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Farway
21-09-2009, 13:09
Is it just me or have others had questions asked by publicans when taking pictures, sort of "What are you up to?" type of thing

I would expect maybe if I was inside snapping away, but I'm not, I am on public pavement mostly

Perhaps I should add my camera looks & is a real camera, not a pocket one or phone, but one with a and viewfinder held up to eye, so perhaps I stand out more than sneaky snappers

I used to say I was putting them on PG, but this sometimes provoked more questions, so now I just tell them I take pictures of pubs and not from Council and no bulldozers arriving, seems to satisfy their curiosity and they mark me down as a harmless old duffer

Soup Dragon
21-09-2009, 14:27
Is it just me or have others had questions asked by publicans when taking pictures, sort of "What are you up to?" type of thing

I would expect maybe if I was inside snapping away, but I'm not, I am on public pavement mostly

Perhaps I should add my camera looks & is a real camera, not a pocket one or phone, but one with a and viewfinder held up to eye, so perhaps I stand out more than sneaky snappers

I used to say I was putting them on PG, but this sometimes provoked more questions, so now I just tell them I take pictures of pubs and not from Council and no bulldozers arriving, seems to satisfy their curiosity and they mark me down as a harmless old duffer

I dont get asked, as i have just started doing it and i tend to describe interiors and will just take externals of those not already done.

To be honest - i marked you down as a harmless old duffer too:p

Dave M
21-09-2009, 15:01
I tend to carry around a real camera too, I think that these days having a camera that you raise to your eye instantly arouses a lot of suspicion. I've never been asked what I'm up to although I sometimes don't bother taking pictures if there are people around.

I'm some of our other prolific photographers must suffer that sort of issue though, hopefully some of them will drop by and contribute here.

Do spare a thought for Phillip Carter though, who described his experience of getting a photo of the Three Bells at Heathrow Airport (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/62812/) :eek:

Soup Dragon
21-09-2009, 15:15
Top bloke - that's dedication.

Conrad
21-09-2009, 15:32
http://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid=4&stc=1&d=1253544854

Youngie
21-09-2009, 23:53
http://bp2.blogger.com/_NOXa1CXNsxg/RvJ_cnFAZ_I/AAAAAAAAAj8/pTplEExmf2Q/s400/camera.jpg
Many landlords viewed young Farway's photographic intentions with more than a little suspicion!
:)

Soup Dragon
22-09-2009, 09:34
http://www.clownsforhire.com/images/clown%20camera.jpg

Farway couldn't work out why they wouldn't take him seriously!

PaulOfHorsham
22-09-2009, 09:58
Like Dave M, I tend not to bother if there's people about. With smokers & good weather, there's often a few outside, so I'd tend to give it a miss - I feel I don't need the hassle (or possible hassle, or maybe I'm too miserable and just don't fancy a conversation? Actually that sounds most likely.).

There's also the possibility that pub-goers wouldn't want to be identified for whatever reason (see also Google Street-View). For that reason, I smudge out car registrations before posting.

Soup Dragon
22-09-2009, 10:14
Hi Paul,

Greetings, as i haven't spoken to you before!

I know what you mean, on many of my reviews i make the point that i am quite miserable and like to be left alone, saying that, i got chatting to a bloke in the Lamp, Bloxwich, last night, on historical matters, so was happy as Larry.

I think some of the pubs i have been to are that scruffy, i would smudge out the whole pub if i could, but then, i guess that defeats the object!

It is a serious question of course, i have to 'close off' some old school photos for example, under Data Protection, because they give names and addresses. People get worried over such things and prefer not to take pics in case they get sued for something!

Conrad
22-09-2009, 11:35
Well obviously from our perspective we love you mention Pubs Galore to the landlords, anything for free advertising;).

I do sympathise though, I have to admit I wouldn't be keen to go to the extents some of our contributers who are getting shots from numerous angles. Although I don't even own a camera, just my phone.

They really do brighten the site up and add some personality, so thanks to all the picture contributers.

We have an amazing collection now though and I am constantly wondering what to do with them to try and get more out of them. I have it in my mind to create a bit of a silly game with them, so you can go to a town and get presented with a random image and have to guess which pub it is from a multiple choice.

Gods, when it comes to this site my eyes are so much bigger than my stomach, I will never finish all the work I have in mind:rolleyes:

Soup Dragon
22-09-2009, 11:41
Hi Conrad

You could filter the aesthetically nice ones out and have a pub of the week/month vote:)

Conrad
22-09-2009, 11:52
Oh goodness, too many aspects of this thread collided in my brain at once.

Now I am imagining an FHM'esque approach where we end up with hottest barmaid photos of the month.:o

Oh nooooooo, I wish my brain would switch off, as I am now realising we might have to mist out the faces:eek:

Right, that is it, I am off to do some coding, this is in danger of getting me investigated as a terrorist, photographer or clown if I keep on thinking out loud.

ps. What a disturbing way to reach my 100th post

Dave M
22-09-2009, 11:58
Like Dave M, I tend not to bother if there's people about. With smokers & good weather, there's often a few outside, so I'd tend to give it a miss - I feel I don't need the hassle (or possible hassle, or maybe I'm too miserable and just don't fancy a conversation? Actually that sounds most likely.).

There's also the possibility that pub-goers wouldn't want to be identified for whatever reason (see also Google Street-View). For that reason, I smudge out car registrations before posting.

Ah yes, smokers I suspect are already feeling victimised from having to go outside to light up, I think that is why they never look best pleased at people photographing them.

I think the main issue with the Google Street View stuff is that people might be identifiable at their own home which is where it starts to fall foul of the Data Protection laws. My belief is that so long as a photo is primarily of a pub rather than any person in it then that doesn't really infringe their 'reasonable expectation of privacy' as the law puts it. That said I do allow photos of barstaff sometimes, for example when it is clear that it is someone connected with the pub posting it, and in those cases I can often find the photo also on the pubs website or facebook group.

I'm not really sure where things stand when it comes to car registrations, again I think it is more to do with if you can identify a person and their car - but smudging them anyway is a good idea - I will try to remember to do that myself in future.

Occassionally we get a photo of a glass fronted pub taken head on, in those you can sometimes make out a vague reflection of the photographer themself! This is the kind of things that keep me excited on those days when I have 900 photos to go through!

arwkrite
22-09-2009, 12:19
http://www.sirimo.co.uk/2009/05/14/uk-photographers-rights-v2/

There are some useful guides about which explain the laws as regards photography, the Police and your rights.
Having rights though does not stop an irate member of the public attempting to turn your camera in an extra organ in your body, one way or another. I prefer my pub photos to be as clear of extras as possible and I also obscure car reg. plates if I remember to. The camera I use is easily distinguishable as such and I make no effort to hide it. If asked I say my hobby is to photograph every pub in England, Wales or Whatever.There are enough loonies around so I blend in quite well. I must say a collection of smokers around the entrance may be realistic but they do little for the photo.
I recommend you read a guide on the law and try to apply a little common sense when photographing. I do not take photos of strangers and certainly not children but thats my descision. MOD, Airports and Railways are fast becoming a minefield.
There are far more law abiding and innocent photographers in this country than suspected terrorists, the biggest threat to our freedoms are control freaks and law makers.( I amost forgot...and the odd suspicious publican or customer ).

Soup Dragon
22-09-2009, 15:24
carry a can of petrol with you, Mr A, that gets rid of people smoking from around the door.;)

Conrad
22-09-2009, 15:34
carry a can of petrol with you, Mr A, that gets rid of people smoking from around the door.;)
:)

Please note: All opinions printed are the opinions of the individual poster and do not necessarily represent the completely non-smoking administrators of Pubs Galore

Conrad
22-09-2009, 15:44
There are far more law abiding and innocent photographers in this country than suspected terrorists, the biggest threat to our freedoms are control freaks and law makers.( I amost forgot...and the odd suspicious publican or customer ).

Should have said I agree completely with this, the poster I dug out and posted was actually part of a (to my mind rather gifted) MET advertising campaign to raise public paranoia awareness. It does annoy me how carried away they are getting with labelling things. Anyway best get off my soap box.

Farway
22-09-2009, 17:54
There's also the possibility that pub-goers wouldn't want to be identified for whatever reason (see also Google Street-View). For that reason, I smudge out car registrations before posting.

Like Paul & Awkrite, I pixelate car reg & full on faces, just in case the owner of same is in pub with girlfriend when wifey or boss thinks they are working in Skegness

Loved the pics of me photographing, how did you know?

Oggwyn Trench
22-09-2009, 22:49
There are plenty of people happily photographing pubs around my neck of the woods , the Drug Squad .:eek:

Farway
23-09-2009, 11:14
There are plenty of people happily photographing pubs around my neck of the woods , the Drug Squad .:eek:

Reminds me of when I was working in Chester area, my mate & I went into crowded pub for pint and found we had a large space around around us, and we hadn't farted either

Then it dawned on us, we were older age group [mid 30s] and wearing slacks, shirt, tie, jackets, and had shortish hair cuts. The scrots must have assumed were the law of some sort

At least had our pint in peace & quite

arwkrite
23-09-2009, 15:09
I was, many years ago, accused twice of being a Drug Squad member. I was at the time a young Copper but was on holiday both times. I walked into a pub by mistake in West Bromwich and found myself the only white person in the bar. The quicker thinking customers ran for the back door. The slower ones stayed then realised I was solo. It was my turn to leg it out the front door.
The other time I was in a group attending a Military Police T.A course. and the barmaid thought we were coppers pretending to be soldiers. Thinking about it she was pretty shrewd. It seems that the place had trouble with pushers selling to junior soldiers.

Uptill about 15 yrs ago I was a heavy smoker and just gave it up . I do have some pity on the poor souls out in the cold.However it has now become apparent just how much litter smokers produce. Take a look at any smoking area and you will see what I mean.

At one time if you produced a camera some idiot would always act the clown trying to mess up your photo. Now they suspect you of being from one of the multitude of agencies set up to watch people.

Bring back the Clowns , they were much better than a bunch of paranoid smokers.

Conrad
23-09-2009, 15:39
Hi Arwkrite,

Blimey, an (x-)copper, I better hold back on my Met baiting then, although it sounds like you're not in London so maybe not ;).

I have never smoked, although my dad was pack a day man and as I had asthma when younger it kind of swore me off it for life. It is actually a hard subject though, as I am sure it has lost pubs business - many people did like to socialise and smoke. Trouble is it is really nice in pubs that have adapted now, I have noticed that a load of the pubs round Bristol have redecorated and uncovered windows (Sportsman (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/411/) and Bunch of Grapes (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/54712/) as 2 examples), I haven't asked them but it seems likely to me that part of this is just the reduction in smoke polution means that they can keep the windows clean. And speaking as someone who can feel their lungs tighten when it gets too smoky it is also a godsend.

Photography, I would be a bit of a hypocrite to moan too much as I know I cringe whenever I see a camera pointed at me. I do think that part of this is just a rebelious reflex though of being fed up at the sheer quantity of cameras that you feel like are being used against you these days, speed cameras, city center cameras, shop cameras, etc. You're not wrong though bring back the days of the clowns, I guess I'll think twice after this thread before scowling at any innocent cameras pointed in my direction.

Farway
23-09-2009, 16:33
I am also ex smoker [stopped over 35 years ago, when they were 4/2d a packet]

I find I enjoy pubs a lot more now, for me there was nothing worse than peering through a fog of fag smoke, in fact I avoided a lot of pubs for this

Now I find it a pleasure to eat in a pub without someone puffing away next to me

Talking of fag ends outside places, a prime example was my local cop shop, I was going to photograph all the dog ends littered about and send to local rag, but before I got round to it they cleared them up, probably just as well as on second thoughts I, and car, would be marked for life :eek:

Filo
23-09-2009, 17:04
Hi,

I gave up smoking when we lived in Bristol in 1983ish. I started to realize, that if I gave up the fags I would be able to afford to drink more.

Filo :D

Conrad
23-09-2009, 17:32
Hi,

I gave up smoking when we lived in Bristol in 1983ish. I started to realize, that if I gave up the fags I would be able to afford to drink more.

Filo :D

Cripes, loads of non-smokers round here, I am sort of surprised, not generally regarded as a drinkers demographic I would have thought. Although maybe that is a statement about those who enjoy their drink rather than being drunk?

Anyway never realised you had lived in this neck of the woods Filo, although I would have been at school then.;)

Conrad

Filo
23-09-2009, 17:49
Hi Conrad,

Yes we lived in Knowle, at the top of the Wells Road when I was a Supervisor, at Marsh Junction Carriage Depot. I imagine its closed now. Every where else I ever worked seems to be. We lived near a local shopping Centre. I think it was called Broad Walk or something like that. Had a nice little pub there too. I can't remember its name though. Served Courage Ales. One of the supermarkets there, sold Camerons, Lion Bitter in 440 ml cans. I've never seen it anywhere else since.

Senior school I imagine you mean, rather than the infants? :rolleyes:

Filo

Dave M
24-09-2009, 00:01
Hi filo,

Ahh, Knowle, that'd be my part of Bristol then! I'm about a mile further out on the Wells Road, near to the Happy Landings. There used to be a pub opposite Broad Walk Shopping Centre, The Talbot Inn (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/673/), now a Chinese restaurant.

I don't remember much about how things were in 1983 though, I was still in infants school! :D

Dave

Filo
24-09-2009, 01:20
Hello Dave,

I think The Talbot Inn sounds right.

Its a bit of an unusual photo for someone who claims to be in the infants in 1983. You seem to have a 60's or 70's hair style and poor dress sense. Your not kidding me are you?

There was another pub nearby that sold something called "Halls" what would that be?

Filo :o

Conrad
24-09-2009, 15:38
I am on the other side of Bristol so I shall sit back and let Dave try and handle South Bristol geography. In fact I am embarassingly close to the Rovers stadium, I would say close enough to hear them, but sadly they make no noise, but I am close enough to hear the Rugby fans when they cheer.

Also I was indeed just at senior school, Dave is the young'un round here.

Soup Dragon
24-09-2009, 16:14
Wow - go away for a day and the world and their dogs seem to post - not that i will get paranoid!

had my first suspicious gaffer today and took my first phot inside a pub, i really wanted to capture the decorative wood panel and the nice lady in riding boots;)

Dave M
24-09-2009, 16:40
Its a bit of an unusual photo for someone who claims to be in the infants in 1983. You seem to have a 60's or 70's hair style and poor dress sense. Your not kidding me are you?
Ok, so the photo isn't actually me, but it gives a good idea of me - only my hair is a bit better and dress sense a bit worse. ;)


There was another pub nearby that sold something called "Halls" what would that be?
Bit stumped on that to be honest. There was the Red Lion not far away which was demolished about 10 years back, which I think came as no surprise as the regulars seemed to try to demolish it most weekends from what I heard - I was never brave enough to visit. The more likely options would be the Knowle Hotel (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/458/) if you were thinking of a bit of a backstreet boozer or the George (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/382/) if it was on the Wells Road.

Conrad
24-09-2009, 16:48
Ok, so the photo isn't actually me, but it gives a good idea of me - only my hair is a bit better and dress sense a bit worse. ;)

This excerpt (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKHyqjHqQLU) is in no way a normal day with us at the office. :eek:

Dave M
25-09-2009, 00:16
had my first suspicious gaffer today and took my first phot inside a pub, i really wanted to capture the decorative wood panel and the nice lady in riding boots;)
That is very nice wood panelling at the Shoulder of Mutton (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubpictures/39282/), thanks for sharing.

Soup Dragon
25-09-2009, 10:33
different pub, Sonny Jim - i took that as the Shoulder is going to be knocked down for flats apparently

The lady in the riding boots remains in my collection!

Will write the pubs up over next few days

Dave M
25-09-2009, 12:37
Ah ok, I was trying to work out if the person at the bar was a lady and if so was she wearing riding boots. I would've been disappointed if that was the photo you'd been talking about - did think it might be the same place though.

Sorry to hear of the imminent demise of the Shoulder though, looks like a reasonable sort of place.

Dave M
01-10-2009, 16:59
Occassionally we get a photo of a glass fronted pub taken head on, in those you can sometimes make out a vague reflection of the photographer themself! This is the kind of things that keep me excited on those days when I have 900 photos to go through!

Ok, just had a bit of a first. If you take a look at the photo of the bar of the City House (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubpictures/23402/) the photographer has managed to get in his own photo twice!

nogoodboyo
04-10-2009, 01:36
Yes, I can relate to your problem. I find that speed is of the essence, and that the quicker I can take a photo the less attention I draw to myself. I find that inside pubs I tend to be tolerated, if not treated as a simpleton.

hopwas
04-12-2009, 19:26
I remember Once I tried to take photos of pub in Derby which I refuse to name (hint: Soupy and OB have been there)

Anyway.. As I finished my pint, I went out and was about to take a snap. Publican waved at me and called me over so I went over. He queried what Iam doing taking photographs of his pub.

I said simply "It is for pub website called Pubsgalore and we are pub enthusiasts. We try to take photo for every pub in UK"

His response was "Oh sorry.. please do take photographs. Many you can as possible!" He was very keen to advertise his pub on website.

Never had problems since then :D

arwkrite
07-12-2009, 20:49
I have been looking through the loads of photos me and the mrs took on our travels. It surprises me the number of photos I took in the vicinity of a pub without taking an actual picture of the pub. What a wasted opportunity I cannot remember where most were taken, typical!