Dancing through life...

This past weekend I decided that henceforth, whenever some random creeper tries to take my photo at NYRF, I am simply going to stick my finger up my nose. This decision was prompted by too many years of having to deal with people who are incredibly rude in their attempts to snap a picture of the cute little fairy. A recent example involved me having to turn my back on a guy who was trying to take my picture while I was about to sneeze.

I imagine that there are some people out there who would like to know how NOT to be that random creeper, or (as they are refered to in some circles) a Guy/Girl With Camera.

Basically, it comes down to this: Obey Wheaton's Law.

More specifically...

People are not objects to be photographed. That potted plant may not care about constantly having cameras pointed at it, but a person will. You need to take their feelings into consideration before taking the lens cap off. Hell, I've been shooting Elmo and Zoe (Rich's mom's cats, for those of you who may be new here) since they were kittens, and sometimes they just don't want anything to do with the camera! Which brings us to our next point...

Show some damn respect. If someone doesn't want you to take their photo, don't take their photo. If you've taken a photo of someone and are asked to delete it, apologize, delete the photo, and then (this is important) do not bitch about being asked to delete a photo on FaceBook. (Or anywhere else, for that matter.) The world does not revolve around you and your camera. People have a right to tell you no, and you need to respect that. Don't take an attitude with people who don't want to be photographed. Your rights are not being infringed upon.

Do not interrupt someone while they are going about their business. In addition to the man who tried to photograph me mid-sneeze, there was a guy who interrupted a sale to try to get my picture, and another who interrupted a personal conversation I was in the middle of. I was taught when I was very small not to interrupt people unless it was an emergency. Your photo does not constitute an emergency.

If you want to take a photo with someone, ask! This should be very obvious, but unfortunately it isn't. It has only happened to me once or twice in ten years, but a friend suggested I add it here because she encounters this problem fairly frequently. It is really incredibly rude to just stand next to someone, put your arm around them, and have your friend snap a picture. If you do this, do not be surprised if the person you're trying to photograph refuses to be in your picture.

Introduce yourself to the people you want to photograph. Again, they are people, not objects. They might be more amenable to having you take their picture if you say hello, tell them why you're taking pictures, and most importantly, tell them where the photos will end up. Several years ago, I had a problem with a gentleman who was selling prints of me on the internet without my permission. If I have to explain to you why that's not ok, you probably should put your camera away until you figure it out.

If you act like a creeper, people will assume you are a creeper. This is strongly related to the above point, but I think it needs to be said. If you act in a suspicious manner, if you are using a camoflauge lens, if you are primarily interested in taking pictures of young girls, do not be surprised when people assume you're a total creep, and treat you accordingly. Unfortunately for you, once people come to the conclusion that you are a creep, there's really no going back after that. You're branded for life.

In conclusion, unless I know you to be a person who follows the above rules, you will be unable to photograph me without my finger in my nose. For the record, Lars was so tickled by my new plan that he asked if he could take a such a photo. Lars most definitely does NOT fall into the Guy With Camera category.

For those of you who may be new to this blog, Rich's mom has two cats. Elmo MacPurrypants, the Twenty Pound Kitten of DOOM is quite possibly one of the friendliest beasts on the planet. If you have hands, that means that you were meant to pet him. He LOVES being groomed; as soon as you pick up the kitty brush he will rush to your side from wherever he is in the house, already purring.

Zoe is slightly less friendly. She has a more typically cat-like personality, only allowing a select few humans to love upon her. Unlike Elmo, she won't let anyone within five feet of her if they happen to be in possession of a kitty brush.

This leads to difficulties, as she is a long haired cat. She gets a bit matted, and OH THE HAIRBALLS.

Rich's mom was away on vacation this weekend, so Rich went to her house to care for the babies. Upon arriving, he discovered that Zoe had a lovely new hairdo!

DISCLAIMER: For the above mentioned reasons, this is absolutely in no way cruel to little Zoe. She's actually quite a bit happier now that she has less fur.

( As promised, pictures! )

1) Comment to this and I will give you 3 people.
2) Post this meme with your answers.
3) Provide pictures and the names of 3 people.
4) Label which you would marry, shag, and throw off a cliff.


She gave me tough ones. David Tennant, Christopher Eccleston, and John Barrowman.

( Pics behind the cut! )

Who's next?

My LUSH stash-drawer and samples on the night stand.

( Photos behind the cut! )

Many of you are familiar with tales of Rich's (mom's) cats. Some of you have met one of them, a few have met two, but the third very rarely makes an appearance. If he does, it is very brief and leaves nothing but confusion in its wake.

For the uninitiated, the spectrum of cats is as follows:

Elmo MacPurrypants, the Twenty Pound Kitten of DOOM! Elmo loves you. Elmo loves everyone, especially if they have hands with which they are willing to pet him. This cat is the biggest whore I ever have or probably ever will meet.

Ms. Zoe Whiskers Zoe is the most normal of the three, in terms of cat-like behavior. She loves a few select people who she knows and trusts, but only on her terms. She likes to groom my hair if I don't have any product in it. It's very cute.

Then, there's Othello. Othello does not like any people, really. He has this personal bubble of varying size, and if you step inside of its boundaries, he bolts. I was dating Rich for three months before I even saw this cat, and I even managed to pet him once! Those of you who were at my pajama birthday party will recall the "cat flying out of the wall" incident. We think he may be the ruler of some mythical Narnia-like realm behind the shelves in the den, but there's no way to tell. There are some who doubt his existence, including the crazy cleaning lady, but I now have proof!

( Click here to see Othello the Mystery Cat!  )

I wanted to put him on the mantle in the living room, but mom wouldn't let me. So instead ( can you find the dragon? )

Cute, eh?