I see that some look towards at the general public spaces stand: No need to ask in a public space, of course private property is a must ask for permission. Hence, one must be prepared to happen to get into someone's photo.
Or the stand that there should be a asking culture but it does defeat the purpose of candid photography.
Or that we should take into account the feelings of all these public performers (assuming that in this case he was licensed) of being in a public space and not wanting to feel like a freak show.
Let me look at it this way. With the advancement and miniturisation of digital technology, taking pictures is so much easier than ever before, enabling just about anyone to shoot things. In the past, photography was not only an expensive but also time-consuming and skill requiring endevour. (Think of having to use manual cameras and process your own film in a darkroom) Even with the popularisation of the 35mm film format, it was still limited to one camera per family and used for holidays, and grand festivals only. Hence the photographic work of surveying, shooting weddings, portraits were best left to studios and professionals who could churn out generally consistent high quality. It was considered a privilage to be a photographer and have your work exhibited and observed as art. (Some of you guys here might even remember you parents saying not to waste money on photography and film.)
Today, cameras are avaliable cheaply in just about every mobile tech gadget. Teenagers like to camwhore... increased use to take photos stealthly resulting in worldwide reports of the wrongful use of cameras to outrage modesty, prey on little children for sexual objectives, record areas in sequences to plan bombings etc... In Singapore, there was the Yishun MRT videos by JI members (who got arrested thankfully).
Coupled with the advent of online portals such as STOMP where people can snap and upload at the press of a button, influence from media reports upon the wrongful use of cameras and even movies in general, I believe that the old prestige of being a photographer has been degraded severely in Singapore. There are complaints amongst our community of double standards. (EG. Why security guards tend to target locals with DSLRs more than ang-mohs or others with PnS) There also frequent reports of being stopped by guards for shooting construction sites in public (Its a necessary procaution).
If you have watched enough movies, read enough reports, I think you can see that after being weary of real life bomb plots etc in news and watching movies that show the bad guy using DSLRs to target locations, somehow everyone with a DSLR is a bad lot.
I find it stupid to think that terrorists would plot bombing plans with DSLRs when more stealthly PnS and video cams are avaliable. Portals like stomp also degrade photography from an artform of light to a show of the dirtest side of people in full public show. Of course then most people would think of photographers as people who snap shots for self gratification of shaming humour later, post it online for everyone to laugh at etc...
Instead of discerning the symptoms of the increasing disregard for photography (which is the arguements that most have put forth here), I want to show how instead the professionals and advanced enthuasists are being misunderstood. We are artists of the light in our own right. (Refering to the community of amatuers and professionals) Other artists such as baskers (assuming they are really in it for art) have misunderstood what we do and assume we look at them as freakshows (not all do but from the replys this is one of the arguements). Infact, we have been looked upon us as people who block parade views, organising authorities usually give not more importance to event photographers than a pass to walk around but with instructions to do walk here and here and here and just about everywhere, associated with the subject of crime and easily targeted by guards tasked to tell people not to photograph anything.
If anything is to be changed, we society itself to clean up the sterotypical and bad image of our artform. We need to have photography return to its prestigious honour of being an art of light. We cannot have everyone looking at photographers and thinking that their picture will be up on stomp or something. (hence I look upon stomp with much disdain; public reporting though has its good intentions is also being spoilt.) Well, here ends this long post.
