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Photography in the Byward Market: I had my first "incident" as a photographer last night in the Byward Market.
Prelude to a story: I am taking a photography course at the Ottawa School of Art (OSA). I needed to finish a few frames before my class at 6:30pm. Since the school is located beside the Byward Market, I thought it would be easy to shoot a few remaining frames - flowers, fruit, veggies - easy.. The Incident: "If I wanted photographs, I'd hire a photographer."I knelt down at the flower stall closest to the OSA to photograph some tulips in a bucket. Then the vendor swooped in - arms waving - and saying "no photographs, no photographs!" What? I tried to reason with her. Me: I'm taking a photography course at the OSA. (It's less than 20 metres away) Her: I don't care. Me: I run a popular website where I post a photo a day from Ottawa. Her: I don't care. Me: It was featured in the Ottawa Citizen last week. Her: I don't care. You know the old adage, "Get good service tell a few people, get bad service tell the Internet." Reaction:  It was a small annoyance in the large scope of city issues, but her tone and attitude stuck with me for the rest of the night. I don't want visitors to the Byward Market treated this way and I certainly don't want someone's impression of Ottawa ruined by one cranky woman. So, what are your rights when it comes to street photography? I called the Byward Market Business Association: The person I spoke to confirmed that there are no rules concerning photography in the market as it is an outdoor "public space." She has no legal right to refuse a photo - especially if the photographer is standing outside the chalkmarked area. Follow up: Curious by the vendor's reaction, I asked another vendor if she had any feelings or issues concerning photography in the market. She did not. She understood that the market is not only a public space, but a popular tourist attraction. Photos are inevitable. As she said, a good photograph is good publicity... and a nice memory. So, if you are in the Byward Market. Take lots of photos. Then take more. Final word: Today is entry #500 at placeandthyme.com! The black and white photos were processed in my class last night and shot on Ilford FP4 film. Comments
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