Permission Granted

View large image During a photo expedition, I was composing a shot of one of Hong Kong's numerous high-security installations, otherwise known as a dessert shop.

A middle-aged man passing by stopped to enquire about it:

"Do you have permission to take the photo?"

"Nope."

Nor must I get it.

"They must be friendly."

"Most people are."

Yes, it was a little white lie, but there was no sense debating the issue. Most people are paranoid when they see the camera. Some folks are friendly, while a few are raving lunatics.

Let's get this straight, Hong Kongers, once and for all: as long as I'm standing on public property, I can take a photo of whatever I please. If someone asks me not to take a photo, I won't, but until then everything is fair game.

Don't get me wrong; I'm not some scuzzball paparazzo who pokes his lens into people's private lives, but a dessert shop doesn't qualify as an off-limits subject.

The same goes for buildings, bridges, mass transit, and little old ladies crossing the street.

I'm a photographer, not a terrorist.

← Older Posts · 早前 | →