Tourist taping Burners

[Amyl]

Did anyone else notice a Blatant tourist video taping people. It was an Asian looking male about mid 40's on a brandspankin new scooter,wearing heavy shorts and a short sleeve button up shirt, dark socks and loafers? Seemed I saw this guy everywhere- no water- no mask- sunburned and only video taping people with his high dollar palm corder - never art or the surroundings.
I could be wrong- but I am sure his tapes were not just for his use.
Wish there was a way to stop this kind of thing....

[Alpha]

Did the video camera have a media center tag on it? Maybe that could have been used to stop him...

[Next year I'm dressing up in a Hawaiian shirt, bermuda shorts, sandals with dark socks and a big ass camera around my neck.... :-P ]

[Last Real Burner]

How about a group of tourist with an obnoxious guide.

mr smith

[Tiara]

Wish there was a way to stop this kind of thing....

There is. . .
Ask him if he has a video camera tag. If so, try to find out who he is and where he's from, and pass all that info along to Media Mecca.

If there is no camera tag, offer to walk him to Media Mecca to get one (just to be helpful, you know!)

Also, try engaging a camera person in conversation. Have a discussion about participation. Share your views about photographers who don't ask permission of their subjects. Ask the camera person about what they plan to do with their video, or what sort of shots they are trying to compile.

If there was a particular person being filmed without their awareness, you could always let that person know what was going on, or simply step between the camera and that person, effectively blocking the view.

Kinda like the old Smokey Bear saying, "Only YOU can prevent forest fires". . . "Only YOU can prevent spectating"

[Alpha]

How about a group of tourist with an obnoxious guide.

I love it! This will definitely happen next year... if you want to be in on it we'll have to get in touch closer to the event. (wanna be the guide??)

[Last Real Burner]

Maybe we can switch off. So everyone gets a turn.

mr smith

[Alpha]

perfect.

[Kinetic]

I wish BRC was a camera free zone. It won't happen but I saw people filming women this year as they were bent over or going topless and it bothered me. One guy in particular at CT made me so mad I intentionally blocked his view. I don't like doing that but this guy was practically drooling about all the breasts in view. And no I didn't see a TAG on the camera...I should have sent him to media mecca.

[Amyl]

Media Tag.... DOH! Media MECCA- Yeeesh..!!!!!!!!! I didn't know that!
I was trying to be open and loving - but the third time I saw him zooming in some people freely expressing their desires- I blocked him with my big fat booty. He kept moving- and then gave up. I kept doing this everytime I saw him. Yes, I did try to speak to him- but he spoke no English.
I think next year I will carry big black strips of cardboard- and when I see this happening I will censor for the victims!
Thanks for the education- I didn't know Media Mecca Monitered.

[Ivy]

I wish BRC was a camera free zone.

I don't. I like having pictures taken of me when I'm naked.

[J]

I like having pictures taken of me when I'm naked.

Now I am not a photographer, but as a favour I'll take some pictures.

J

[PJ]

I like having pictures taken of me when I'm naked.

I have a photographic memory. Will that work?

[III]

you're gonna tell me the only way you can get people to take naked pictures of you is by allowing cameras at burning man?

[Ivy]

you're gonna tell me the only way you can get people to take naked pictures of you is by allowing cameras at burning man?

I didn't say that, but it certainly helps.

While I was being (as usual) a smart ass, I was disagreeing with the idea of not allowing photography at BM. Photography is an art, like creating an art car or a temple or a giant crazy sculpture etc. These all (as I think everyone has seen) very in quality, both in the creator and the final product. Just like there are people who design and slave away and build awesome, amazing art cars, there are alos people who will thow some colored fabric and lights on a Civic and call it an art car. Are we going to disallow art cars becuase of the people that pass of half-assed work as art? It's the same with photography. Some of the most beautifulphotographs I have ever ever seen were taken at BM, some of them even of (gasp!) naked women. Likewise, some of them are utter crap--just people trying to take pics of T&A.

I don't think women (or men, for that matter) have the right to be threatened or harassed becuase of their lack of clothing. But I also think that if you're going to walk around naked at BM, you have to know that there will be people like that, and just take your chances or choose to take other measures.

[Eric]

Photography is an art, like creating an art car or a temple or a giant crazy sculpture etc. These all (as I think everyone has seen) very in quality, both in the creator and the final product.

As a photographer, I'd like to thank you for realizing that.

Personally, I try to be very careful not to violate peoples space, and to get their permission for any shots I take. If I take a spontaneous shot of someone, I always get permission to use it from them after taking it. If they don't give permission, I won't use it. Ever. And, yes, I have given negatives to people once the roll is developed.
Not every photographer has the same personal rules, however. I love the "censor bar" idea, and taking the offending photographer to Media Mecca is always a good idea.

(I work in nightclubs- you learn to take "no" as a answer)

I can also supply some pretty big lenses for the "tour group". If it happens, count me in!

[Angry Butterfly]

Man I wish someone had taken a picture of my project! my husband (wisely) forbid me from taking our camera, and I was too busy doing firewatch when they did the burn to take any pictures of it for myself. IF YOU HAVE PICTURES OR VIDEO OF SF FIRE CONCLAVE WINGS PLEASE CONTACT ME. If you were doing a documentary project i would be happy to grant you an interview and pictures of my models, sketches and plans in exchange for footage.

Ok, I just dont see why people get so offended about being photographed, I always take it as a huge compliment that someone thought enough of me to take a picture, mabe it was because I used to model ( about 10 years and 40 lbs ago) mabe it is because i went to art school and appriciate photography and filmmaking as arts, Mabe it is because i am so used to my photographer/ filmmaker friends shooting EVERYTHING around them that I'm used to it. Mabe it is because i am slack about taking them myself so I appriciate being able to see them on the web or whatever after the fact. I also love seeing the pics that people put up of the stuff i missed, because you cant see it all.

[Kinetic]

Some of us are privacy freaks and are shy on top of that. I hate mirrors and I try to avoid cameras whenver I can. I feel I don't photograph well, I am better behind the camera than in front of it. That's why cameras bug me. Plus pictures have a habit of resurfacing at the worst times. Just ask Arnold about old pix if you don't understand.

[Ivy]

K, I understand and empathize with your feelings, but just becuase you feel that way doesn't mean cameras at BM should all be banned outright.

[Kinetic]

I know...a ban is unreasonable. A little education coupled with some respect for people's limits / rights / quirks would go a long ways to addressing my concerns.

[Angry Butterfly]

The OLD pics are the only reason I would ever vote for him, I respect a guy who posed for maplethorpe, that he had the balls to do that is the best evidence I have that he supports the arts and would make a strong leader! I take HORRIBLE pictures, I hate looking at them, but damn, I am glad someone took them. And I will be glad when I am old and grey and my boobs are all saggy! Someday you will feel the same way. Don't be ashamed of anything you do or are as long as you arent hurting anybody. There is some great (vaugely) erotic photography of me out there, and if it surfaces when I run for office, big deal, I will tell the truth, I will be proud of it, I AM proud of it! Yeah, that's me reading the paper naked on the couch in my husband's fraternity house! Yeah, that is my Nipple and my lips in that student film! Yeah! That 's me having fun at an illegal Rave! Yeah, thats the porn i made with my husband! BRING IT ON! I bet voters will respect me more for being honest and open, He was a BODYBUILDER for crissakes, of COURSE there are pictures of him, his body was his art.

[PJ]

...that's me reading the paper naked on the couch in my husband's fraternity house! Yeah, that is my Nipple and my lips in that student film! Yeah! That's me having fun at an illegal Rave! Yeah, thats the porn i made with my husband!

url?

[Angry Butterfly]

sorry, the porn isn't on the web, and I dont know where the other stuff is, other than the rave stuff, that is more recent, and that was sent to me by a friend so I forgot, I will do an ego search and see if I can find it.

[THE ORIGINAL DIGIMAN]

i dont have a problem with myself being videotaped..... doing anything.

it's weather anyone wants to be with me when i'm being taped. i can get pretty nasty. just wish if whomever was gonna do the taping (preferably female because they have better taste.) would do an excellent job that either shows or captuers the essence and/or can show why whatever is going on is pleasuerable. (did i spell that right?)

[Kinetic]

I'm not confortable with my appearanceand it's my main problem. Put a mask on me, get me intoxicated or in an altered state and it's different. I also get this really bad shy streak, and it always seems to hit when I see someone cute, and I go from talking to silence in nothing flat.

I hate it but that's the way it is. And that's the underlying reason why I hate pix of myself, and mirrors too.

[THE ORIGINAL DIGIMAN]

now a mask sounds really fun.
and mabey a wig. some blindfolds.

[Kinetic]

Shameless Plug: Mansourdesigns.com They make excellent leather masks that survive BM very well. The craftsmanship is excellent and the attention to detail is fantastic. I do not regret the money I spent on the masks for Dragontear and myself.

[THE ORIGINAL DIGIMAN]

Shameless Plug: Mansourdesigns.com They make excellent leather masks that survive BM very well. The craftsman ship is excellent and the attention to detail is fantastic. I do not regret the money I spent on the masks for Dragontear and myself.

that'll work plus a little of this and i'm set
http://www.mr-s-leather-fetters.com/sho ... &item=D472

[Amyl]

Thanks Eric! At least you are with it enough to realize I was complaining about obnoxious tourists and yahoos- that are there to gawk and not participate. Uh, yeah - right- I was really suggesting that we take away photography- and art. I care about my fellow burners and don't like to see them exploited. People that are in their own camp, partially hidden from view, don't need some Japenese asshole contorting just so he can film a threeway.

[Angry Butterfly]

I see.

[PetsUntilEaten]

amyl -

you could always draw up some laminated cards to have tied to your bike that have a statement translated into five languages or so - that way you would have a way of addressing anyone.

my first year i got very freaked out by a guy getting way to intimate with some nude girl using a zoom lens then walking off without a word. I didn't really know what to do - so I devised a plan to create a "mark" with a fake or thrift store video camera - then have him go to a "t & a" kinda event & be pretty rude with the camera - then once other cameraman join in - a group of us / "video adjustment team" swoop in on our "tourist" and smash the camera & drag him off while ripping his clothes in a huge uproar.

lessons learned / no one actually hurt.

of course i'm not much of a performer, I got less mad, and i just deal with it when it comes up -

next year i am bringing a bat marked "video camera adjustment" to carry while in my orange jumpsuit.