Much less of an issue here, depending on the place and circumstances, Tim. Generally it is difficult to stop people from wanting their photograph generated! These guys were genuinely pleased that I was interested in what they were doing, and how they were doing it. Go into any shopping mall with a camera though and you are sternly warned to not take images – mainly due to concerns about counterfeiting, I believe. I’m also very careful when I go into ‘communities’. I lok to build a rapport with the people and then ask if I can make some images with them. I also look to create prints to take back to them. This makes a massive difference on how I am accepted next time I go.
I’m about to prepare for an ‘exhibition’ in the village next to the Centre – getting images printed and laminated to go on the fence that surrounds the premises. I’m hoping the images will stay for a day or 2 for all to see and then they disappear as the people in them take them for their own homes. This, I know will open up even more doors to me being able to get more involve photographically in the local community.