Thursday, June 9, 2011

What if a stranger took a picture of your child?

Last sunday we were at the park and while doing our best carrying the stroller up the stairs to a museum (yay for a stroller friendly city btw!), DH and I noticed a tourist with a huge camera lens shoot a bunch of pictures of LilO. Really? On the stroller, while we both have our hands tied and 20 steps behind us?!

I politely asked the man what he took a picture of - you know, in the rare possibility that he might have been taking a picture of the gutter on the building behind us. But no, it was LilO he was aiming at and suddenly when he saw I was upset he decided he no longer spoke English. How convenient.

I let it go, and we each go on with our lives. What could I have done? Confiscate his zillion dollar camera equipment? Grrrr.

So then today I'm at the park and I notice a young couple sitting nearby on the grass as well. I don't think much of it until I see the woman on the ground place her camera on the ground but towards LilO, take the cap of the lens and turn her DSLR on. I jumped when I saw she was about to take a picture and decided to move and sit where I would cover LilO from her angle. I turned around to see and she had actually gotten up with her camera to get a closer shot. Seriously people?! I have to admit I was a bit ticked off, thinking about what had happened on Sunday already) that I asked her loud and clear so other people noticed why she was taking a picture of my baby. No benefit of the doubt for her.

What can you do in a situation like this? Let it slide? Get upset? Steal their camera and run while pushing the stroller and hope for the best?

3 comments:

  1. I would go absolutely freaking nuts! No-one should take a picture of another human being without seeking their permission first.

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  2. Huh, I guess I've never really thought of it. I would have asked the woman what she was doing and why she was taking the photo.

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  3. Hi! Haven't visited in a while but here I am! :)

    This is an interesting topic! The first time somebody took a pic of BabyNat (3 months old) we were at Château de Versailles and my hubby asked a Chinese couple to take a pic of us and then the woman said she wanted a pic WITH BabyNat!! She stood at my side and I didn't know what to do so I only put BabyNat in the other side. It was pretty weird!

    After that I realized that other people have taken pics of her at different places and situations (when we went to mexico it was worst!) and I never know what to do! I don't want MY BABY's photos in strange hands!

    I really don't understand why they do that? I mean, when I see a baby, I smile or say hi! but why take a pic??

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