I was pleased today to see an article about photographer Nick Adams being cleared by a Galveston jury of misdemeanor charges of interfering with police while photographing an arrest at a Mardi Gras celebration in 2007.
While I'm amazed that any prosecutor would actually take this kind of a case to trial (in this case prosecutor April Powers), I'm pleased that a jury had the common sense to dismiss the charges.
In this case Galveston police charged that Adams had entered their roped off perimeter in order to get his shots which resulted in the arrest and charges.
Conveniently, and not surprising to me, police deleted some of Adam's photos while they had him in custody which would have proved he was outside the perimeter established by the police. According to Adams' defense attorney, the digital index from his camera showed that these photos were deleted.
Personally I'd like to see these cops punished for deleting someone's digital camera photos while he was in custody and for arresting him in the first place.
Police brutality is a fact of life. While I believe the overwhelming majority of cops are good cops and have many friends and family who are cops, history has shown that there are still plenty of bad apples out there.
In a world where Rodney King can be half beaten to death by police officers, our right to be able to document police activity is a fundamental protection against police brutality.
When cops, who are trusted with extraordinary powers of authority, try to silence photographers this is a terrible affront on a free press and a free society.
I hope at minimum that Adams files a civil suit against the Galveston Police Department and that they end up paying monetarily for the bad behavior of the officers in question. Police need to be sent a message that they cannot abuse photographers and get away with it.
Last month two brothers who sued Harris County were awarded almost $2 million after they were wrongfully arrested for videotaping a drug raid on a neighbors home. Their case also resulted in the resignation of former Harris County District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal when their suit brought forward racist and pornographic emails on his computer.
Original here
Friday, May 16, 2008
Jury Clears Photographer Who Refused to Stop Photographing an Arrest
“Does my butt look big in this?” - What Clothes to Wear in Portraits
Image by Monsieur LafontThis post was submitted by portrait photographer Grant Mayer. It is a ‘classic DPS post’ - one of hundreds from our archives of photography tips.
What Should I Wear in my portrait?
This is a question I get asked a lot by clients - so I thought it might be something that was worth some exploration in a tutorial.
The clothes a person wears in a portrait can have a big impact upon the end result of your image. When talking to a subject about what to wear I generally ask them to bring a few different outfits so that we can have a little variety to work with.
A few things to keep in mind:
1. The comfort of your subject is important - to some extent
One of the challenges of photographing someone that you might not know very well is helping them to relax. I find that the clothes that they wear and the environment that you’re photographing them can have a big impact upon how relaxed they are and how natural they look. If they are happy with how they look then you’ll have a good chance of capturing them looking themselves.
Having said that - sometimes the best shots are of people when they are slightly ‘on edge’ or out of their comfort zone.
I can’t really explain it - but I’ve had some real luck in choosing outfits for people that they might not necessarily have chosen for themselves.
Sometimes throwing a curve ball at your subject in this way can take them slightly out of their comfort zone and get you a ‘wow’ shot.
2. Clothes Can Put People into Context
Image by a_vestergardAs much as we all like to talk about not judging a book by it’s cover and getting to know the ‘real person’ before summing them up - a person’s outward appearance says a lot about who they are and what we think of them.
The clothes that a subject wears in a shot will convey meaning and tell those viewing the image something about the person. So think carefully about what you’re trying to achieve with the image and let this be communicated through the clothes that you suggest your subject wears.
ie - if you’re after a fun vibe in your shot let them get a little casual and crazy with their clothes. If you’re wanting to portray them in a more formal way dress them that way.
3. Dark and Plain Clothes
While I generally let my subject choose a few outfits for themselves I almost always ask them to include a darker top in their options.
There’s something about a simple, dark top that allows the real focus of an image to be the persons face. An added bonus of dark clothes is that they tend to be slimming also (so your butt might not look big afterall).
As I looked back over my portfolio recently realized that the majority of portraits that I’d selected to show off my work were of people in fairly plain and unobtrusive clothes. No crazy patterns, lines, dots or bright colors - just understated basics that allowed the person to shine.
One exception to the black/dark top rule is that it can depend upon the complexion of the person. A very fair complexion with a very dark top can be too much of a contrast and when shooting someone with dark skin tones dark clothing can mean not enough contrast.
Another exception to this rule can be with kids whose portraits can come alive when you introduce some nice bright colors. The key however is to watch out for when the bright colors include zany patterns.
4. Collars
Another quick tip which I base upon my portfolio - collared shirts can be an effective thing to have your subjects wear.
I’ve not put a lot of thought into why they work - but particularly when photographing men, I find that a collared shirt has a way of framing the face that can be quite flattering.
I wouldn’t say collars are essential for every shot (I’ve taken plenty of good shots of guys in non collared shirts and T-Shirts) - however there’s something about them that just ‘works’ - at least in my mind.
Long Sleeves and Pants
Lastly - I also like to avoid short sleeved tops or shorts.
When arms and legs are exposed and there’s lots of skin visible I find that it can be a distraction from the main focal point of the photo - the face. That one is just a personal preference though and I’m not even sure why it is that I like to do it that way.
What do You Think?
What’s your view on what clothes you prefer your subjects to wear?
Is it more important to you for your subject to be comfortable or is your style to put them in an outfit that will add something special to the shot.
I am interested to hear your ideas in comments below!
10 Items You Think Make You Cool, But Don’t
Being cool is normally subjective. But there are some things that unequivocally make you uncool. We’re not saying we’re cool, we’re just saying if you own any of these items, you’re not.
10. iPhone
WHY YOU THINK YOU’RE COOL: You can access e-mails, high speed internet, and watch videos, all on your phone. Because really, normal people around you are so f*&king boring you can hardly bear actually interacting with them.
WHY YOU’RE NOT COOL: I’ve done some research and iPhone is actually a Japanese word that means “something that’s not able to be put in a pocket and instead must be carried in your hand at all times or set on the table in front of you so that any one around you can see it.” This may sound shocking, but when someone remarks how hot it is, they’re not asking you to look up the temperature in both farenheit and celcius, or show them a clip on a 3 inch screen from “An Inconvenient Truth” in an effort to relate this heat to global warming.
9.Ironic Belt Buckles
WHY YOU THINK YOU’RE COOL: Now you can show up in bars and point at your belt buckle and tell people that you are a “Rodeo Champion” or a “Pac Man” or a “Truck Driver” or a “Jack Daniels.” And while they will know that you are actually none of these things, you think you’re being playful and a little bit mysterious. You also think this tactic will help you pick up women.
WHY YOU’RE NOT COOL: You’re the same person who has ironic facial hair (mustache), drinks ironic beer (PBR) and wears ironic T-shirts (Lucky Charms). You spend your entire life trying to look as shitty and poor as possible while, chances are, you have rich parents or a job for an accounting firm that pays you over $60,000. In four years you will be a Republican living in the suburbs and complaining about your 401k over wine spritzers at dinner parties.
8. Blue Tooth Headset
WHY YOU THINK YOU’RE COOL: All the other losers have to use their hands when they talk on the phone. Not you! You can talk on your phone and at the same time safely give some loser the finger because they’re only driving the speed limit. It’s Tuesday, doesn’t this asshole know you have your jujitsu class at 24 hour fitness to go to?
WHY YOU’RE NOT COOL: I don’t give a shit if you’re talking to someone on the other end, when you’re in a Subway Sandwiches and they’re trying to take your order while you say “Listen, you give me that paperwork for the Johnson account by tomorrow or it’s your ass. No mayo. I said no Mayo! Yeah, that’s right, Johnson account on my desk! No pepperoncinis!” it’s pretty god damn confusing and asshole-ish to everyone trying to deal with you. Answer your phone when you have time to hold it in your hand. The only people that should be wearing blue tooth wireless headsets are military field generals and the people that work the day after thanksgiving sale at Old Navy.
7. Quoting Austin Powers/Borat/Old School
WHY YOU THINK YOU’RE COOL: Put on your earmuffs because that woman has a vageen that hangs like sleeve of wizard. Yeah, baby! Those movies are HILARIOUS, thus if you can quote them, by default you’re hilarious too!
WHY YOU’RE NOT COOL: We all enjoy quoting our favorite movies, but let’s put these three to bed. Not only did I have every last bit of dialogue to the Borat movie screamed in my face three months before it came out, but let’s face it, Austin Powers wasn’t funny 10 years ago. And I still have to hear people telling me that “circus folk smell vaguely of cabbage.” On top of it, everyone murders the accents. Whenever I hear some asshole in a bar trying doing his version of Borat, somehow he sounds like a tongueless Canadian with a sock in his mouth. This has to stop or I am going to skip the earmuffs and go directly to cutting my ears off.
6. PT Cruiser
WHY YOU THINK YOU’RE COOL: It’s like a car from back in the thirties! It’s sleek design and throw back look allows everyone tailgating in the parking lot at the Dave Matthews concert know that you’re a free spirit who is all about having good times!
WHY YOU’RE NOT COOL: If you’ve ever wondered what a gay transformer would turn in to, wonder no more. Not only do they call a retarded amount of attention to themselves on the road, when you drive them you look like a soccer mom whose transporting alcohol during the prohibition era.
5. Tricked Out Bicycles
WHY YOU THINK YOU’RE COOL: I honestly have no idea.
WHY YOU’RE NOT COOL: Instead of looking like some hipper, younger version of a real biker (who actually is cool), you just look like some 8th-grader who blew his allowance on sparklers for his tricycle. With its weirdly-bent handlebars and wacky forks, your “cruiser” looks like the elephant man of bikes. Plus, these things are clearly uncomfortable to ride. I love watching some tattooed douchebag try to look laid back and cool after he had to dislocate both of his shoulders just to reach the handlebars. Not to mention, you could’ve gotten a friggin’ car for what you paid for this piece of crap. Dumbass.
4. Fidel Castro Hats
WHY YOU THINK YOU’RE COOL: Wearing a Fidel Castro hat let’s the world know that you’re different and that you have thoughts and ideas that make you significantly more special and free thinking than those who wear traditional baseball hats.
WHY YOU’RE NOT COOL: You know why the Communist Cuba Military can get away with wearing them? Because they carry automatic weapons. You most likely carry a compilation book of Charles Bukowski poems. The tiny bill and camoflauged coloring make you look like a retarded son of a army ranger who had a pair of scissors and access to his father’s closet. I realize you want to tell the world you’re a non-comformist, but unfortunately being a non-conformist means you’re conforming to non-conformism. You might want to ponder that at that next record release party for a band no one’s heard of that you’re pretending to like.
3. Guitar Hero
WHY YOU THINK YOU’RE COOL: Dude, this game totally rocks! I love this song! Hell yes! Welcome to the Jungle, baby! You’re gonna diiiiiiiiiiiee!
WHY YOU’RE NOT COOL: Despite what the commercial says, you do not suddenly turn into Slash when you’re playing this video game. You are playing a child-sized guitar that doesn’t even have strings. It has multi-colored buttons and an on/off button. And playing this video game does not mean you can play the guitar now. If I have to hear someone say “I can totally play ‘Anarchy in the UK’” but actually mean “I can totally play ‘Anarchy in the UK’ on Guitar Hero,” I am going to take a pee inside the nearest PS3.
2. Longboard Skateboards
WHY YOU THINK YOU’RE COOL: You’re just a laid back dude who likes to cruise the streets and board walks but still has the credibility shared by those who ride smaller, more dangerous boards.
WHY YOU’RE NOT COOL: You’re basically one step away from being the little kid at Costco who jumps on the big grocery cart when his mother isn’t looking. Whereas if a normal skateboarder falls he injures himself, you’re traveling at speeds that allow those walking to pass you, and if you fall, you’ll most likely fall on the board and continue traveling. Hence, you’re basically riding a skateboard designed for those without any coordination or athletic ability. It’d be like playing baseball, except replacing the ball with a giant stuffed animal.
1. Funny Ringtones
WHY YOU THINK YOU’RE COOL: A ring tone is a great way to give strangers and coworkers a little peek into your personal life and let them know that your grasp of pop culture is vast. You’re pretty sure that having a silly quote from Monty Python or the Transformers theme song as your ringtone will make those around you realize that you are a the guy everyone else wants to be. There is definitely more to you than meets the eye.
WHY YOU’RE NOT COOL: Having your phone play Right Said Fred’s “I’m Too Sexy” just makes you look (and sound) like an asshole. And the fact that you let it “ring” 15 times while you stand there and look around for reactions to your hilarious little joke not only reeks of desperation, but it makes everyone around you want to cram that phone up your taint. Put it on vibrate like every other normal person and keep your witticisms between you and your collection of Star Wars figurines.
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