A great many of those pictures in that resource look staged and deliberate portraits. I am not saying that photographs should not be taken, either for posterity or for personal use, but the unus should be towards due consideration and respect of both performer and audience.

People's privacy has to be considered. I know one couple who often leave a club early once the cameras start flashing. They both cannot afford to be seen together for family reasons. Are their rights less than that of a person with a camera? They go to play and listen to music not be photographed and published. Why should the pleasure and need of the photographer be greater than theirs?

I love taking photographs of all sorts of places and situations but I do not assume I have the right to take pictures just anywhere and of everyone. In my job it is a sackable offence to allow photography of my clients without their express permission and due consideration of possible repercussions on them.


One would not dream of standing up in the middle of a major opera/concert and flashing away to get a picture of the performer/orchestra. You would get thrown out. Flash is banned at most golf events (and some cameras). Flash is banned at motorcycle events (and for me should be banned at Rally events too) for safety reasons. Why should consideration be too much to expect from people with cameras? I suspect that there is greater leniency in folk clubs because 'folkies' generally are more tolerant of other's misgivings, with a general "live and let live" philosophy being the norm.

Consideration of others must surely be part of being a 'folkie'?

mp

PS I guess if I considered fellow folkies I should give up singing ;-) lol