- Don't you often get beaten up when you take pictures of other people's cars?
The question comes from a colleague who lives some distance outside the city centre. Sometimes I get offers for a beating, but not when I take pictures of other people's cars.
Not yet.
Take a picture = publish a picture
If you take pictures to put in your own desk drawer, there are almost no limits to what you can snap. The limitations lie in what you can publish. I mention this because "everyone" who takes pictures today shares them on social media. And even if you only save "in the cloud" without publishing, you can never completely protect yourself against the images becoming visible to others but yourself.
Public or private space?
As a general rule, you can freely take photos of public roads, streets and car parks - even if there are people and cars there. In many ways, it becomes like an old postcard. Cars and people are part of the motif and show ordinary everyday life, as long as you don't focuses on them. Pictures of private rooms should not be published without further ado. The distinction between public and private is not always so simple.
When does a motif go from being a street picture to becoming a picture of private property?
If the subject consists of a car located on private land, such as a driveway, it becomes private. If the subject is extended to several buildings, public street sections, parks and the like, it falls more towards a street scene. Then the car in the driveway becomes part of the street.
Have a purpose!
Before taking the picture, you should ask yourself why you are doing this. Why that particular car? Here on Terje's cars we take pictures of cars that are exclusive, special, rare or old - apart from the ones we drive ourselves. The reason you should know the purpose is to be able to respond quickly if someone suddenly exclaims:
- Hello! Why are you taking a picture of my car?
Imagine if you meet an owner who is both celebrity - and driving Classic Ferrari for sale? Do you take a picture of a nice one bil, or the car of one celebrity? Your answer is important to avoid misunderstandings. Less serious is when the owner does not know that he or she is driving around in a particular car. An elderly lady in France hardly understands that her old Renault 4 was supposed to be special. She may think you are taking a picture of her car to ridicule her. Then it's nice to be able to give a short story that someone in the family has owned the same car once upon a time - and that her car brings back good memories.
To ask, or not to ask?
You don't have to ask the owner to take a picture of a car as long as it's parked on public land - if you're just taking a "postcard", as it were. If the owner is nearby, it's polite to ask for permission - that way you won't have to include the owner in the picture. If the car is on display at a meeting or exhibition, you are free to take pictures - without asking. If the owner is nearby, you can of course use the opportunity to get some details about the car, but I think very few car owners want to be asked a hundred questions about taking pictures. If you want special photos of the interior and engine, you should ask. Then it would be nice if you could explain what the pictures will be used for. Most people who exhibit their "nice car" like nice pictures to be taken.
Cover for car numbers and ID marks?
Imagine sharing photos of a sought-after vintage car. A few days later, someone steals the rare wheel caps from the car. Any connection? If the car number was shown on your photo, others will be able to track down where the car belongs and get parts. That is one of the reasons why you should hide car numbers and other ID marks. But do you always have to do it? Many cars are popular photo subjects. They figure in many places on the web. In London, for example, carspotters often hashtag the license plates on their social media. The rule here should be to hide the number of valuable and special cars if they are photographed on the street, - or in any case, if you know that the car rarely participates in meetings and exhibitions.
Relationship to privacy
Another reason to cover up the car number is for reasons of privacy. Imagine if someone reads your page and sees that their spouse's or colleague's car was parked in a completely different place than the person said they were? Imagine the great personal consequences that can occur if the spouse finds out that the car was parked outside the mistress's house!
As a general rule, no person should be able to identify themselves in photos that are published. If the photo was taken at events, the situation is different. It is expected that pictures will be taken there. Everyone does it. Nevertheless, one should not publish photos where individuals dominate the subject. This applies especially to children and young people. They must be retouched away. Also watch out for reflections and reflections in the paint.
