If you are into photography or videography, you have likely faced the question: should you ask for a photo every single time at an event? A recent experience at a local Halloween market brought it into focus for me. I was there to capture the atmosphere, the feel, and the experience of this event in a documentary style. This was my first time attending this market. I also make videos highlighting photography at fun events like anime conventions.
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| One of the buildings used at the Halloween market. |
For the most part, the day was filled with positive interactions. The market was filled with awesome, creative people who were more than happy to let me photograph them and their products. I made a point to ask many of the vendors for their permission to take photos of their wares, and their welcoming responses were a highlight of the event.
I rarely took photos of the vendors, but each time in that case I'd ask. This article is focusing more on photographing the products and what could also be considered art that is being sold. The art would be where the issue stems from mostly.
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| A vendor gives permission. |
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| EVKami, one of my convention scene friends at the event. |
However, in the course of documenting the event, I did not ask for permission at every single booth. As you might guess, this eventually led to a confrontation. An individual approached me and asked if I could get the artist's permission before taking pictures.
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| When I was confronted. In the video I had blurred the GoPro footage and altered the voice. |
I simply said "okay" and later deleted the photos I had taken there. The request was reasonable, and the interaction was not really hostile, but it left me thinking about the nuances of this situation.
As a documentary style photographer, my goal is to capture the event so I have no intent to try and duplicate prints or some other malicious use of photos.
In a busy market, there is also a practical aspect. Vendors are often busy with customers, and I do not want to interrupt a potential sale just to ask for a photo. Especially on a long day when my own social battery is running low, the thought of initiating a conversation at every one of the dozens of booths can be especially tiring.
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| Discussing with my friend composition and lighting we saw in this area. |
This situation also highlights a growing concern in the art world: the rise of artificial intelligence. An artist might worry that photos of their work, once uploaded online, could be scraped for AI training. This might lead to their style or specific works being used without their consent. It is a valid concern, and it adds another layer of complexity for photographers who simply want to document and share.
Though, I will say when you release work into the public then there's only so much you can do. I face this with my videography and photography. Over the years I've had many attempts of people re-uploading my camera reviews on YouTube in an attempt to use my work to generate affiliate sales for them. YouTube's systems catch a portion of this, but I assume there is more I don't see.
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| Walking around the market. |
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| Convention photography |
Conventions that I attend have their own set of unwritten rules. If people are already photographing a cosplayer, it is generally acceptable that you can join in without asking. Though I might still try to make a motion to be acknowledged before taking a photo. In those situations, the cosplayer is already posing so interrupting to ask feels redundant.
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| At a Renaissance Faire photographing the joust. You obviously can't ask in that situation. |
Ultimately, my photography and videography are part of a larger whole. The photos I take at an event like this are not focused so much on the products or art themselves but rather a little piece of what people can experience there.
The photos and video clips are a puzzle that I combine with thoughts and feeling of an event. The goal is always to document and share, usually with a focus on the positive and creative aspects that I see.
The point is that I think it depends, but I'll try to be more consistent with asking. There's the potential of getting a more fulfilling experience in that case compared to the more fly-on-a-wall experience of the event.