Round Robin: Stealth Photography in the Park

For Round Robin Challenge: In the Park, I asked for photos taken in a park, any kind of park, preferably with people enjoying the place. I have a zillion photos in my archives of Gene C Reid Park and other Tucson area parks, and I figured that in a pinch I could surely find something to post that I hadn't used before.

From Reid at Random

But today when I left work I headed for 22nd Street instead of my usual route, knowing I'd be passing at least two parks between the freeway and home. There were three, actually. At least one of them is frequented by homeless people in the daytime, but I chickened out of trying to photograph evidence of this. Instead, after an agonizing interlude of stop and go traffic with no discernible cause, I made it to Reid Park, site of so many past photo shoots. The dogs weren't with me, but that was okay, because I was in a hurry. After a brief drive around the ballpark, I parked near 22nd Street, jumped out of the car and followed behind this mother and her daughter as they headed for the duck pond.



I felt like a bit of a stalker, but that didn't stop me from taking several pictures of these two people, all from behind. To be honest, I'm too shy to go up to people all the time and ask whether I can photograph them. I very seldom ask, in fact. I'd rather take candid photos from a distance. In a public park, according to my courses in Business Law, one has less of a "reasonable expectation of privacy" than in other places. And by photographing the little girl only from behind and at a distance, with no identifying name, address or facial features, I give potential stalkers, kidnappers, etc. no basis for targeting this particular anonymous child.



But come on! Even from behind, she's pretty cute! And I mean that in the nicest, least predatory way possible!



Of course, the mother and child weren't the only people in that part of the park this afternoon. These two women, for example, were having a chat, apparently oblivious to the birds that surrounded them.



And I snapped this gaggle of youth, again at a distance with no identifying features to speak of.



Still, there was one photographic subject in the park today that I didn't have to sneak up on. This scrap metal elephant is a new addition to the collection of large art installations at Reid Park.

Now let's see what and whom the other Robins found in the park!

Linking List
As of 12:22 PM MST Saturday

Karen - Posted!
Outpost Mâvarin
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Sweet Memories
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Day One
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Worth A Thousand Words
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My Photography in Focus
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hip chick
hip chick photos
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Keyhole Pictures
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JennyO
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Karen