COBBLER'S PAGE

As the nights get longer and the days shorter and Autumn colours appear on the landscape you may, like me, attempt to capture again on film some of the colour displayed (for the 58th time in my case). This is followed by the odd day of snow or frost pictures before finally photographic hibernation till Spring when it all starts again. The highlight of the year being the ‘holiday’; perhaps a trip to foreign parts. A lot of thought and planning goes into where to go and in particular what camera to take,which lenses and which film. This part of the holiday expenses is the cheapest.

Having paid a sizable amount of the pension for flights, accommodation, etc. £50 for film is nothing! You arrive at last at your chosen destination with photography as one objective maybe it is walking and landscape with a bit of culture thrown in. The walking and landscape present no problem as long as the weather plays its part. If you see culture 
as buildings and monuments, as long as you get permission for interior photography it is fine. We have to steer clear of sensitive areas like army installations, bridges, railways etc. although I was told not to take pictures in a shopping centre in England the other day. 

PEOPLE: to photograph or not to photograph that is the question. Candid photography is open to abuse. With telephoto lenses pictures can be taken without consent and often are by the press to the embarrassment of the subject. .It is open to debate whether them is a need for this kind of photography. 

On holiday abroad, I take India as example, though it could be anywhere where culture and religion are different from ours and still practised, pointing a camera at a person can have several different reactions. From a waving of arms, covering the head, verbal refusal, a big smile with a pose or a standing to attention to a hand out for payment, a request for a copy to be sent, a photo of yourself with your subject or a complete turnabout, a picture of you. Requests for copies usually come from people without the means to get pictures of themselves. 

As a photographer you should respect peoples’ religious objections to being photographed also their right to privacy. It is reasonable to indicate you have taken a picture and to ask if that is acceptable; better still to ask first if they mind though this can result in a pose you did not want but with a few minutes of conversation or miming with the camera one can get friendly co-operation. In some places you will find people specially dressed to act as models e.g. the Indian chief on a horse at the Grand Canyon, or the Water Sellers at Fez. 

If you are asked to pay a reasonable amount for the privilage, why not? It is a way of making a living and providing a service for tourists. Where extra care is needed is in avoiding misrepresentation in the finished picture. You can photograph someone who is not in a position to object and put a completely different slant in the result to what it really was. I saw an example recently where the main subject - two beautifully photographed girls - had been side lined by a title which focussed attention on the sordid environment surroundings and robbed them of dignity. This was a great pity because they were lovely looking girls and would have made an excellent study in their own right. The best approach is to think how you would feel in their position with a stranger pointing a camera at you. 

I hope you have all enjoyed your holidays and have now developed your club Konica film in the Edwards Club E6 formula using the chemicals bought from the club advertisers. 

If not, why not?