We are extremely excited to show our first wedding photo shoot of the year. Amy and Sean celebrated their big day on lake St. Clair on a sunny and warm February day. It was hard to choose which photos were our favorite, but we have to say the sunset shots below were a great ending to the day.
This years winter has been nothing short of brutal. But don't let the cold keep you away from the great outdoors. Here are some shots from Lexington Beach in Lexington Michigan as it appears to have transformed to an arctic landscape.
On a typical summer evening, I found myself on the Detroit Riverfront. The area was vibrant with activity and I had my camera on my side. The perfect situation to get some candid shots. I walked around the beach volleyball court, taking shots of an intense game. Then a Carousel caught my eye and I made the pursuit. I wanted to capture the essence of this area that just a few years ago was a bare patch of land, just like a lot of areas in Detroit.
This pursuit though came to a stop as I was confronted by security. The guard informed me that I was not allowed to take pictures. The confrontation caught me off guard. I see others fishing, biking, even taking photos but with their smartphones. Fortunately the guard was very understandable and honest. The guard's explanation was that my photos could be sold for profit, therefore a sale made without the consent of the owners of the Detroit Riverfront (which is private property). Even when I explained to the guard that I was not looking to make profit, my word was not good enough. It was at that moment where I felt I was being judged unfairly. As a photographer I was not the only one.
Discrimination of photographers has become increasingly strong. Ever since equipment has become more affordable, it has become easier to start a photography business. All that is required is a starter kit camera and a computer. Now someone with a camera wrapped around their shoulder is not seen as just an artist, but also an entrepreneur. Let's also not forget the growing industry of Paparazzis who shamelessly take candid shots for profit. Photography has gone from an expensive and persistent hobby to one of the easiest businesses to start.
This gives a perception that most carrying a DSLR are looking to make a profit. So now photographers are constantly stopped and even forced to give their equipment up to authorities, if they are caught photographing buildings, people, etc.. The reasons range from suspicion to recording private property. There's plenty of youtube videos of these encounters. The one below is of a guy who gets pulled over for wearing a GoPro on his motorcycle helmet, the officers reason is suspicious activity near government grounds.
It's not just the law enforcement, even strangers have encountered photographers. For example the video below is of a quadcopter operator who was assaulted for flying his camera operated copter on a beach. The lady apparently accused him of "spying" on beachgoers. His recording of this encounter was enough evidence to have the lady arrested.
Now I don't want to compare this to the discrimination of race or sex. However it shows how in a world where racism and sexism is being confronted, other forms of discrimination is turning up. If we want this kind of behavior to go away, we must not leave other areas vulnerable of these actions. There's a lot of questions as to why some people target photographers. Is it because of the invasion of privacy? The indication that they are breaking the law? I don't have those answers. However we have the evidence, and as long as we use our abilities (cameras) to show the harassment, we can create a voice that demands for better respect of those who participate in the hobby. So as others would say "keep your voices loud", I say "keep those cameras rolling".
Know your rights Photographers. Click here for more information.
Source:
https://www.aclu.org/kyr-photo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUuDJlfebbU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBUlxEz4ozU
more of our socials where we share our lovely couples along with our fun journey!
