By Carlos Miller
Usually when I tell people I am a reporter working on a story, they at least try to be professional because they realize I am there to report the truth.
But Tuesday night when I was working on a story about the full moon celebrations that take place on Miami Beach, I met a guy who took an instant disliking to me and did not hesitate to show it.
The man then spent the rest of the night flipping me off each time I pointed the camera in his direction. It wasn’t even like I was singling him out. He was just part of a group of drummers that were part of a larger celebration with people dancing and drinking and just hanging out.
I didn’t even realize he was flipping me off in the first few photos, but you can see him here in the background with his middle finger extended.
I only noticed later on in the night when I moved to the other side of the group to get a different angle. And once I noticed, I zoomed in on him, which is what you see in the top photo.
Obviously the guy had some issues if he allowed a photographer to prevent him from drumming with two hands as everybody else was doing.
The tension between us started much earlier; just minutes after I arrived on the beach and encountered a group of drummers who were getting ready to perform. I plopped myself down on the sand and started interviewing them.
But this one guy had the attitude that I was going to ruin their little secret, which is not much of a secret considering they’re pounding on drums on a public beach all night long. And the event is posted on several internet forums as well as on Facebook.
“We don’t want any articles, we don’t want any tourists to come here,” he told me, obviously forgetting that the beach is open for all.
My original intention was to videotape the drummers, but that required me to use a light, which is very bright.
I understand this, so I was planning on doing some quick pans of the drummers with the light just to give a sense of what is happening.
But even before I even pointed the light in that direction, he started bitching about it.
So I turned off the light because it still wasn’t much going on at that time. And I was trying to be as unobtrusive as I can.
But he said some smart remark that made the others laugh, which I didn’t quite catch but I knew it was directed at me.
But I ignored that as well.
Then a couple of hours later, after I had taken a bunch of photographs – including the one where I didn’t notice him flipping me off – I got in on the other side of the group because I had not shot from that angle.
That’s when I noticed him flipping me off.
So I moved in closer to him and started taking more photos. That was my way of flipping him off.
He was one of 200 people in the event. And he was sitting smack in the middle of the main drum group. Nobody else had a problem with me taking photos.In fact, there were several photographers there with SLRs. And many more with little point and shoots.
And then he started saying something which I didn’t understand, so I moved in closer and asked him to repeat himself.
He was bitching about me taking his photo. If he wouldn’t have been flipping me off, I would have snapped a few photos of the group and moved on.
So suddenly I was looking like the ass.
But today, he is looking like the ass.
Read the story and see the rest of the photos on Miami Beach 411.
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18 responses so far ↓
1 Ms Calabaza // Jul 9, 2009 at 12:26 PM
CLASSSY!
2 genewitch // Jul 9, 2009 at 12:50 PM
don’t use the bad language, that gets the upper crufties angry every time.
3 The Wallbanger // Jul 9, 2009 at 1:40 PM
I think both parties were flexing their First Amendment rights. It’s no crime to be an asshole.
4 cavale // Jul 9, 2009 at 3:08 PM
no, actually, today you’re looking like an even bigger ass.
5 Keith // Jul 9, 2009 at 5:48 PM
Photography may not be a crime, and most of the time I agree with you.
But sometimes it is not appropriate.
6 Ken // Jul 9, 2009 at 7:18 PM
I admire your coverage of police excesses and intrusions on the rights of photographers.
But I would have flipped you off as well.
7 bj // Jul 9, 2009 at 8:29 PM
“But I would have flipped you off as well.”
Why?
8 Ken // Jul 9, 2009 at 8:47 PM
Because of the sense of entitlement. One has a right to photograph people who don’t want to be photographed. That doesn’t make it’s not obnoxious under many circumstances. Particularly when it’s infused with entitlement.
You’re better than this, Carlos.
9 Carlos Miller // Jul 9, 2009 at 8:58 PM
Ken,
I don’t know where you are getting this “sense of entitlement” from.
All I ask is to be respected as a person as well as a journalist.
This guy did neither.
The story I was writing was not about him. It was about the full moon celebration.
Should I not write my story because one guy out of 200 had some issues about being photographed?
Should I just pack up and go home and not get paid for this assignment?
This is my job, Ken. I’m not going to allow some asshole to dictate how to do my job.
I was there from the very beginning so if he really had some issues about being photographed, he could have asked me in a nice manner.
He did not. And even if he did, I wouldn’t be able to promise anything if he chooses to sit with all the other drummers.
But I would have made an effort not to make him the focal point of the photo.
But when somebody I don’t know flicks me off, that’s the equivalent of some stranger on the street saying “fuck you” to me.
If he does that to the wrong person, he is liable to get punched or shot.
10 jake // Jul 9, 2009 at 9:06 PM
If anybody has a sense of entitlement, it is the guy with his middle finger sticking out.
Why doesn’t he just concentrate on his drumming like the other drummers?
He looks to me to be a first-class asshole.
11 Carlos Miller // Jul 9, 2009 at 9:17 PM
It’s funny how the same people who advocate the photographing of cops in public draw the line when photographing non-cops in public.
How is that thinking any different from the people who believe we shouldn’t photograph cops in public?
And it’s not like this guy was trying to have a mellow night at the beach with his family.
He was banging on a drum along with a bunch of drummers. On a public beach.
Sense of entitlement?
This asshole is acting as if he owns the beach.
12 NYCPhotorights // Jul 10, 2009 at 12:38 AM
If anyone is acting like they have a sense of entitlement it is the drummer who does not want to be photographed. He is performing IN PUBLIC, in effect creating what I call an “attractive nuisance”. The very nature of what he is doing attracts gawkers, photographers, journalists, etc. and he should expect it. Otherwise rent a private dance hall and perform there behind closed doors!
13 Kylie // Jul 10, 2009 at 11:54 AM
Having drummed in many public drum circles, I can tell you that anyone who has ever played in a drum circle in public should know that there is a high probability of getting your picture taken by someone, and a decent probability that said picture will end up published in a news story. So, attention all drummers: if you don’t want your picture taken, don’t drum in public. Stick to the private circles on private land. They’re not exactly difficult to come by.
So, yeah, I’d agree that the drummer is the one with the sense of entitlement here, not Carlos.
14 Ken // Jul 10, 2009 at 2:39 PM
That’s up to you. But if you photograph someone who does not want to be photographed (legal), and he reacts by flipping you off at every opportunity and spoiling your shot (legal), you should think twice about writing a post portraying yourself as a victim.
That’s entitlement. You are not, in fact, entitled to respect.
15 Carlos Miller // Jul 10, 2009 at 4:44 PM
Ken,
Really? Entitlement is expressing my First Amendment rights on a blog?
Since when?
16 Ken // Jul 10, 2009 at 6:23 PM
What have your First Amendment rights to do with it? I could go back to my blog and post “I posted my opinion on Carlos Miller’s blog and rather than recognizing how wonderful I am, he disagreed with me. How uncouth!” That would be totally within my First Amendment rights. It would also be insufferably entitled.
You wanted to take a picture of someone. Your right. He didn’t want to be photographed, and didn’t cooperate. His right. You, in turn, (1) complain that most people “at least try to be professional because they realize I am there to report the truth” (entitled), (2) complained that he must have “issues” if he doesn’t want to be photographed by you (entitled), (3) decided to take more pictures to annoy him because you are annoyed he doesn’t want to be photographed by you (entitled), (4) think that it’s his own fault if you annoyed him more because he should have just let you do what you wanted to do (entitled) (5) think that someone asking not to be photographed is “telling you how to do your job” (entitled), and (6) shared this whole story here portarying yourself as a victim (entitled).
Good for you for documenting police abuse and limitations on the rights of photographers. It’s a valuable subject. But this is plain obnoxious.
17 Carlos Miller // Jul 10, 2009 at 7:56 PM
Well Ken, I didn’t realize you were a psychologist as well as a blogger.
How about this scenario?
I show up to the beach before the drum circle starts because I have an interest in sharing this event with my readers.
He immediately tells me that “we don’t want any articles, we don’t want any tourists.”
Wouldn’t that be entitlement?
After all, he’s been hanging out there for a number of years, but doesn’t want anybody else to show up, even though they take place on a public beach.
My intention is to write a positive article because I think it’s cool that people do this once a month on the full moon.
Usually when that happens, I receive positive feedback. This is my experience, not my entitlement.
But I also believe it is common sense to not do anything you wouldn’t want reported in front of a journalist.
Would you speed in front of a cop?
I do think the guy had “issues” because I’ve photographed a number of musicians over the years and I’ve never had such a response.
Usually, they are either so immersed in their music that they don’t care I am photographing them or they are happy that I am taking an interest in their music.
But maybe he is entitled to where he believes he can dictate who can and can’t take his photo in a public function on a public beach.
I only focused on him when he started flipping me off. Perhaps you would have backed away. I rarely back down from anything. That’s my nature. Not my entitlement.
But whatever, Ken.
None of anything you mentioned is entitlement.
But you want to know what might be?
That I don’t give a fuck what you think.
18 dzent1 // Jul 16, 2009 at 11:31 PM
Hilarious! Go read the comments on Carlos’ 411 site.
Gene doesn’t want you to take his bird in your face personally.
Then I can only assume he meant it for the rest of us, since he continually posed for the camera knowing it would find its way into your article.
I see your bird and raise you two, Gene.
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