iveseenitall 's Techdirt Comments

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  • On the post: If Amateur Photographers Are As Good As Professionals, Then We Can All Be Professional Photographers

    iveseenitall ( profile ), 12 Jan, 2011 @ 01:00pm

    Amateurs are not as good as professional. Not to say there isn:t very strong work produced by hobbyists. There certainly is.
    But how would any of us living life online know the difference?
    By viewing a postage stamp size postage size preview or jpg posted online.
    Try printing that. Or for that matter selling it.
    The truth, for anyone who wants to admit it, is that all of this is a dream.
    And none of you are real.
    Good article DY.

  • On the post: TSA Warns Against Evil Photographers Taking Pictures Of Planes

    iveseenitall ( profile ), 11 Jan, 2011 @ 10:53pm

    comment

    In the absence of a detailed official explanation from the agency attributed to having authored the above picture all we can do is speculate as to it`s exact intention.
    Let`s remember that neither the above article or the one attributed to GIZMODO have made mention of any attempt to verify origin of the image although the picture displayed here does link back to a flickr user.
    I will say that if the image and it`s content are intended to demonstrate an example of activity that for one reason or another could appear to the casual observer to be different than what is generally thought of as commonplace, it does so rather well. If the message is that it`s better to report than to second guess, ok, all clear here.
    Only don*t hold your breath waiting for my call. I seriously doubt this flyer will impact my own general lack of interest and enthusiasm for reporting on the often strange appearing activities of my fellow citizens even if they are photographers.
    I mean we have all seen people doing God only knows what in public or for that matter private places.
    No my reasons have nothing to do with patriotism or minding my own business. My reasoning is based purely on my own personal experience. That of having been on the opposite end of the should I report this dilemma. Yes, I have been, on occasion, one of those people out doing something someone felt was worthy of reporting. And it has happened a few times.
    I am guilty, like many of you no doubt, of being an avid photographer. Yes I point my camera at almost anything. Repeat any-Thing, not any-Person.
    So one time it happened while I was driving around a small US city aimlessly photographing publicly displayed flags and Christmas lights.
    How could this be a problem?
    I learned how just as I began to fill the tank at a local station. Up pulled a patrol car and the officer asked me what had I been doing recently near the downtown area. I explained and even offered my cameras LCD display of recent images as visual confirmation.
    The officer explained that a town resident who has a security clearance and works for a defense contractor saw a guy in a vehicle messing with a camera and thought perhaps it was someone attempting to record details of his home, face, privacy, whoknowswhat etc.
    Oh, ok. In all honesty I thought that was strange, but, whatever.
    There have been other incidents. None that I consider a big deal.
    And that brings me to the point I wish to make. If the occasional mistake is made, so what. In the scope of the big picture I am not really all that bothered in the rare instances when I have had brief contact from security/PD.
    Is it ideal? No, of course not.
    But on none of the occasions did the person investigating confront me with the presumption of something is wrong or evil attitude we all fear and hope to never come across. In every instance the exchanges cost mere moments of my time. Then I left. Free to continue on my way.
    For those that think any query from authorities is a hassle, remember that many of those people doing the asking are tasked with doing more than enjoying freedom. In all probability it is their job is to protect and preserve.