This guy was on the corner of Stockton and Columbus in San Francisco yelling at a homeless man. Anger, conflict, drama — sounds like a great shot to me. I crossed the street but was unable to get anything interesting, since I only had my 50mm lens on the camera and I was just too far away.
However, Mr. Angry Overreaction Man decided that he now had a problem with me. He confronted me, demanding my camera. Of course, I refused. He got in my face and started threatening me, telling me that I cannot take his photo without his permission. I told him that yes, in fact, I can. He then walked up and bumped into me, trying to act tough. I told him that one more touch and I would call the police.
Of course, he didn’t like that very much, and at that point told me that if I put his picture on the internet, he would call his laywer. I assured him that his photo would be on the internet, and he then walked up and grabbed my camera lens. Well, that’s just not something that I will put up with, so I pulled the camera away from him and reached for my phone and started dialing. Once he saw that he turned away, still yelling threats, and continued on his way.
I felt bad for his daughter, who was with him, because she was obviously embarrassed by his antics and kept pleading with him to stop. I have a great shot showing her looking up as if saying “Oh boy, here he goes again”. But I’m not going to post that one, as she was not acting like an idiot and I don’t want to embarrass her. Mr. Angry Overreaction Man seems to do enough of that.
So, Mr. Angry Overreaction Man, your photo is now on the internet. Call your lawyer. Tell him somebody on a public sidewalk took your photo while you were on a public sidewalk. Then tell him you physically assaulted the photographer. See what he says.
“Angry man yelling at homeless guy.” You see photo-op. I see something different.
No-one comes out of this smelling like roses, do they?
This side of the story is shit, the story in general is shit, fuck whoever put this on SU. *thumbs down*
@varess: I completely disagree with you, Mr. Brooks knew his rights as a photographer and stuck to his guns in dealing with this bully. The more photographers that know their rights the better. thumbs up here.
Bluetooth headset…. That explains everything. Did he drive a Hummer?
Whats the point of this post ? To prove to that man that the photographer could post it on internet ? Totally aimless, i see no story here.
HAHA i hope he did call his lawyer
Dude! Nice pic of an undercover cop in a meltdown. You blew his cover. GOOD JOB! Those narcotics guys should get more time off and stay away from meth..
haha you threatened to call the police?? You know this guy doesn’t know how to defend himself…psh
People need to use their brain when taking photos, you obviously didn’t. The guy wasn’t doing anything, there was no story and you upset him for no reason. You may have been legally within your rights to take a picture in a public place, but what about your morals?
Rob: shouting at a homeless guy = “wasn’t doing anything”? Really?
Being a photographer myself, this is something I would do. I personally LOVE the photo. Even amidst the chaos, you really captured a lot in his expression.
great shot. communicates immediately the essence of the exchange. photos: simply another way to communicate, no? thumbs up!
[...] If You Put That Picture On The Internet I’ll Call My Lawyer Image by Jeremy Brooks Blogged it here. [...]
[...] My friend Jeremy Brooks blogged an altercation he had with some bozo (see photo above) on the street in San Francisco. He blogs about his experience here. [...]
I’d be careful with that whole “you’re in a public place so I can take a picture of you” defense. There are several states now that require mutual consent in order to record people. I can easily see any judge extending this law to photography even if public servants aren’t included in the shot.
wtf is up with these commenters getting mad at the photographer? What do you care if someone takes a picture of you doing something that anyone walking by can see you doing anyway?
Chris, I feel that misapplication of wire tapping laws shows that it is even more urgent and important to exercise my constitutionally guaranteed rights. The gradual erosion of rights that have been affirmed by the courts time and time again is a serious matter. If people do not use their rights, and stick up for them at every opportunity, they will lose them.
Doug, there is a lot of negative sentiment towards photographers. Much of it makes no sense.
The story is, be a jerk and someday someone will notice and embarrass you for being one! Don’t yell at homeless people in public. Make a public spectacle of yourself and you *dun dun dun* become a public spectacle! The homeless guys in San Francisco had big issues with drugs mostly. You can’t make them feel worse than they already do, and most of them couldn’t hold a job at that point anymore even if they DID want to. California has terrible mental health services, their families may be too poor to support them (or they may not have families in contact), so to the streets they go. I lived in the Bay Area all my life, and I know quite a few people in the health and mental health services and to hear their stories would make a half decent person feel terrible. So I say hats off to anyone who makes jerks feel embarrassed at the least.
What I find sad, and telling, is that you’re basically bragging over the fact that you did something to someone that he didn’t want done to him. He made his wishes very clear to you, yet you gleefully disregarded them. And then you wonder why people have increasingly negative sentiment toward photographers. As for his own behavior toward the homeless man, as cliche as it might be, may I remind you that two wrongs don’t make a right. Plus, the fact is, as obnoxious as his behavior might have been, it in no way involved you, or at least not until you got yourself involved — you injected yourself into this person’s life (and apparent bad day), and by your own choosing. And it wasn’t like you were documenting him doing anything illegal that society absolutely had to know about, as opposed to, say, the Rodney King incident. Whatever problem the guy was having, you appear to have made entertainment out of it for entertainment’s sake. Or maybe you just want to go around serving as the behavior police — I don’t know (also, by the way, not exactly a way of endearing yourself to people). And I’m sure you’ve never done anything less than totally wonderful.
As for it being a “right,” let’s look at this in context. You’re simply benefiting from the fact that we live in a country in which just about EVERYTHING, from nude pole dancing to, recently, corporate campaign donations, is considered “free speech.” The term has become almost meaningless. And if your attitude is going to be “my rights, my rights, my rights, my rights, my rights…”), again, don’t be surprised by the negative attitude toward photographers. As for us losing our Constitutional rights, if that’s even so (which I’m not at all convinced of — one could argue that we actually seem to be interpreting the Bill of Rights amendments more broadly than ever now), I like to think of it more as us finally evolving into the 21st Century. The world has changed dramatically, and maybe there are now some competing interests (very much including privacy) that weren’t an issue in the past, but are an issue now.
Actually no, you can’t simply take someone’s photo and post it just because they are in public. If someone makes a reasonable request to not have their picture taken, or otherwise trying to cover themselves up from having their picture taken, you are then invading on their privacy.
Frank,
I’m the guy who just wrote the post above, so I’m on your side with this. However, I don’t believe that’s true. Yet. I think it SHOULD be true, and hope it one day will be, but as it stands now, I think Jeremy had the right to do what he did, as distasteful (and, shall we say, bully-like), as it is. That is, having the right to do something doesn’t make it right. Remember, people in this country once had the right to own slaves. Not to compare the two — just making a point.
Is that Ben Roethlisberger? Be careful he might rape you.
hey i dont see why you were surprised by this mans reaction i mean dont we go to see DeNiro for his agrressive fuck you sort of new york attitude>?
It should be noted that if that if this guy hadn’t flipped out at the photographer, his photo probably wouldn’t have been posted. There is no call whatsoever to get angry and physical with somebody because they caught you in a clearly bad moment. Any sympathy I may have felt for his situation evaporated as soon as he took it too far, whether or not the photographer is within his rights. The guy had no right to demand the camera and even less right to get physical went told “no”. This is the kind of childish behaviour that shouldn’t be tolerated.
Besides, what do you care how someone else expresses themselves at all? Telling us the freedom of speech is becoming meaningless because it allows us to express (gasp) anything, is the most retarded, backwards bullshit I’ve heard in a long time. If you don’t like it, ignore it. That is also your right. Freedom of speech, by definition, should be without exception. As Voltaire put it: I do not like what you have to say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.
But then again, that is your opinion. I may not agree with it, but your are allowed to have it. I only hope that one day you will see the light of reason and realize that the ONLY reason you’re even allowed to express that opinion is because of your so-call “meaningless” right to free speech.
Hypocrite.
James,
I never said free speech was meaningless, and I would appreciate it if you would refrain from putting words in my mouth. I just don’t think that everything is speech, particularly the documentation of other peoples’ speech, which is basically what photography is. That is, the definition in this country has become so broad, the word has become meaningless — not speech itself. As for that Voltaire quote, here’s what people like you forget: that was simply Voltaire’s opinion, and really says more about his values than anything else. Voltaire most certainly did not speak for me. I would not die for someone’s right to say something, and don’t think that’s an especially great thing to die for.
You did in fact violate his rights your actions were intentionally harassing and as such you were asaulting him. I hope he does get a lwyer and they throw your stupid ass in jjail.
Too bad he didn’t sue: then we’d find out the name of the angry idiot. Public is public.
Two tough guys, the one who will back his own play and the other who cries, and wants to call the police.
[...] If You Put That Picture On The Internet I’ll Call My Lawyer Image by Jeremy Brooks Blogged it here. [...]
[...] blogged an altercation he had with some bozo (see photo above) on the street in San Francisco. He blogs about his experience here. From Jeremy: "However, Mr. Angry Overreaction Man decided that he now had a problem with me. [...]
[...] You Put That Picture On The Internet I’ll Call My Lawyer Image by Jeremy Brooks Blogged it here. This guy was on the corner of Stockton and Columbus in San Francisco yelling at a homeless man. [...]
[...] If You Put That Picture On The Internet I’ll Call My Lawyer Image by Jeremy Brooks Blogged it here. [...]
[...] My friend Jeremy Brooks blogged an altercation he had with some bozo (see photo above) on the street in San Francisco. He blogs about his experience here. [...]
[...] If You Put That Picture On The Internet I’ll Call My Lawyer Image by Jeremy Brooks Blogged it here. [...]
[...] If You Put That Picture On The Internet I’ll Call My Lawyer Image by Jeremy Brooks Blogged it here. [...]
[...] My friend Jeremy Brooks blogged an altercation he had with some bozo (see photo above) on the street in San Francisco. He blogs about his experience here. [...]
[...] If You Put That Picture On The Internet I’ll Call My Lawyer Image by Jeremy Brooks Blogged it here. [...]
[...] If You Put That Picture On The Internet I’ll Call My Lawyer Image by Jeremy Brooks Blogged it here. [...]
[...] If You Put That Picture On The Internet I'll Call My Lawyer Image by Jeremy Brooks Blogged it here. [...]
[...] My friend Jeremy Brooks blogged an altercation he had with some bozo (see photo above) on the street in San Francisco. He blogs about his experience here. [...]