GDPR, Prohibited Photography - why all the hate?

GDPR, Prohibited Photography - why all the hate?

Seriously, what is going on with the perception of photography at the moment and going back a few years? I see this change in perception of photographers and photography towards something of a threat. I don't recall having read anything in conjunction with any terror events that they were keen photographers and did recon with anything more than a mobile phone, certainly not professional grade equipment such as a dSLR and big white Canon L lenses. For some reason people have developed this intense need to be "private" wherever they go, even in public places. I'm worried. Photography and documentary street photography is an integral part to have a record of everyday history, as well as capturing historic events and without it, or a reduction of it, will result in something of a historic blank canvas - we can't have that! 

At THIS end of school celebration I was NOT informed about

any prohibition against photography, and obviously they are

all posing for photographs... I'm sure all parents and relatives

take pictures for posterity, sharing it here there and everywhere

like one SHOULD do! Out of courtesy rather then necessity
I've blurred the children in the image. 

Going to the kids' end of school celebration this year and having been to a few (at least 15) this was the first time that I heard at one of them (not the one pictured in this post) that photography wasn't allowed of anything bar ONLY your own child. I have no interest in other kids more than that they are classmates, they are there and therefore part of that moment and setting so to exclude them will not just be difficult but also paint an inaccurate picture of the moment. 

I don't mind my children or myself ending up on someone else's camera, as long as there are no malicious intent. Anyway I have no malicious intentions and I do consider myself a protector of this art, industry and profession that is photography so there are very few situations where I agree with photography prohibition - so smile peeps when I take your picture, don't get angry, take is as a compliment and remember the importance of it all. Pervs and people with bad intentions are always going to try and do what they set out to do, probably sneakily and prohibition of photography won't matter to them. 

So how is GDPR going to affect me? I believe that I'm exempt as I'm either taking images and video for artistic reasons, for journalistic (editorial) purposes or purely private purposes. Of course I also do it for commercial purposes, but in those circumstances I exercise full control of the situation/setting/subject and ensure that the imagery is fully released - which is also a criteria to be able to license it for commercial purposes through my agents and/or stock libraries.

Yeah! Kid's summer holiday has begun - finally I get to hang loads with my little homies!

Yeah! Kid's summer holiday has begun - finally I get to hang loads with my little homies!

Lucas giving a thumbs up to summer
holiday!

I love the kid's summer holiday. My family is my favourite people and I adore my children. Having them home (not going to school) during the summer holidays is absolute heaven. We always spend a lot of quality time, but during the summer it is non-stop, which is lovely. Just chilling, chatting, getting up to fun stuff such as Nerfgun shooting, swimming in the lakes, baking rhubarb pie, bicycling around our village, exploring the nature reserve, making movies - anything really. 

I really wish it was like that all-year-around, but right now I'm looking forward to 10 weeks with the bestest people there are - love you guys! Oh yes, the wife is in on the love fest too, a close knit family we are.

Sophie all dressed up for
her class farewell dinner -
looking super cute!

Anyway, just a quick stop-in to share my good mood! 

Starting over fresh or managed to delete everything

Starting over fresh or managed to delete everything

So this is apparently the first post of this blog. I could claim that I'm starting over "fresh", but the truth is that I was in too much of a hurry whilst trying integrate new website and blogger blog with a common domain name (www.carlssoninc.se) that I didn't really understand the consequences of deleting my old blog. 

Now I'm no longer Google Adsense eligible - not that it was any massive income, but still appreciated the tiny trickle that made it's way to me and was hoping to build on it with an increased focus on my part. Anyway, now I have to "prove" myself over the next 6 months to become eligible again...Kind of like YouTube - getting tougher and tougher to earn a cent on the web?

Anyway, first post out of the way - ready to start adding and deliver on that "increased focus" I mentioned above!