really don’t want me included either, so do try to stay out of the way. But again, not always possible.

 

[Dan Murphy]

I'm not worried at all.

 

[tinkerbellandpeterpan]

No.

 

[_19disnA]

Doesn't bother me at all. If you are in any public setting, virutally everyone nowadays has a phone with a camera. I coud care less if some random person happens to take a picture that I might be part of.

 

[kdonnel]

If I notice people in front of me taking selfies where I might end up in the background I start making faces or doing stupid stuff hoping it gets captured in the photos.


Hopefully I have made people laugh, or at least ruined their picture if not.

 

[sam_gordon]

We've had discussions on here in the past where posters have said they'll ask someone to not take pictures with their kid in the background or ask someone to delete said picture.

But, as you correctly point out, there's no expectation of privacy when in public, and photos are allowed.

 

[nw6675]

I thought this was going to be about the anti-paparazzi scarf that ruins flash photography.

 

[BrianL]

I was just at WDW. I guarantee you that I ended up in a few people's pictures. I do generally try to be polite and stay out of them, but it's not because I care if they photograph me - even when I look ragged from 12 hours of theme-parking!

 

[goofyernmost]

In a country where paranoia reins supreme one can figure that a lot of people might be bothered by it. However, as stated, the idea that you think you can be completely sheltered from random photos taken by people you don't even know has a threat factor of minus 1000 especially in a theme park. Relax even without a camera everyone you come in contact with CAN SEE YOU. And on top of that if you weren't in the picture the don't give a damn factor would be really high. It's that the you got peanut butter on my chocolate/you got chocolate on my peanut butter syndrome will be your worst enemy. Now someone taking pictures of you at a nude beach should be a cause for extreme concern. Other than that just remember that 99.9999999% of the population doesn't know you and truly wish you weren't in their family picture. In other words... Lighten up Francis!

 

[_19disnA]

I have seen signs on occasion at the entrance to a Disney park that filming for a movie/TV show was taking place so people are aware of that. Perhaps if you are in the witness protection program that sort of thing probably matters to you more then the general public. If you are at a Disney theme park or attending any type of sporting event with thousands of other people, probably good to realize some will be taking pictures.

 

[Traveling on cc points]

People should assume every single time they leave their homes that they are being filmed in one way or another.
There are security/traffic cams everywhere. Never mind people and their cellphones.

Where I live there are gates with cameras attached that you have to scan your gate card to open it so every single day this I leave my home in my car I am being photographed.
It is just the world we live in now.

 

[soccerdad72]

I honestly don't give it any thought.

 

[MamaMermaid]

I really don't care.

 

[RamblingMad]

Cameras are everywhere.

 

[bcla]

I do remember once I was at a restaurant that had numerous picnic style tables with bench seating. I just wanted to watch a football game while there. But it’s more or less communal style and a very large family group filled in around me. I had nowhere else to go and who was I to tell them not to sit near me. They did mention they’d be taking photos and even asked me to smile once for the camera, but for the most part I acted like I was the furniture. I was thinking that maybe someone would see one of those photos and ask “Who’s this guy?”

 

[leahgoogle]

Nope, I don't worry about it at all.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Kind of a random thought for the day. However, I’ve been in a situation where I was just minding my own business checking on someone on my iPhone when some cratchety old guy is yelling at me about all manner of things, including accusing me of taking photos of him. I really didn’t, but it was none of his business and it was a public place with no expectation of privacy.

One time I was at a sit-down restaurant with my kid and we’re just having lunch. My wife worries about eating enough and I’ll typically take photos. I might have taken one, just of my kid eating. But at the next table over, another customer just turns around and asks if I’m taking photos of her. I wasn’t, and my device would have had its camera pointed down at the table anyways, the way I was holding it. It didn’t go any further after I said no, but it seemed really odd. I did previously take one photo where the back of her head was incidentally in the photo, but I’d hate to think that I need permission to take a photo of my child in a public place. I’m frankly what made her think she was interesting enough that I’d be surreptitiously taking photos of her.

This made me laugh, why do people think they are important enough for anyone else to care about? I get that our data is valuable because it can be grouped but us as individual people living our lives or just having a meal, nahhh. I barely care about some things I am supposed to care about nevermind adding extra and assume most people are just as apathetic. That person you encountered just watched one too many true crime stories.

 

[Moliphino]

If a stranger was focusing directly on me I'd be kind of weirded out. No issues with generally being in the background of someone else's photos.