What single thing at faire hurls you off into the depths of rage?

[LadyDracolich]

It's so bad, even my BFF can't deal with it, so most times I just opt out.  I hate watching jousters that clearly CAN NOT ride.  Seriously, learn to ride BEFORE you pick up a lance.  And the next thing that just irritates the crap out of me, fake jousts.  You know, the ones for show.  Hanlan Lee's (sp?) are the worst, IMHO.  Nice guys, can ride decently, but I want to see a REAL joust.  You know, when the fall from the horse WASN'T planned.  That's why I LOVE the Knights of Valour!  Real jousting and great horsemanship.  Plus, the horses in their troop are rescues.   Makes me super happy!

[daggrim]

I agree Merlin.  I must be as old as you!  A little beating never hurt me.  It permanently creates a big red stop sign in your psyche in the shortest possible time. 

[Betty Munro]

This is sort of a response to Seaman Blurt.
I don't care for strangers taking my picture, and especially not taking pictures of my child.  When I see a camera pointed my way, I turn away.  If they persist, I put my hand up and apologize, but no pictures please.  If they are nice enough to ask first, then I respond with, "I'm sorry, no thank you."  I get peeved at the peope that get peeved when I say no.  As if I do not have a right to refuse.  I have no control over what happens to that picture, and I simply do not want to be posted all over the internet.  I certainly do not want my child posted all over the internet for some perv with a child pirate / princess fetish to add it to their collection.  People seem to forget that once they post a picture online it can be downloaded by anyone and used for whatever sick purpose sick people intend.  That does not make the photographer a bad person, but a byproduct of the internet.  I am not insulting them directly, but simply protecting my privacy.  I have been told that if I did not want my picture taken then I should not dress up.  It sucks all the fun out of pirate festivals, I hope there are enough people in garb at the ren faire that I do not have multiple incidents in a day a faire.

Now for my child touching things ... I say "do not touch" so many times that I have considered just making a recording.  Then the darned vendors will say, "oh, it is ok, they can touch it".  Aaarrrrgh.  The trouble with children is that it is all or nothing.  Touch everything or touch nothing.  I touch because I am considering a purchase.  Now that kiddo has been saving allowance all year in preparation for a "real replica non-firing" pirate pistol at Faire this spring, I suppose I will have to make a deal with the vendor that touching only precedes a possible sale, and only under the strictist of supervision, and only after a recent handwashing! 

[Lady Rebecca]

It's so bad, even my BFF can't deal with it, so most times I just opt out.  I hate watching jousters that clearly CAN NOT ride.  Seriously, learn to ride BEFORE you pick up a lance.  And the next thing that just irritates the crap out of me, fake jousts.  You know, the ones for show.  Hanlan Lee's (sp?) are the worst, IMHO.  Nice guys, can ride decently, but I want to see a REAL joust.  You know, when the fall from the horse WASN'T planned.  That's why I LOVE the Knights of Valour!  Real jousting and great horsemanship.  Plus, the horses in their troop are rescues.   Makes me super happy!

Agreed! I don't know what the group is that does a lot of the east coast shows (like Sterling, BARF, and I thought I even saw them at Scarby this year, though I could be wrong), but they do the same joust for every single show, and it is sooo boring! But last weekend, at the Ardenwood Faire in CA, there was a joust by the Imperial Knights, and they were really good! It looked real to me, which was a breath of fresh air, since I've lately just started avoiding the joust at most faires.

And not to start a battle, but I agree with Seaman - I think that by dressing up, you become a part of the scenery at faire, and therefore should expect that pictures will be taken of you. I think it's perfectly acceptable to ask that people not take pictures of your child, but adults are a different matter.

[Merlin the Elder]

Betty, most of the best photos I have seen are close-up shots taken from a distance with telephoto lenses. You wouldn't even be aware of many photos that are probably already out there of you and your daughter. By wearing garb, you are silently agreeing to become part of the faire scenery.

Trust me, I'm not in any way trying to diss you in any way, shape, or form. You, as a parent, have the right and duty to protect your child. I have to wonder, though, if you might be sending an unintentional message to your child—that everyone is a perv and don't trust anyone. I have to hope that the world hasn't disintegrated that much. I have heard of isolated cases of pervs at various faires, but in the many years that I have been going to faire, I have not personally witnessed it.

Some of the very best photographs from faire that exist are of small children with a look of wonderment, amusement, awe—things that very soon they won't have anymore. Stalkwell and his wife took some astounding photographs at Sherwood last year, and despite his name, I trust him and his spouse completely. You and your child are going to be photographed, like it (and know it) or not. I would have to agree with the one person who said that if you don't want to be photographed, don't dress up. It would seem that for your peace-of-mind, that may be your only option.

Manners have been discussed in this thread. When I shoot someone where I am in their sight and obviously wanting to shoot them, I ask. I have had many people ask me to take my picture, and am tickled to death to oblige. Occasionally, if I see someone at a distance, out of the corner of my eye, trying to capture me, I will nonchalantly pause and gaze into the distance allowing them to get their shot. I think it's every person's right to get to shoot a wizard. 

I do hope you find a compromise that allows you to enjoy without feeling at risk, because that does suck the fun right out of faire.

[Lady Gryphon]

Betty, I am your perfect example of the kind of Photographer Merlin is speaking about.  I am usually in Garb myself, with a lens big enough to choke a horse.  This way I can stand back and take a photo of the action.  If I find a particularly unique costume, or someone I know who is cast I may ask for a posed photograph, but most of the time, I'm walking the crowd and trying to get the cast and playtons interacting.  I feel if you dressed up, then you WANT to be part of the day.  It's a public event, therefore I'm really not obligated to ask your permission. I'm tell you this, so you know, not to be a smart @ss.  Release forms are not necessary at a public event such as this. And since you are in garb, to me,  that is a consent to have your photo taken when interacting with cast or a vendor. I'm 10-20 feet away, I'm not listening in on your conversation and I'm not going to interrupt a skit or a conversation to ask permission.  You are a very, very small minority. 

As for taking photo's of children.  If they are on a ride, and I see joy (or some other priceless expression) on their faces I'll take my shot. If I want a photo of them in their garb, I'll ask he child.  Why, because sometime even if the parent says yes, the kid doesn't want a camera lens in their face  and I'll respect that.  So I try to play all the angles and shoot all the angles.  You just never know when a good shot is going to happen.

[Betty Munro]

I don't mind being photographed as part of the scenery, and I love the magic of the telephoto lens.  If all pictures were taken without my knowledge, I wouldn't care at all.  I love taking pictures too, and bring my camera and take tons of photos of strangers.  The distinction is that if it is a single person close up or garb photo, then I ask, and if they said no, then that is ok.  To make the assumption that just because I walk out my front door gives anybody who wants to the right to take pictures of me is not reasonable.  I don't like to pose.  I am simply not photogenic in posed pictures.  Once I see the camera, I just cringe.  I paid the same entrance fee, I am not required to stop and entertain others.  I respect others that enjoy that, and I think they greatly add to the atmosphere at faire, but that just isn't me.  I am not rude or ugly about it, I just say no thank you.  I am offended by those that get pissed off that I don't want to pose for them.  I also don't think it is reasonable to suggest I shouldn't get dressed up if I don't want to play the game the same way most others might.  I don't in any way interfere with others enjoyment of faire, I don't think they should interfere with mine.  I love to talk with people, and have a few silly pirate jokes in my bag, and if someone wants to sit and talk garb or history then I've got all day, but just not the camera in my face please.

Just to clarify the perv issue.  It's not the perv at faire I worry about, but the thousands of pervs on the internet that hunt public photo albulms. 

[Kiss-me-Kate]

improperly worn corsets. Although I do indeed enjoy gazing at women's chests ( hey, I AM a healthy man ) seriously, put your girls in the corset the right way so they aren't just bulging out and showing me EVERYTHING but the, well, you know.........

We call those dead fish at our Fest.   

[kcdcchef]

improperly worn corsets. Although I do indeed enjoy gazing at women's chests ( hey, I AM a healthy man ) seriously, put your girls in the corset the right way so they aren't just bulging out and showing me EVERYTHING but the, well, you know.........

We call those dead fish at our Fest.   

simply awesome!

[Stolenhalo6]

I've had this happen at least three times this year (two different festivals) - I've been looking at something or talking to someone and when I turn my head I find a camera in my personal space getting a very up close and personal picture of my upper bodice/cleavage area.  Take all the pictures you want of me in the scenery or my face or my full outfit, but if you're going to take a zoomed in "porn" shot of my boobs you better darn well ask.  And I don't care if you really like my pins or my bodice, the answer will always be no.  That just crosses the line.  That's what really pisses me off at festival.

[Merlin the Elder]

I don't think any festival operator would approve of this type of behavior. That should be reported to management.

[Zardoz]

If anybody wants to risk damaging their equipment by taking my picture, it's OK with me 

[Sitara]

I've had this happen at least three times this year (two different festivals) - I've been looking at something or talking to someone and when I turn my head I find a camera in my personal space getting a very up close and personal picture of my upper bodice/cleavage area.  Take all the pictures you want of me in the scenery or my face or my full outfit, but if you're going to take a zoomed in "porn" shot of my boobs you better darn well ask.  And I don't care if you really like my pins or my bodice, the answer will always be no.  That just crosses the line.  That's what really pisses me off at festival.

Among my friends, we play a lovely game of "guess the cleavage", but you ALWAYS get permission first. How exceedingly rude not to!

[Seaman Blurt]

I find it amazing that people would have the personality to dress up for faire; to spend lots of cash on garb or lots of time making garb, then not want to be photographed in it. I understand not wanting a camera right up to your cleavage, but on the otherhand if cleavage is displayed in public, i would think a photographer might get the impression that youre not shy. Of course it is good manners to ask, and respect the answer of the playtron. out of curiosity, are cleaveage shots ok with you if they are taken from far away with a telephoto lens>?

[kcdcchef]

I find it amazing that people would have the personality to dress up for faire; to spend lots of cash on garb or lots of time making garb, then not want to be photographed in it. I understand not wanting a camera right up to your cleavage, but on the otherhand if cleavage is displayed in public, i would think a photographer might get the impression that youre not shy. Of course it is good manners to ask, and respect the answer of the playtron. out of curiosity, are cleaveage shots ok with you if they are taken from far away with a telephoto lens>?

the problem with the cleavage thing is there are many characters at faire who are so into their wench act that they promote and enjoy the cleavage shots. not saying it makes it right to do it without asking, 'cause it doesnt, but that is why so many people do it i think.