8 Dec 2007

photographing children

When I am asked which subjects I enjoy most enjoy photographing, the answer comes easily – people are my favourite subjects. If I were pushed even further I would have to say that I used to be able to enjoy photographing children in the street. Children just being kids; enjoying themselves. There were few more natural, charming or more interesting subjects. Not any more.

Now if I point a camera at a child in the street some idiot immediately things I’m a weirdo. What utter nonsense we have allowed to happen. There is a whole generation of childhood that will go unphotographed; unrecorded. Paranoia has taken over. How terribly sad.

This photograph was taken in the street over 30 years ago, and that little girl is now a mum herself. She was very happy when the picture was printed in one of my books some year ago. Her family thought the picture was charming – and so do I. It was sold through an agency who captioned it: ‘I can’t bear it!’

You have a RIGHT to take photographs in a public place. Make sure you don't lose it.

Oh, I also like photographing older people…

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