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I'd like to take photos of someone's canal boat home


Sam Watson

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Hi

 

I am a local photographer and I'm trying to organise a 2020 calendar to sell in aid of the Oxford Homeless Project. I'm trying to get photos of different types of homes in Oxfordshire (I'm thinking homes for the homeless as a theme) and would love to get some photos of a canal boat home. If you'd be willing to let me come and see you sometime (would need to be a weekend or in the school holidays) then please can you let me know? If you're happy to be in shot that would be great, but if not just your boat would be fine.

 

I'm not looking to make any money myself, just sell some calendars to help the project that provides dinner every fortnight at Oxford's Asian Cultural Centre. And I just think I should have permission from home owners before using pictures of their homes.

 

Thanks,

Sam Watson (www.inanyeventphotography.co.uk)

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Hi Sam and welcome to the forum and what in interesting project you have there. It's really thoughtful of you to seek boaters to work with, all too often this isn't the case. Good luck with putting the calendar together. 

 

I'm just going to repost the link to your website because for some reason it hasn't come up as a clickable link in your post. 

 

https://inanyeventphotography.co.uk

 

 

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To be honest I think a walk along the towpath on a Sunday would give you lots of opportunity to chat to the live-aboard boaters along the canal. I am sure someone would be happy to let you take some photos. The live-aboards start 2 boat lengths from the end of the canal and extend for several 100 yards, then then there is another long length of them further one (maybe a mile or so)>

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9 minutes ago, reg said:

Or a short trip up to thrupp may prove a bit more photogenic.

 

I have to say, Sam's post raises all manner of unease in my mind for reasons I find hard to analyse. Partly it is a possible subconscious association in her request with boats being one step up from homelessness (true in some cases but in others, the boats cost more than houses), not helped by the state of some of the wrecks on the Agenda 21 moorings on the Oxford. 

 

Secondly, that photos of homes (not necessarily boats) for a calendar in aid of the homeless seems faintly inappropriate. All this feels a bit mean to say, but if other have felt similarly it might explain the strange lack of response to her post. 

 

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2 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

Partly it is a possible subconscious association in her request with boats being one step up from homelessness

It's funny you should say that because I nearly mentioned that in my first post. 

 

When Sam said "(I'm thinking homes for the homeless as a theme)" I did think about mentioning that for many of boaters living on a boat is a first choice option not a means of staving off homelessness. Even boats that don't look particularly shiny cost quite a lot to buy (compared to finding the 'the month and month in advance' that you would need if renting) and the less shiny and the less they cost to buy the more effort and and money they cost to maintain. So while they might be an alternative option for people who are saving for a down payment on a house they are not going to be an option for someone facing homelessness and desperately scrabbling for some security.

 

Having said that, I'm all for people helping to help the homeless, and that this as an observation rather that a criticism. 

 

 

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I had similar initial feelings on first seeing the post but after reading the blog came to the conclusion that this was a genuine project aimed at helping the homeless and for that reason I gave it my best wishes. However I do take your point that the link between homelessness and boat ownership could easily be misconstrued and also if I was homeless I suspect the last thing I would want to look at is photos of other people's homes.

The OP asks on her blog if anyone has any suggestions on what the subject matter should be for this project calendar so maybe suggestions might be forthcoming. Slightly tricky as it needs to not offend the homeless but still needs to be of artistic and commercial value to generate sales.

Possible subject matter which meets the seasonal brief could be foragable plant life?

Edited by reg
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Whilst I would never condone intentionally offending the homeless, I don't think the target for sales includes them, so if the more well off are encouraged to buy the calendar and by so doing help those less well off - good luck to the lady in her endeavor.

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22 minutes ago, Mike Tee said:

Whilst I would never condone intentionally offending the homeless, I don't think the target for sales includes them, so if the more well off are encouraged to buy the calendar and by so doing help those less well off - good luck to the lady in her endeavor.

Quite agree, and a calendar of homes ranging from boats to chocolate box cottages to stately homes might be intended to make people think about what a home means to them.

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29 minutes ago, Mike Tee said:

Whilst I would never condone intentionally offending the homeless, I don't think the target for sales includes them, so if the more well off are encouraged to buy the calendar and by so doing help those less well off - good luck to the lady in her endeavor.

Absolutely, good luck to Sam and her project it think it's a brilliant thing to do. 

 

A huge issue with being homeless is the lack of dignity, when we think of people being homeless our first thoughts might be of the cold nights, or the inability to have decent cooked meal, but there is also a relentless grinding down and chipping away at dignity, self esteem, and self worth; it doesn't matter that the people being helped don't see the product that is being sold to help them, their dignity should still be preserved. 

 

I am in no way suggesting that Sam wouldn't preserve anybody's dignity in her project. I'm just following along on a talking point. 

 

4 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

Quite agree, and a calendar of homes ranging from boats to chocolate box cottages to stately homes might be intended to make people think about what a home means to them.

That is the job of an artist really, isn't it; to take what might be over looked and present it in a way that makes people think and talk about that which would other wise be over looked. 

 

 

Edited by Tumshie
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1 minute ago, TheBiscuits said:

Quite agree, and a calendar of homes ranging from boats to chocolate box cottages to stately homes might be intended to make people think about what a home means to them.

 

Yes it is clear that the target market for these calendars is not homeless people, and the OP's intentions are wonderful. I guess I posted to kick off discussion because I feel certain groups *could* easily end up feeling rather, or highly, offended by the project, a totally unintended side effect and unexpected by the OP. Whether these peeps be the owners of scruffy boats, homeless people, I'm not sure but there seems a lot of scope here for someone to take umbrage. 

 

 

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1 hour ago, Mike Tee said:

Whilst I would never condone intentionally offending the homeless, I don't think the target for sales includes them, so if the more well off are encouraged to buy the calendar and by so doing help those less well off - good luck to the lady in her endeavor.

Plenty of well off people on this Forum many own multiple boats and houses.

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3 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Yes it is clear that the target market for these calendars is not homeless people, and the OP's intentions are wonderful. I guess I posted to kick off discussion because I feel certain groups *could* easily end up feeling rather, or highly, offended by the project, a totally unintended side effect and unexpected by the OP. Whether these peeps be the owners of scruffy boats, homeless people, I'm not sure but there seems a lot of scope here for someone to take umbrage. 

 

 

Possible I suppose, but there are some people who can take umbrage at anything. Some seem to have it down to an art form.

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I'm a bit confused - I posted (or thought I had posted) a reply at lunchtime, but it doesn't seem to have appeared. So I'll try again.

 

I want to say thank you for the replies, you've certainly given me something to think about. Firstly I never intended any offence, to anyone. I wasn't trying to imply that canal boats were a step up from, or some sort of alternative to, being homeless, or anything of that nature. I guess my comment "homes for the homeless" was me thinking that pictures of homes could be sold to raise money to help the homeless. And I'm honestly not wanting to be inappropriate, but I thought that a set of photos of nice looking or interesting homes may have sales potential - and no, homeless people are not the target audience. I've sent my proposal to a woman who helps run the project and had no complaints from her.

 

But thank you for highlighting to me how a well-intentioned idea can be misinterpreted, or simply viewed differently. I'll try to be very careful how I phrase and present things.

 

Best wishes.

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4 minutes ago, Sam Watson said:

I guess my comment "homes for the homeless" was me thinking that pictures of homes could be sold to raise money to help the homeless.

Ah now that makes better sense. :D

 

Are you having any luck contacting people, do you feel you're making progress?

 

 

 

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3 minutes ago, Tumshie said:

Ah now that makes better sense. :D

 

Are you having any luck contacting people, do you feel you're making progress?

 

 

 

I've got agreements from Blenheim Palace and a lady who sells dolls' houses to take photos for a calendar. I'm trying to get permission from a few other places, including the Pendon museum (scale model homes) and the CSLewis Foundation. I've got my eye on a couple of nice-looking ("chocolate box" type) homes, will need to be brave and ring the doorbell I guess! Some friends with a camper van have said I can stage a photo including their van, and I'm going to stage a cosy "tea table" scene in my own house. The idea is to also include some information about the Oxford Homeless Project, the work they do and how people may be able to support it.

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That's fantastic, and the more you think of ideas the more ideas you think of. ?

 

When the calendar is ready it would be lovely if you could let us know how and where we can purchase it. 

 

 

 

 

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1 hour ago, Sam Watson said:

Firstly I never intended any offence

I don't think you have. If you stick around long enough you will find that playing 'devil's advocates' is a time honoured tradition on this forum, which IMHO isn't (always) a bad thing. Soon you may find that the thread appears to disintegrate into inane chatter this is often done to keep a thread alive and prominent and keep it near the top of the list. Mind you sometimes it's just inane chatter?

Edited by reg
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5 hours ago, catweasel said:

Possible I suppose, but there are some people who can take umbrage at anything. Some seem to have it down to an art form

I'm highly upset by that assertion?

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