If you are taking pictures than you must be up to no good

Fortunately I haven't had this happen often, however I have been told a few times that I could not take pictures in a certain place.  This weekend I was taking some pictures at the Wabash Depot Antique Centre In Decatur IL. One of the workers there saw me and said I could not take pictures there.  He said it was because his boss thought that some people would take pictures of items there and then post them on Ebay.  If they sold they would come in and buy the item.  Since I was just about done there I said okay and didn't really think much more about it at the time.  In a way I did wonder why this would be a problem for the store since they might end up making more sales. 

Still looking back on it I do have to admit that I am offended by what I think I will call the photo-paranoids.  First of all I would like to tell them that if somebody wants to take photos with a nefarious purpose there is probably nothing you can do to stop them.  There are plenty of cheap very small cameras that someone can use to take photos with minimal chance of being detected.  There are even cameras that look like pens or that can be hidden in eye-glasses. Maybe you don't keep up on modern technology, however you might as well accept that if people want a certain image they will be able to get it. All you accomplish by these photo bans are to offend people who are openly taking pictures, most likely for their own pleasure, by making the assumption that such people may be out to do you harm. And nobody likes to have someone make such an assumption about them.

Myself when I am taking these photos in antiques shops I am doing so because sometimes there is some interesting stuff there.  Occasionally I post these images to Flickr or put them on another blog that I have.  Most often I mention the shop that I saw the item in.  So by telling me that I can't take pictures a shop may be denying themselves some exposure with my three or four readers.

A pile of point & shoot film cameras a the Wabash Depot.  I did find a couple of things for my Vivitar collection here.  Another booth had some similar cameras, however the prices were such that they likely will never sell.

The Wabash Depot Antique Centre really is a nice store even if they do think that photographers are potential crooks.  If I go there again I may discuss this with whoever is in charge.  Although I generally would like all to assume that all my actions are benevolent.


















Hope this doesn't sound like some kind of rant.  I was going to write about a camera today, however when I had the pictures for the gallery ready I couldn't find the camera I took them with.  Since I generally like to have a camera picture for the post I will have to wait until that camera turns up.