I can understand the parent's hysteria since I work for law enforcement and
have worked cases where someone was "just taking pictures" and it was much
more than that.

I wouldn't cancel your invite. Let others know why your there (nephew) and
shoot away. If you don't feel comfortable about what other parents might be
thinking, then make sure you shoot just your nephew.

I have photographed children in Scouts, on school field trips, at parties,
etc., and I make sure the parents know who I am and why I'm shooting. Most
of the time I supply a photo CD for those families I talk with. After a
while, everyone knows I'm "the photo guy" and they expect me around.

Cheers!
Dave

I was ask by my church to do pictures of the Christian Child
Development classes at work for a church newsletter.  When I got
there, the teachers had to take out all the children whose parents
hadn't signed releases to allow them to be photographed. I would say
over half had not signed the releases.

I thought it was utterly insane.  It was for their own church's
newsletter.  
**********************************************************

"A combat photographer should be able to make you see the
color of blood in black and white"

                    David Douglas Duncan
                Speaking on why in Vietnam
             he worked only in black and white
     http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/exhibitions/online/ddd/

I teach some classes at the local community college.  With all the hoopla
surrounding teachers and students these days I'm afraid to brush up against
any of them for fear of a lawsuit.

Western societies are on a destructive roller coaster with all this PC
nonsense.  I see in Queensland, Australia now, they are issuing 'blue
cards' to people who have anything to do with children - photogs, bus
drivers, school caretakers, sunday school teachers, etc, - even school
crossing supervisors!  These cards are issued only after a police check
into the applicant's background.  I don't know what the penalties are
for not having one, but job adverts for positions that interact with
kids specify that applicants must hold a blue card.  Have a look at:

http://www.uq.edu.au/hupp/?page=25004&pid=24963

I guess photogs will soon be restricted to no photography of any persons
at all, and landscapes, animals, and inanimate objects will be the only
allowable subject matter - as long as it doesn't clash with somebody's
ideas of 'security'.

They say that democracy has within itself the seeds of its own
destruction, I guess meaning that democratic societies can harbor
enemies of the system.  I think the real seeds of destruction are the
fanatical pressure groups, various people and committees with axes to
grind, even governments who, while not openly opposing democracy, insist
that their views and ideas are acted upon to the detriment of the rest
of the people.

The obvious example of this destructive trend is the spreading belief
that all people with a camera are potential paedophiles, definitely
enhanced by the advent of camera phones.  There are other examples, like
banning advertising pictures of children modelling underwear;
fluoridation of water supplies; compulsory wearing of seat belts in
vehicles; compulsory security fencing of home swimming pools - including
the blow-up plastic pools that hold about a foot of water (New Zealand
law, despite the fact that open drains, ponds and lakes in public parks
etc are not required to be fenced at all); attempted banning of certain
words, like 'manhole' (required is 'person-hole', 'mankind'; use of s/he
or she/he or he/she to eliminate perceived sexual discrimination, etc,
and many others.  All of these restrictions have come about through
pressure from vocal minority groups, and not general consensus.

I haven't any ideas on how to reverse this dangerous trend.  I guess it
will end with some kind of anarchy when the PC movement finally
oversteps the bounds of what the man in the street will accept.

It's at the stage now where I feel guilty if I photograph my
grand-daughters, so the photographic record of our family has few
pictures of the girls, those we do have have been taken by my wife.

Colin D.

Don't back out!  Go, take photos, and make sure everyone knows A) that
you were ASKED to take photos and B) that you are there to take photos
of your nephew.  You have a right to do this, and more importantly we
all need to do everything we can to keep this hysteria from stopping
innocent and legitimate activities like taking photos of a relative's
child playing sports.

The other suggestion about wearing a shirt with a label is a great
one.  I'm going to get shirts that say "event photographer" to wear
when I do photos at events.

jc

Have you never seen shots on TV of ladies mud-wrestling? I presume some
people do find it arousing, like over-the-top wet t-shirts. Some people only
have to hear of someting kinky to assume that everyone (else) is "at it"...

Mike.

Hmmm. Time was when anyone who publicly suggested that somebody was a
pedophile would have been equally publicly assaulted.

If someone defamed me that way they would be hearing from my lawyer.
Seems about time to start fighting this garbage with the same weapons
and attitude that began it.