Videotape Etiquette

[crokett]

We were at the Children's Museum the other day and I was recording my daughters. Nobody said anything to me about it but would you be concerned if another parent was recording their kid and happened to get some video of yours?

Just curious.

[LCHIEN]

well, how about this? I have been a photography hobbiest for a number of years... I often carry a camera for those random moments. Kids are often a interseting subject, especially when you see them involved in their own world with complete oblivion to what the grownups are doing. This makes interesting photos but I often wonder if the parents object to my taking several photos of their kids... esp. in these days of weirdos kidnapping kids - you don't want to be seen as taking undue interest in someone elses' kids.

[LinuxRandal]

You could go all kinds of different ways with this. I've been on both sides of some camera issues.

If your somewhere with your kid and taking pictures of them and those around them, don't worry about it, unless your asked to move along.

If this is for some kind of public showing, and it isn't a public place/event, your gonna need some kind of releases.

If your going to post something on YouTube, I would casually bring it up in a conversation with anyone whose kids are in it, to see their reaction first.

Most people either don't care about a camera, or if they are kids (more so in days of old), they would act up to get in the shot. There are others of us (part of the reason some people become photographers), who wish to stay WAY behind the camera. (ugly school book debate)

[Pappy]

David, in your scenario I don't think anyone would really be concerned if their kids were in the shot.

There is more chance of a situation like Loring described giving cause for concern, especially if the photographer was in the area alone. I can gaurantee my son would be introducing himself to you if his 9 year old stepdaughter was the subject.

[Ed62]

I wouldn't be concerned unless there was reason to be. Years ago, I used to do a lot of shooting, and sometimes I'd try to capture the mood by taking shots of people when they didn't even know it. If I thought I really had something, I'd ask if I could get permission to display it, and get a signed release. But doing that today (with kids) could be cause for a parent to become concerned, and you can't blame them.

Taking shots of your own kids at Disney World, for example, with other people in the background, is expected.

Ed

[Wandere]

Your scenario: no problem, you're filming your own child interacting in a public place. Start videotaping other kids exclusively and it crosses the line.

Too many variables for a single general answer. If we were alone on a playground and somebody walked up to film, I'd absolutely intervene. If it were a busy public area, the videographer would likely be presumed to be another parent and alarms probably wouldn't be triggered.

Prior to having kids...I would think it was no big deal...looking for a playful shot or interesting expression...I know I'm not one of the bad guys.

Now that I have kids...it would be creepy. I would position myself between any photographer or videographer taking any "exceptional interest" in my kids unless they approached me first. Even with an approach, a red flag goes up but anxiety would be mitigated a bit.

Having kids breeds relationships with other parents too and multiplys the opportunity to shoot/film my own and others with little or no concern.

Maybe you need to adopt a child and take him/her with you as a prop, it'll drop parental defenses? (<---- note sarcastic face)

Sidenote: I'm not sure if the # of creeps is on the rise over the past 20 years or if the number of them getting caught and publicized is. Increased media coverage could result in increased caution among parents even if actual creepy act rates dropped.

-R

[LinuxRandal]

Sidenote: I'm not sure if the # of creeps is on the rise over the past 20 years or if the number of them getting caught and publicized is. Increased media coverage could result in increased caution among parents even if actual creepy act rates dropped.

-R

In my own experience, the numbers of them making the news rises, making others believe their thoughts/actions are acceptable, and increasing the numbers of them to be caught.