To ask my dad not to take innocent photos of strangers' children?

[whosiwhatsit]

My father is a talented amateur photographer as one of his hobbies. He has a nice camera and takes lovely photos of scenery, nature, ...and children. He isn't from the UK and when he comes to visit me here we often go out for walks and that sort of thing, and he brings his camera and takes these pictures. I feel really uncomfortable when we're walking through a park or something and he snaps photos of children eating ice cream, running about,etc.

Because my father isn't from this country he doesn't understand that taking photos of children you don't know is unacceptable here (I think?). The problem, though, is that my dad can't stand for me to correct him about anything so when I have tried to ask him not to do this he tells me I'm being ridiculous and carries right on.

So AIBU and should I just let him take these photos as he's harmless? Or do I try to get him to stop? If I should get him to stop, p,ease tell me what I should say?

I am considering forwarding a link to this thread to my dad so if there's anything you want to say to him directly about how you would feel if a strange man took a photo of your child in a park please do so and I would really appreciate it. I don't have children myself which is I think one of e reasons he won't listen to me about this.

I would have no problem at all with him taking photos of my kids in a public place. Whatever they are doing in the park (playing, eating an ice cream, running etc) can be watched by everyone in the park so I can't really see why it shouldn't be pictured.

It might be nice if he asked permission to avoid getting into confrontations, but he doesn't have to, and there's no law against it.

I think it's lovely your dad finds such joy in kids saving fun.

Well op let him, I am see he will feel the wrath off some parents, I myself would stay at home away from him

No, not socially acceptable to take photos of other people's children.

Regardless of how innocent the motive is, I would feel very uncomfortable about a random stranger deliberately taking photos of my child, and would consider it very odd behaviour.

Although I think having my child in the background of someone else's photo is different, because they're not taking a photo of my child, IYSWIM - in that scenario, they're taking a photo of their own child / friend / touristy thing, and DS would have just happened to wander into camera shot at the wrong moment.

I would have no objection to someone photographing my ds playing, and find it sad and depressing that so many people would. The world has become a very narrow and regimented place, to everyone's great loss.

It's a very sad state of affairs really but it is the world we live in. He isn't doing anything illegal but may very well get into hot water with someone if he continues. There is nothing you can do about it as a parent except move your children on.

My children have their pictures on various websites (usually supporting GOSH or the NT) which are all publicly accessible but those pictures have either been taken by me or by professional photographers who asked permission first. However if someone was just sat aside from us and snapping away it would make me very uneasy and suspicious. If he was in my local park I would warn other parents and the schools in the area. The poor man may very well be completely innocent but he will have put himself in an awkward situation so I would warn him to be careful - maybe move to dogs or something less sensitive.

as said up thread there is nothing illegal about taking photos in public, it is not an invasion of anyones privacy

you need to just tell your dad that while perfectly legal and in his case from what you have said erfectly innocent some parents may not like it and give him hassle

if your kids are eating icecreams at the tower of london you really can't expect people not to take photos while they finish icecreams etc or even to ask your permission to take the photos

you only need model release if photo if of the people specifically if you are selling on a picture of oxford street heaving with shoppers you do not need one even if the odd person is identifiable

I think it is a shame that it is seen as suspicious the moment anyone takes an interest in any child not biologically related, my dad came across a little boy crying because he had lost his mummy in a woodland park near where they live he was in a real quandary as to what to do because of appearances 15 years ago he would not have hesitated to take the boy's hand ask where he had last seen mummy and help him find her, it is sad that a 89 year old man can't be seen to help in case someone goes off at the deep end

You WILL eventually get into trouble - be it with the child's parents or with the police.

I know what he is doing is considered socially unacceptable, but pray tell, HOW would this lead to trouble with the police? There is nothing illegal in this behaviour!

I just asked DH this as I initially felt, it isn't illegal and as long as the pictures were not creepy, ie a shot up the skirt or similar, but DH pointed out that even if they were arty pictures, the photographer would probably want to show them to an audience/ in this day they will likely be uploaded to the Internet. The image could end up anywhere and be misused in many ways. I certainly would not appreciate this so think your Dad should at the very least be asking permission.

Legally it's fine and if anyone were to verbally or physically assault him (or cause criminal damage to his camera etc) the law would be on his side.

What on earth is anyone going to do with photographs of your clothed children playing in a park? (Children under protection orders etc excepted of course).

I would advise him to comply with any polite requests to delete photographs made by parents and carry on.

Not that long ago a client of mine and her husband had to be moved in the middle of the night at very short notice for not reason other than her dh was into photography and took some pictures at a park.

There house got petrol bombed windows all smashed

What do people actually imagine is going to happen to their children if someone takes a photograph of them? I can't understand all the, "I'd be livid" comments. Why? It's a photo.

I hate the way this country has gone. We can't take innocent photos without someone claiming it is socially unacceptable. We have to be careful when calming an upset child.

I would love to be able to pick up a crying child and give it a hug and tell it not to worry. I would love to be able to take the perfect photo. But everything these days has become unacceptable and you are always thought of as being a weirdo of having an ulterior motive.

Shame really.......

Blueemerald such pictures can and have been used for advertising. One that springs to mind is when some holiday company used Madaline Mccanns image to advertise their trips.
Once the image is online, the parent has no control. I am very careful about my children's images not going online so would not appreciate a stranger doing this.
Of course there isn't anything you can do legally to stop anyone taking pictures.

Innocent they may be.

All the same, in answer to 'its a sad state of affairs, innocent pictures,' posts, I personally feel there is something quite intimate and personal somehow, in a photograph.

We tend to take pictures of or at significant events, we take pictures to record the things and people we care about. So a complete stranger taking a picture of my DD wold hugely unnerve me, I would find it unsettling and bizarre and yes, anger me, because he would be laying a claim to my daughter.

They are children and some people like to see children having fun - ok, but presumably on a night out you wouldn't take a random shot of a group of people having fun, so why do it to children? I can't understand why so many people think this is OK to be honest.

It is obviously different if someone takes a picture that children happen to be in. The subject of that picture is the place and not the children.

It's not just the paedophilia aspect - what if those children were subject to protection orders? A friend of mine has adopted children, if their birth mother saw them in a local park, say, or in their school uniform, all hell would break loose.

I know it's unlikely, but not impossible.

My Dad took some pictures with teenagers (I think) in the background, they complained to the police who went to see my Dad. He showed them the pictures on the computer and invited them to look at any others and got into no trouble. He did have teenagers shouting abuse at him afterwards when he was walking the dog though

Teapots. It's almost like you are saying that the photo takes your soul.

A photo can be totally innocent. In an instant, the perfect photo may be there. The subject is a child at play, not your child at play. The same may be that the perfect shot arises from a group having a night out.

If the opportunity arose then I would take a photo of either if I had my kit with me. Or maybe use my phone. It would be a perfectly innocent thing because I love photography. But you have made it to be somehow seedy or obscene.

This thread makes me feel like emigrating. What a load of nonsense:"outraged", "livid". It's like the Daily Mail gone bonkers.

Some of my favourite photos are by street photographers documenting people going about their lives, including many of children. They can go on to become wonderful social and historical documents. I find it incredibly sad at the direction things are going, with people so suspicious of photography and the intention of photographers. Our society seems so deeply divided, always assuming people are out to cause harm.

I am very into photography and took just the sort of shot Ilovemyself describes on a beach on the west coast of Canada. There was a spectacular sunset and the most beautiful light, and then two little boys started running down the beach away from me and I got the most beautiful shot.

Sinister, I know.

The truth is that there are paedophiles out there who do take photos of children - i know from friends who are in the police that there are men who take photos of children playing at the local beach; the beach lifeguards often tell off these particular men if they catch them with there (always) long lens cameras taking photos of children, and they inform the police that they have seen these men.

Your dad is innocent but he wouldn't want the embarrassment of people thinking he is like those type of men (sorry it's always men they catch round here.)

Ps. i'm not paranoid about paedophiles nor do i think they are everywhere. But there are a fair few out there i'm sorry to say.

I think that obviously taking someone's photo is rude, in exactly the same way that staring at someone is considered ill mannered because it usually makes the subject feel uncomfortable and/or threatened.

Something I never thought about till I went to a baby group, was that seeking permission to take photographs of children is quite important. It was said in context of taking pictures at the group for advertising, but the woman leading the group said that, you do not know the situation of the individual being photographed. To echo the points made by a couple of others on here, a child that has innocently been photographed could be under a protection order, & if a photo of them shows them in a certain location or with a certain person, it could jeopardise the child's safety, when shown to other people, hence the importance of asking permission first. This could also apply to adults too. This might be something to think about.