If someone asks you to delete an image of them, do you oblige?

I think with more and more people in the possession of a camera thanks to advanced technologies in phones and the development of the social network this has made more than a mark on the photography industry.

For example, a few months ago a guy suffered a horrific death here on the streets of dublin. Minutes after the incident people were standing around taking photos of his mutilated body there are many more stories involving deaths, rescues of horrific injuries that sees people in the dozens standing around taking photos. (imagine how emergency services feel having to put up with this while trying to do their job)

Don't get me wrong social networking has made the big distant country/world move slightly closer to you thanks to Facebook and twitter. If they hadn't been around some of the amazing photos from the stormy weather or the massive fire in ranelagh we would never have seen.

But its peoples insensitivity to taking photographs of injured/dying/dead that's getting a reaction and one of these days there will be such a reaction triggered (high profile accident/incident) that we will see a huge debate and possible change in the law.

maglite wrote: »

Should I be able to ask a shop to delete the CCTV once I've left/ finished walking past?

The cctv of you walking past a shop will not end up on a social network site (not unless theres a crime/something happens that needs crimeline to air that cctv)

Maybe this discussion needs to put into context... taking into consideration that there's a good possiblity that the ratio of photos taken with no objection vs. the opposite is probably quite high in favour of the former.

Personally I feel that the likelihood of people objecting is quite low, and so in the rare case of a polite objection I have no problem complying.

But don't get me started on those playground stalkers who point their lenses through the fence

Corkbah wrote: »

so you are saying if a paedo or child porn merchant or rapist doesn't want his/her photo taken they should have the right to have the photographer delete it .... ha !

Piper101 wrote: »

So you wouldn't afford a Garda the same niceties you would apply to an ordinary member of the public or even a paedophile given the context this thread has taken?

jpb1974 wrote: »

But don't get me started on those playground stalkers who point their lenses through the fence

Ah the old WON'T-SOMEONE-THINK-OF-THE-CHILDREN rule that applies to any thread about pictures taken outside that might, god forbid, include PEOPLE IN THEM. It's taken longer than normal this time 'round though :rolleyes:

Ah the old WON'T-SOMEONE-THINK-OF-THE-CHILDREN rule that applies to any thread about pictures taken outside that might, god forbid, include PEOPLE IN THEM. It's taken longer than normal this time 'round though

Oh dear.. I do apologize for speaking freely.

Maybe you should start a thread along the same lines as this, and perhaps set out the terms and condition regarding what we shouldn't discuss in order to keep you happy.

Wouldn't want to upset anyone would we?

I'm not sure why you would want to... given your own admission of dislike.

Ah the drama llama has arrived.

If someone is genuinely hurt or actually distressed by a photo being taken of them, they have bigger problems tbh.

challengemaster wrote: »

If someone is genuinely hurt or actually distressed by a photo being taken of them, they have bigger problems tbh.

Maybe they do, maybe they just like privacy, but if someone is going to be distressed by what you are doing I don't see why you should keep the picture.

Effects wrote: »

I think it should be a criminal offense for people to even look at me.
I also object to having to read your posts in this thread. Can you delete them please?

You have a choice to leave, you don't have a choice to take yourself out of a picture.

GarIT wrote: »

Maybe they do, maybe they just like privacy, but if someone is going to be distressed by what you are doing I don't see why you should keep the picture.

As the popular saying goes though, there's no right to not be offended. As CM says above, someone being 'distressed' at my taking their photograph is their problem, not mine. Now, as with everything else there's always edge cases. If they were on the run from the mafia for example, and my plan to produce a 1000 print limited edition series of them and sell them in the national gallery would prove to be quite risky for them then I might consider their distress warranted and promise not to use the picture for anything. At least for a few years :-D

Reoil wrote: »

I'm going to take a screenshot of all your posts and upload them to flickr. Wait, no. FACEBOOK. How do you like them apples, eh?

That would be a breach of copyright.

As for the main topic - if someone asks nicely, then I have no problem deleting the image. It's all about respect, and it works both ways.

Farmlife wrote: »

No, but he does have to right to detain your property if it contains evidence in a case, and sometimes memory cards accidentally format themselves

But as a whole i think society is too paranoid about pictures being taken. I would balance how important the photo was and how the person approached me before i deleted anything. Google are inundated with requests to remove images of peoples houses or cars parked outside ex girlfriends houses from Google Street view... take a guess what they say

if there is a crime or suspicion of a crime - if not the garda is breaking the law...and you could insist on a receipt from the garda for any seized property - including details of images on the card (all the images could be worth money so there could potentially be a substantial loss of earnings claim)

Farmlife wrote: »

gardai aren't experts in using camera equipment so any evidence would have to be preserved and sent to the technical bureau for analysis, you couldn't show him images because that would be tampering with state evidence... now remember that image he nicely asked you to delete... well hold onto it, because it's now just a memory

fact is guards have more to be doing than asking people to delete a still image taking in a public place[/QUOTE]

you obviously have never been asked by a Garda to delete an image that you just took of them, I have ! .... and when I refused they even phoned my employer to get him to "tell" me to delete the image. (whole event took over an hour)

I still have the image !!

Corkbah wrote: »

you obviously have never been asked by a Garda to delete an image that you just took of them, I have ! .... and when I refused they even phoned my employer to get him to "tell" me to delete the image. (whole event took over an hour)

I still have the image !!

No never asked to delete image, took some of NYC cops at the underground with no problem, but there's probably the few awkward people everywhere.

Farmlife wrote: »

No never asked to delete image, took some of NYC cops at the underground with no problem, but there's probably the few awkward people everywhere.

NYC cops and Irish Gardai ... completely different !!

you were photographing them as a tourist (I guess) ... most Gardai will happily pose for tourists.