We're in the midst of a war on voyeurism. On the receiving end, if I'm out in public, and I catch a flash of accidental nudity, it'll make my day. I probably wouldn't take a picture of it because 1) it would likely be gone before I got my camera out, and 2) people are really sensitive about having their picture taken, especially in ostensibly "compromising" situations, even though such a picture would be completely harmless in my hands. And even though I don't deny that I am a pervert at heart (and I don't think there's anything shameful about that), I still have to be concerned about my public reputation - and I don't want to be seen as a "creeper". That's a very important distinction. So although I have certain beliefs, I don't necessarily act on them (a novel concept), because I do in fact take into consideration other people's feelings. (I'm not a self-portrait photographer because I'm narcissistic, I'm a self-portrait photographer because I'm the only one whom I can know with 100% certainty - without navigating a complicated social landscape - wants to be in those pictures, and wants them to be shared in the way that I like to share them. So, you see, it's a selfless gesture, not a selfish one. Only taking pictures of myself is a punishment - what I really want to do is take pictures of other people).
I remember photographing attendees at a convention once (where everybody dresses up and takes pictures of each other's costumes). I had my camera out, and in front of me a raver was putting on a performance with a hula hoop. She dipped down, and her underwear was clearly visible beneath her neon tulle skirt. I could have snapped a picture - I probably could have even done it without raising any eyebrows. And I wanted to. But I didn't. Yet that doesn't change the fact that I want to live in a world where that sort of thing is seen as the harmless fun that it is. I pass attractive people on the street (in stores, at the beach, etc.) all the time. I want to take pictures of all of them, just to remember them by. To create a catalog of all the beauty I encounter in the world. The same way that a beautiful sunset makes me stop in my tracks and pull out my camera. But I don't want to make anyone self-conscious. I suppose I could stop them and ask them for a picture - which would be the "appropriate" course of action. But that's also very invasive. I don't want to interrupt them, I don't want to interject myself into their day - I don't want a social interaction, because unlike some people, that's not something I'm very good at. I just want a visual memory of what I've already seen with my naked eyes. What's wrong with that?
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