Observe a minutes silence.... or not

[GTP 290]

Well the Mount Isa rodeo has come and gone for another year. As usual I was down in the corporate area happily snapping away, however I was slightly disturbed by something that happened during the opening ceremony. As a part of the opening the crowd and participants were asked to observe a minutes silence as a mark of respect for one of the great rodeo callers that had passed in the months leading up to this event. So while standing I lowered my canon with 100-400 held by my side, not a sound was heard throughout the arena. Well that was until the large lady standing beside me held her gripped nikon D700 with 70-200 2.8 up and started snapping away. Now I know this lady personally through my day job and although she is a keen photographer I know as a fact that she is not a professional and was not paid to be there. I found it highly disturbing that all I could hear was her shutter going. I can understand if she wanted to get a shot or 2 off but it sounded like she had it set on high speed continuous and held the button down for about 45 seconds. For a paid photographer to do this I would not have any issue as they would need that shot as a part of the job they were doing/getting paid to do.

Personally I found this disrespectful and from the looks she was getting from the other people around her I could tell I wasn't the only one feeling this way. Has anyone else on this site come across this at any event? and am I being overly emotional about this or do others think she may have crossed a moral boundary?

[ricktas]

Yes!

It amazes me how so many will stop for a horse race (Melb Cup) in their workplaces etc, but when it comes to Remembrance Day (11/11) at 11.00 they just work right through it. We do an announcement over the hospital P.A system, and its amazing the number of people who will stand, heads bowed, in respect, while others just walk around them and talk all the while!.

[jim]

Obviously that lady is special and the minute's silence didn't apply to her, as it may have interfered with her photography.

[ameerat42]

Well, at least they got to observe a minute of a scatterbrain:(

[Speedway]

Thats discusting and I would have told her so after.
Different but similar, I went to see the Panda's at Adelaide Zoo. Three attendants told the group to turn off flashes before going to the enclosure as they were not to be used, and added that if anyone did not know how to turn it off the keepers would show them. We got to the enclosure and a couple of flashes went off the woman standing next to me was one so I pointed out to her that flashes were not permitted, her reply was she had payed and was entitled to use it. When I replied very loudly that there were some very ignorant people still using flashes after being told not to, many of the people there turned around to see her flash fire, with the looks she got she left the area fairly quickly. One of the keepers came over with a big smile on his face and thanked me.
Keith.

[GTP 290]

Well I'm in a bit of a tricky situation with my position in my day job because if I did say something and she took it the wrong way she could've made my job fairly difficult as technically she is above me in the chain of command but not so much in charge of me. Basically I am an adult apprentice boilermaker and she is head of the electrical apprentices and although I she isn't my boss, she would have some degree of say when it came to my tafe work.

[ricktas]

Well I'm in a bit of a tricky situation with my position in my day job because if I did say something and she took it the wrong way she could've made my job fairly difficult as technically she is above me in the chain of command but not so much in charge of me. Basically I am an adult apprentice boilermaker and she is head of the electrical apprentices and although I she isn't my boss, she would have some degree of say when it came to my tafe work.

best to keep quiet. Someone else will end up telling her, if she is this rude again. I have a habit of opening my mouth and saying stuff to strangers if they are out of line, but for your career, it's better if it isn't you.

[Dylan & Marianne]

While I agree that it is poor form and disrespectful to be doing things like that, I also feel the same way about those who make it a point to police the issue from a completely random viewpoint.
You already know the person has a problem, you are on the moral high ground, if there are authorities present and do not feel strongly enough to act, you'd need to be pretty assured of all the mitigating circumstances before taking on that role yourself.

I remember once when I had asked permission to shoot at a location that is usually off limits , yet so called do-gooders abused me while driving by to get the F%^&^k off private property.
it may not happen much, but all that self policing did from a position of ignorance was result in unnecessary griefing - and what did it gain the public police? a sense of 'ha!????
call me passive, but I tend to let tools be tools (unless something is being threatened eg. in the panda case, your intervention did potentially protect physical harm and not a value - prized as it may be)

[Scotty72]

Agree with Dylan.

The only thing worse than those committing a social faux-paus is those self appointed 'moral police' who stick their unwelcomed noses into the business of others without attempting to avail themselves of the facts.

But, even in this situation, where the OP may know the circumstances, I cannot help but think:

Either the playing of the Last Post (etc) is a solemn occassion or it is not. In other words, why would it be any different if the annoying sound of a shutter came from a keen amatuer or a paid photographer? Being a photographer does not, or should not, be considered a licence to not show respect where it is deemed appropriate to show such respect.

As for this lady, what if she were trying to capture the moment because it had special significance to her or; for a sick relative who could not be there etc.

[Bally]

I'm with Scotty, not something I thought I would ever say :D . I think we are in no position to judge why a person would not respect a minutes silence. Probably, highly likely even, just piss poor form and lack of manners, but it might be something else altogether. And I think it is even poorer form not to respect the other people paying respect. So she may have been wrong on two points, or none. It is a big ask to request a minutes silence for anyone and expect 100% agreement. We are all too prone to failings to expect that, even if our failing is just being too bloody judgemental.

Live and let live

Cheers